Gov Spending Review 20.10.2010

[AtW]

The unions will whip this one into a winter of discontent to which we haven't seen the likes IMO.

Why won't they do summer of discontent instead, surely it's much better to stand in a picket line when it's sunny and warm...

[d000hg]

It will be like France.

The unions will whip this one into a winter of discontent to which we haven't seen the likes IMO.

I think they'll try, but the public of today won't side with the unions for long once they are directly affected the smallest amount.

[Mich the Tester]

How many people actually work in the public sector though? Isn't it something like 6 million?

If they do go the route of strikes then I think the rest of the public will turn, we are all facing hard times so why should they put the rest of us under pressure and disrupt our lives just because they are feeling a bit of (some would say well overdue) pain?

I wonder how many people in the public sector have already seen this coming and put serious effort into finding a new job or getting training for something else. It still surprises me when I see an industry or a large company in reorganisation or decline that many people seem to hang on until the bitter end. Clientco is going to be sacking a few thousand people in the course of the next year; their people have known this for several years and know that they're in an industry where there will be less employment in the future; so why are there still so many here, hanging on until the bitter end and hoping the unions can save them?

Do people not watch the news or read the papers? I do have some sympathy for people who lose their jobs, but I remember the 1980s when lots of people lost their jobs in loss making state industries; people had carried on working in subsidized industries thinking perhaps they had a job for life, but surely it was obvious it couldn't continue? Isn't that the case now with the public sector all over Europe? This financial crisissy creditty crunchie has been going on for more than 2 years. Besides, it's been well known for several years that most European governments have been running up debts and can't finance a huge public sector AND future pension commitments; couldn't people have seen that this was unsustainable, and get out early and do something else?

[sasguru]

To reply to Mich: most people aren't proactive.
There are plenty on this forum who will blame the govt/Bob/anyone but themselves for their woes.

[swamp]

I recently left the public sector, so I'm okay.

Meanwhile all the people I know who are still in the public sector expect to be safe.

No dramas.

[Mich the Tester]

I recently left the public sector, so I'm okay.

Meanwhile all the people I know who are still in the public sector expect to be safe.

No dramas.

What is the basis for their expectations?

[MarillionFan]

What is the basis for their expectations?

Sticking their heads in the sand and say 'La la la'

[GreenLabel]

I wonder how many people in the public sector have already seen this coming and put serious effort into finding a new job or getting training for something else. It still surprises me when I see an industry or a large company in reorganisation or decline that many people seem to hang on until the bitter end. Clientco is going to be sacking a few thousand people in the course of the next year; their people have known this for several years and know that they're in an industry where there will be less employment in the future; so why are there still so many here, hanging on until the bitter end and hoping the unions can save them?

Do people not watch the news or read the papers? I do have some sympathy for people who lose their jobs, but I remember the 1980s when lots of people lost their jobs in loss making state industries; people had carried on working in subsidized industries thinking perhaps they had a job for life, but surely it was obvious it couldn't continue? Isn't that the case now with the public sector all over Europe? This financial crisissy creditty crunchie has been going on for more than 2 years. Besides, it's been well known for several years that most European governments have been running up debts and can't finance a huge public sector AND future pension commitments; couldn't people have seen that this was unsustainable, and get out early and do something else?

My thoughts exactly. When the writing is on the wall, it's better to act sooner than later.

Why do they stick around?

[gingerjedi]

Redundancy payout.

Thats why I stuck at my previous job, if it wasn't for the redundancy cheque I could have been 'not contracting' much sooner.

[TestMangler]

I used to work in the public sector (a long time ago, left in '94). Wanted to go contracting but hung on for eighteen months for the redundo payout. £32K was not to be sniffed at in '94