Contrary to what you might read in the Tory press – public servants are certainly not pay and pensions fat cats (as illustrated…)
Gordon Brown (the person some of our union leaders dream of “influencing”) wants to force the supposedly independent pay review bodies to hold public sector pay rises down to 2% according to the Guardian. This is the day after it was reported that bonuses paid out in the City now total £19 billion!
While trying to hold down public sector pay, the Government want to see increased pension contributions even from those whose pension rights are being protected – like health workers and teachers. At the same time, the Association of British Insurers have written to directors of our largest private companies to complain about over generous pension pay outs for company directors.
This is the sort of thing which makes me think we need a socialist candidate for leader of the Labour Party, who can be relied upon to promote the interests of trade unionists before those of the overpaid city fat cats – John McDonnell springs to mind!
5 comments:
That is a particuarly nice cat!
However you make a good point. I don't know how much of the press you got at the time of the pensions strike; but it was pretty much. . . .
Well public sector workers are paid too much and don't do a great deal anyway.
Yes, thanks Adele. I didn't mean (of course) to equate the slightly overweight moggy with the greedy financial capitalists! Perhaps we need to coin a new name for them which is not derogatory to cats?
I think that the Government and its supporters used the delay (after the climbed down over public sector pensions before the last General Election) to mount an ideological offensive to try to persuade people that we public servants are feather bedded.
I think that this was partially succesful and helps to explain why some in the unions now remember as a victory an agreement which had numerous imperfections (not least the exclusion of the Local Government Pension Scheme!)
And in fairness Dave Prentis dealt with the stupid tory press very well defending your members. Especially that idiot chair of the LGA and the even worse silly CBI man.
"I very much agree with John Harris (Put aside the green-inkery and grasp
this opportunity to set the agenda, August 17) that the left has an
opportunity to set the political agenda. In particular he is right that the
results of the Labour NEC elections provide a powerful argument for
socialists to join - or rejoin - the party.
It is not just on foreign policy where the government (and most of the rest
of parliament) are far to the right of public opinion. To take just one
example: the union-backed Public Services Not Private Profit campaign,
chaired by John McDonnell MP, recently published the results of an opinion
poll which showed majority opposition to further privatisation. The public
is to the left of the Labour government - which is why McDonnell's challenge
for the leadership is precisely the audacious and imaginative step which
Harris is asking the left to take.
Jon Rogers
Brighton"
Good letter in the Guardian comrade
you are right we are not fat cats.However said we were,are mad,
crazey.But your cat looks nice.
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