Has Anyone Had to Cross A Picket Line To Get to Work??

[Emily's Mum]

Really? I'd beg to differ with you there, Diffbrook. The principal civil service pension (PCSPS) is still final salary, it's still non-contributory and is still unfunded which means effectively that it's underwritten by the government. There was a change in 2002 when the PCSPS changed the rules for new members but all it effectively did was double the death in service contributions to 3% from 1.5% in return for better death in service benefits. Existing members had the option to stay or move into the new scheme.

I joined the civil service in 2005 & I pay for my pension. I agree with lots of peoples comments about unions; I don't know which branch I'm in & my opinion was never siugh prior to annual conference this year. However, I stay in because I am disabled & have suffered from workplace bullying. I want to know that when something happens that I can't deal with on my own, I will have the strength of union behind me.

 

[Dandyman]

Absolutely sure. The local government employers' legal duty is to manage pension funds at a local level, ensuring that there is enough money in the fund and that the fund is sufficienly "well managed" to meet all obligations to pay pensions. In the short run (where contributions by a large workforce are enough to cover payouts to pension recipients), this obligation can be met quite easily. In the long run, it is storing up trouble. The workforce is shrinking and pensioners are living longer. But who cares about the long run? Certainly not a here-today-and-gone-tomorrow local politician who wants to win public support by cutting council taxes.

Things HAVE changed in recent years, of course. Current local government staff are being told by the current batch of politicians that future pension benefits "need" to be cut. Of course they do! The previous batch of politicians ensured that.

The LGPS has been "amended" since 01 April. The scheme, which is contributory, previously gave both a pension and a lump sum of three times the annual pension.

For existing members the lump sum was frozen as at 31 March 2008, in my case this means that I have lost about £30k when I compare what I would have expected to receive at retirment age when I entered the scheme and what I will now receive. In addition to this the government, who seem happy to waste money invading other people's copuntries and splashing out billions on unwanted ID card schemes, wishes me to take a pay cut.

 

[Skintagain 1983]

I'd agree with this. Many union reps i've met are completly committed to supporting their members, but I'm sure that many union members would be horrified if they had more exposure to the politics of the people that run these unions i.e. far lefts trots. I'm also annoyed that they so often appear to exist solely for the benefit of staff that have been at the same level for the last decade. When it comes to pay negotiatons they are far more interested in giving above inflation rises to those at the top of pay band (which costs a lot of money) than trying to move up those lower down the scale. Based on last years pay deal it will take me 40 years to make it to the top of the pay scale.

Those as well as other issues is why I've recently resigned from PCS. We (DCMS) aren't in the same position as the likes of DWP and HMRC (where I would most definitely want to be in a union) so I couldn't bear the general incompetence any longer and hated the thought of my subs going to support the Looney Left Serwotka.

I've bitten.....

How disappointing that you have resigned from PCS. Don't know why you think your Department should be any different to DWP or HMRC. The Union is only as good as the reps you elect. If you don't rate the union reps in your workplace/Department nominate someone you do rate to stand as your rep, or stand as a rep yourself.

In DWP we have hundreds of good reps and others not so good. But where the Union is crap we do someting about it. A rep in every workplace campaign; More information to members via members circulars, the PCS website. town meetings etc.

Many other Unions are becoming more and more envious of the fastest growing Union in the TUC... and all this as a result of the Loony Left being in charge!