Edwin you obviously didn't understand my argument. I didn't need the calculation spelling out I just don't agree you're picking the right fight. The fact is the government employs people and entered into a contract, they can't (or rather shouldn't) use legislation to change the contract after the fact. If they're unhappy with the current situation, then alter new contracts for new employees to reflect how they want it to go.
But the people that these unions pay their donations to did it to the private pensions pots when their hero Gordon Brown raided private pensions for £5bn in the late 90's. So changing the goal posts has happened all the times with pensions, the truth is that all previous Governments have lied to Government workers about their pensions, unfortunately the money has run out on this Governments watch.
Government employees signed a contract in good faith, took less wages in exchange for a comfortable retirement. They should honour that.
I would personally disagree, a proportion of them are not employable in the private sector. My mates work in local Government, they laugh at some of them and their sheer stupidity. Others thought that they have a job for life, unlike Rover or every other private company there is always going to be a Government and they thought they had a job for life.
But to say anyone joins at 20 years old and thinks about a pension is unlikely to me. Very very few 20 year old's care about their pensions.
Their employees regardless how you wish to calculate it, also pay tax. Whether it comes from you, me or the government. The government do make money, they make and sell arms to allies abroad. They also own the BBC, who make vast amounts in TV licencing as well as advertising to countries outside of the UK. They also run the DVLA who make vast amounts in vehicle licencing.
The government makes money
No it doesn't make money, that's like me running a business and losing £500bn a year, then generating £5bn a year and claiming we have made £5bn, nope you have just lost £495bn.
Granted the majority of the treasury's purse comes from taxation, however if the government altered how and who they tax and at what rates there wouldn't be any need for public workers to strike.
Edwin the government could stop giving tax relief on pensions for those earning over £100,000. That costs us £10 Billion every year. Sort out the Pensions for the Cabinet of Millionaires, enjoying more money they don't need at the expense of the rest of us, cut back on MPs expenses, address Corporation Tax avoidance, that alone could rake in Billions and Billions.
The last government brokered a deal with the Unions which sees the cost of Public Sector Pensions falling and have been for years. £43Billion more has been paid in by the Public sector than has ever been paid out.
A union funded Government brokered a deal with the unions, they lied to them. They passed the buck to this Government.... there is no money left.
The government are asking their workforce to pay more money out of their already frozen salaries for less in return than their original contract. The addition money doesn't go the Pension fund, it goes to the Treasury - it's effectively a "Public Sector Workers Tax."
Welcome to the real world is what I'd tell them. It's cold out here isn't it
The truth is that I didn't notice anyone going on strike yesterday, apart from some schools closing it showed me exactly what those 2m people did all day, sod all. If we coped yesterday without 2m public sector workers, we should be able to cope in future, have them all sacked.
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