Wirral workers strike over pay cuts and pensions

10:54am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News

WORKERS across Wirral are staging a walk-out today in response to pay cuts and pension changes.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) are on strike as the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivers the budget today.

Picket lines have been set up at courts, jobcentres and offices across the borough as staff attempt to make a stand.

The PCS, which has around 250,000 members taking part in the walk-out, says Government ministers have refused to negotiate them and left them with no other option than to strike.

Among the issues being contested is a four-year pay freeze which workers say has left many struggling to make ends meet.

Admin worker Jenni Bowker, who was on the picket line outside Wirral County Courts this morning, said: “We just want to get back into negotiations so that we can work something out but they won’t listen to us.

“We have asked for a 5% pay rise as we haven’t had one for four years and it is effectively a pay cut in real terms. I have children and it is a real struggle under these conditions.

“We would have liked to see our court judges come out to support us today because they will be fighting for their own pensions in just a few weeks.”

A half-day strike by PCS members has also been planned for April 5.

 

Comments(18)

bloodtub says...
4:00pm Wed 20 Mar 13

the strike will show just how little you will be mist,get in the real world no pension,no pay rises are normal for millions of people you should be greatful to have a job ,you get extra holidays fullpay when your sick, your union hasn't got a clue about the real world every one has to except cuts why not you when more jobs are lost because you wont change,its better to have a job than no job

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Breakpoint says...
4:21pm Wed 20 Mar 13

bloodtub. You need to get into the real world yourself. The pay & benefits for civil servants has been decresing year on year for some time now, pensions cut & pay freezes. Staff are receiving warnings for sick leave and losing jobs when they have been off with genuine serious illnesses. There are so many cutbacks in government departments that staff are given unrealistic targets to achieve, this resulting in poor performance warnings which in turn stop them achieving incremental pay rises.
The public sector has seen many major cutbacks as so the private sector. The government is now putting money into the private sector while civil servants (Yes bloodtub, the ones that make sure you get your benefits) are significantly struggling. The country is facing hard times, don't have a go at the public sector workers as without these the country would fall apart.
On a final note bloodtub - get yourself a dictionary.

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red devil says...
4:48pm Wed 20 Mar 13

I agree with the lack of pay prospects but striking solves nothing, never has. I have not had a proper rise since joining present company in 2007. And am unlikely to see one in the foreseeable future but if I don't work I don't get paid. As for pensions, blame Gordon Brown, he robbed it all.

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bloodtub says...
6:31pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Breakpoint wrote:
bloodtub. You need to get into the real world yourself. The pay & benefits for civil servants has been decresing year on year for some time now, pensions cut & pay freezes. Staff are receiving warnings for sick leave and losing jobs when they have been off with genuine serious illnesses. There are so many cutbacks in government departments that staff are given unrealistic targets to achieve, this resulting in poor performance warnings which in turn stop them achieving incremental pay rises.
The public sector has seen many major cutbacks as so the private sector. The government is now putting money into the private sector while civil servants (Yes bloodtub, the ones that make sure you get your benefits) are significantly struggling. The country is facing hard times, don't have a go at the public sector workers as without these the country would fall apart.
On a final note bloodtub - get yourself a dictionary.
you make me sick you get you've had it good for to long you get paid well more than in the private sector ,you job can be done by someone in the private sector so why should you be treated any differently than any one else i dont get a pay rise if iam off sick i get no pay at all i work longer hours than you for much less pay try being self employed, we all suffer but you still want to keep eveything and give up nothing you act like what you do is some wonderful thing anyone can do it the sooner the private sector takes your job over the better you will only have your self to blame, except the cuts do your job ,stop moaning and get on with it like the rest of us have to

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Breakpoint says...
7:24pm Wed 20 Mar 13

bloodtub - People make there choices to be civil servants, work in the private sector or in your case become self employed (yes I applaud you for being self employed). I have not stated my employment so you assume you work more hours than me, as for sick pay you say if you don't work due to sickness you don't get paid, there are policies you can get for critical illness cover. As for me I have not had a day off sick for over 3 years. I have commented as I know several people who have worked in the public sector & have worked there myself. Don't believe what you read in the media about the general staff as the public sector is blighted by to many managers on to much money which has resulted in frontline staff being cut. As for the government and the one before the coalition they are all puppets. The only winners are the bankers & financial institutions.
As for all the public & private sector cutbacks if they were not so drastic more people would be able to employ you to do work which would increase your profitability , this would reduce your sickness worry as you would have money in the bank. Really we're all in this together & it is just a vicious circle in whatever job we do, go to work - get paid - pay tax - spend money - be taxed on our purchases - go to work for more money - get paid - and on it goes. I wasn't moaning before you were.

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Positive thinker says...
8:41pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Spot on Bloodtub

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LocaLGovwatcher says...
9:18pm Wed 20 Mar 13

PCS strikes loses the strikers one day's pay and one lost pension rights. The PCS leader has a salary in excess of £100,00 pa and does not lose any of his inflated salary.

Now, who is the winner, PCS members?

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pooboy says...
1:57pm Thu 21 Mar 13

BLOODTUB IS RIGHT.
I have not been off sick for 10 years,have no sick pay if im off as my employers would not hvae a business if they had to pay it.
I have all cover in place through my own pocket,I suggest civil servants should do the same.
I have relatives who work in the civil service and they have flexi time,loads of holidays,sick pay,etc.Even they say to me we have it easy and admit they should have been paying a lot more into their pension pot than they have been.They have had it good for so long and now don't like it now they are being brought into line with the private sector...ABOUT TIME I SAY...If you don't like it resign and let 1 of the millions of unemployed have your job.As Cameron says..."we are all in it together"
I personally am LOVING IT.....
Problem you have breakpoint,is no-one is going to subsidise you anymore for your easy life. As Norman said"get on your bike and ride to work"......As for striking,it's not going to make a blind bit of difference and you are obviously not bothered about the country coming to a standstill if you strike and obviously paid FAR TOO MUCH,if you can afford to go without a days' pay!!
Finally,do you think all the striking and your posts with get you sympathy off the general public? NO...especially with your comment "get a dictionary"...Just because someone cannot spell doesn't mean they are not a decent human being.They may suffer from DYSLEXIA....people like you make me sick and I hope the government continues to sift out the leeches.

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Breakpoint says...
4:27pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Pooboy, Great name. When have I said I am a striking civil servant, in fact I have not stated my occupation. I am being supportive of some of the lower paid civil servants when top civl servant managers get paid far to much for doing far to little.
Your relatives in the civil service will by now start worrying for there future as once it is privatised there will be no future. Look what has happened to all the businesses that the conservatives sold off last time, this is part of what we are paying for now. The general guy on the street civil servant is an honest hard working individual & like all areas of work public & private sector there are the leeches.
On a final note from me the civil servants I know did not vote for strike action only action short of a strike. They do not like the fact that the head of PCS is earning his £10000's and lives in a swanky pad in London docklands. This discussion could go on forever quoting rights and wrongs with differences of opinions in the democracy that we live in, this is why you and I do not fully aggree. The government & media are however in cahoots to paint civil servants in a bad way. I will also agree that all the laxadazical civil servants should quit and let people desperate to work take the jobs, maybe this way there wouldn't be such an immigration problem, maybe there wouldn't be so many benefit cheats but those are different arguements for another.
Sorry if I made you sick!!! hope it didn't stain your expensive carpet.

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pooboy says...
4:38pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Dictionary???

civl=civil
to much=too much
to little=too little
there future=their future
aggree=agree
laxadazical=lackadai
sical

Here to help for when you are compiling your C.V. in the near future.

Don't worry,I have laminate flooring.(More expensive than carpet)

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Positive thinker says...
5:42pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Breakpoint,

Most people are to busy trying to earn a living to bother about other people and what there paid

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Positive thinker says...
5:42pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Breakpoint,

Most people are to busy trying to earn a living to bother about other people and what there paid

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Hugo1008 says...
8:34pm Thu 21 Mar 13

The most effective method to get your employers attention is quite simply work to rule.
You will be surprised just how simple day to day working life will get.

Do us all a favour and "Work to Rule" for the foreseeable future that way everyone is a winner.

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Jayo says...
9:13pm Thu 21 Mar 13

The bitterness and jealousy on this thread is staggering.
Instead of bickering amongst ourselves which is exactly what our rulers want. We should direct our ire to the real culprits ie greedy bankers and idiot incompetent politicians.
We are all in it together the shi* that is and THEY put us in it.
"Work to Rule" is far more effective.

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Jack Boot says...
10:36am Fri 22 Mar 13

I hope the 'Work to Rule' action is more effective that their strike action because I never noticed a THING, didn't even see a picket, very disappointing.

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bickyboy says...
11:51am Sat 23 Mar 13

This should not be a "public versus private sector" argument; except maybe for those idiots with too much time on their hands.

Its in all our interests to understand that what the government is currently doing to the public sector has been happening for years to the private, and that therefore, with their better organised unionisation and louder combined voice, there's a chance for the current campaign by the public sector unions to to stop the deterioration of workers' rights IN GENERAL.

We shouldn't be arguing amongst ourselves but combining to defeat a common enemy who would happily regard a return to genuine Victorian Values, including the total annihilation of the principle of a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.

To be distracted by the red herring of a "race to the bottom" argument helps nobody except bad employers; and this current government is one of the very worst employers around.

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Heycock says...
7:44pm Tue 26 Mar 13

When I was self employed I was forced by taxation to contribute to public sector pensions. But no public sector employee was forced to contribute to MY pension. I paid toward their days off "sick" or for endless holidays but no-one from the public sector paid me to be sick or take even a weekend off.
The attitude of the public sector is that the world would stop without them. No more than the private sector. All jobs are bricks in the same wall. Key workers? Not so key if they can't get to work or if they don't eat or have no clothes to wear. So, the truth is that the public sector would cease to operate without the private service sector.

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bickyboy says...
8:57am Wed 27 Mar 13

As a public sector employee, Heycock, I too am forced to contribute taxes which benefit everybody, both public AND private, including the state pensions and other benefits of people who worked in the private sector but didn't bother to take out a pension, instead relying on the State. My money goes to pay those wretched PFI contracts into which hospitals have got themselves. I'm not happy about that because I don't believe in PFI, but I won't have a hissy fit over the above because I knew what tax was for when I took on paid work.

Do you believe that you should be able to choose who benefits from your taxes? I reckon that's a bit of a slippery slope.

As for your comment about the attitude of public sector workers being that the world would stop without them, could you expand on that? I've never heard any public sector worker say such a thing. I've heard a few threatening to withdraw their labour after a democratic ballot, but that's not really the same thing, is it?

As for the "public sector ceasing to operate without the private sector", I would refer you to my earlier comment. We are not each other's enemy here, Heycock. The enemy is the one which is firstly, not ensuring that private sector pensions are raised to the general standard of public sector provisions, and secondly, aiming to make public sector pensions deteriorate to match those of the private sector.

Can you not see something wrong in that?

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