This is my NHS lanyard and ID badges. Tomorrow I have to hand it in as it will be my last day of working for the NHS. December has rolled around all too quickly and on Thursday I will be starting employment to do the same roll with a new service provider as our service has been privatised.
Privatisation of the NHS is a contraversial topic but Wednesday 30th November brings an even more contrversial one; the public sector strike.
I know everyone has their opinion of this step and is entitled to it.
I will be joining the strike and participating in our local rally, I have met people strongly aposed to this and who have called me selfish and greedy for doing so.
For anyone with the same opinion I don't expect to change your mind but I will attempt to explain why I have come to this hard decision.
I started to work for the NHS when I was 21 and immidiately joined the pension scheme. I would have loved the additional money each month but I thought it was better to start planning for my retirement early rather than leave it for a decade or so.
I signed a contract for my pension which I have honoured. I pay 11% of my salary into the pension and my current penison is worth a total of just under £3000 a year. Hardly what the press and government are calling the golden pension which will see me being rich in my old age.
The government is proposing changes that they want me to work until I am (currently) 68 and this will probably rise further before I reach the age of retirement. To expect it to rise to past 70 will not be suprising.
They also want me to pay an additional 6% of my salary to the pension fund, not to support my pension or my colleagues but to help pay the debts caused by the bail outs to the banks.
They Government also wants to reduce my pension payments once I retire despite paying more and working longer. A current calculation would have my pension almost halved to £1800 a year.
Yes I understand some changes are needed but all 3 are too much, I would agree to working longer as we are faced with an aging population.
If there was honesty about the additional payment to the pension fund I would pay it to help repair the economical situation fo the country even though it appears to be nothing more than an extra tax to public sector workers.
But to work longer, pay more and receive less than what I signed the contract for? No, that is too much to ask.
I understand that public sector pensions are currently a better option than private sector ones however public sector workers on average pay more for their pensions then private sector workers do.
Sorry for the long post, it is an emotive topic and I apologise in advance for those of you who will be disadvantaged by the action on Wednesday, I hope you understand why it has been taken.
I am thankful that the majority of people I have spoken to about the strike action are supportive of the public sector in their action and I was amazed at how many of my clients have come to see mr this week and have asked how they can support it as they feel the planned changes are unfair.
Here Here!! I am behind you all the way Emma, I too am looking at my NHS pension being eaten away by the Government, I too have been called selfish by my own kin. Unfortunately I cannot strike tomorrow as I cannot afford to lose a days wages, but, it doesnt mean that in my head and heart I am not on strike. (I will of course being doing as little as possible ;-)
I hope your day goes as planned tomorrow and that we come out the other side with a better offer on the 'table'.
good luck with your 'new' employer and I hope you treated well by them x
@hagscat
Thank you Carin, I'm sorry you can't join in. I can't afford to lose a days wages either but as I had 1/2 day annual leave and 1/2 day TOIL (no such thing as overtime!) to take before 1st December I booked it off a while ago so I am free to join in tomorrow without worrying about the loss of income.
Prehaps unsuprisingly the people who have called me selfish are people whos pensions are safe and who are much higher up the pay scale than I and can afford the decrease.
I've also been told that anyone who strikes should be sacked and replaced by one of the many unemployed people, that's great in theory but it depends largely on enough people being available who have the correct skills and qualifications to replace everyone who is acting tomorrow.
I'd rather not strike, my job is to care for people and I hate the idea of letting them down (as such i squeezed 3 days of work into 2 days this week!) yet I'm left wondering, who will care for us?
I am trying to keep an open mind about my new employers but I can't help thinking, new boss same as the old boss! I hope to be pleasantly suprised.
I can fully see why people are striking, when it's laid out as simply as you've put it. Unfortunately, I'm in the awkward position of being a student on placement who has to cross the picket to get to my placement, not knowing whether there will be enough dental nurses for me to do my job or not.
I hope your day goes as planned tomorrow and that we come out the other side with a better offer on the 'table'.
good luck with your 'new' employer and I hope you treated well by them x
Thank you Carin, I'm sorry you can't join in. I can't afford to lose a days wages either but as I had 1/2 day annual leave and 1/2 day TOIL (no such thing as overtime!) to take before 1st December I booked it off a while ago so I am free to join in tomorrow without worrying about the loss of income.
Prehaps unsuprisingly the people who have called me selfish are people whos pensions are safe and who are much higher up the pay scale than I and can afford the decrease.
I've also been told that anyone who strikes should be sacked and replaced by one of the many unemployed people, that's great in theory but it depends largely on enough people being available who have the correct skills and qualifications to replace everyone who is acting tomorrow.
I'd rather not strike, my job is to care for people and I hate the idea of letting them down (as such i squeezed 3 days of work into 2 days this week!) yet I'm left wondering, who will care for us?
I am trying to keep an open mind about my new employers but I can't help thinking, new boss same as the old boss! I hope to be pleasantly suprised.