Public antagonism was muted because there was limited inconvenience but that could change. I’m not sure that the public have much sympathy for those trying to protect their pensions and retirement age.

Given the zeal with which successive UK Governments have tasked their spin doctors with briefing the media against public servants and painting them as feckless, pampered, overpaid ingrates in the eyes of the world at large, it would be surprising indeed if there were much sympathy for their case among the general public.

Not that there’s anything new about politicians making use of scapegoating as a diversionary tactic, of course.

It goes back at least as far as Ancient Greece. 🙂

What if they were on the USS Enterprise?

The Picard version, that is.

So we have had the first round and depending on everyone’s prejudices they were a great success or a total failure as well as all the shades between. What next? Will more strikes make a difference? Will the government cave in?

With any luck, common sense and wiser counsels will prevail on both sides.

The Government’s case on public sector pensions is actually seriously underminded by the very report that they hold up as proof of their rectitude, so a rethink seems in order in that quarter.

On the other hand, prolonged and/or repeated strike action by public sector unions will play right into the hands of a Government clearly spoiling for a fight and apparently just as happy to use changes in the law to further their political agenda as previous incumbents have been.

Public sector pensions were in need of reform and, although right wing fanzines like the Daily Heil tend to prefer not to mention it, substantive reform has been in progress for some years now.

For instance, the “classic” Civil Service pension scheme was closed to new entrants several years ago and replaced by something far more akin to the better private sector pension schemes, while the age at which Civil Servants start to receive their pensions has been steadily increasing from 60 and will eventually become 66.

Much the same story can be told about other public sector pensions schemes.

That may well be insufficiently dramatic or swingeing to satisfy the revenge fantasies of some or the political agenda of others but, taken as a whole and covering hundreds of thousands of employees as it does, it represents a significant and steadily accelerating reduction in demand on the public purse – as the Hutton Report makes crystal clear.

On a different note, it would be a nice change to have a thread that doesn’t end up blaming Johnny Foreigner for everything from arthritis to zombies, waffling on interminably about “when I were a lad”, or both.

I accept that I’m probably asking a bit much in present company, but Hope springs eternal. :p

And another once-interesting thread spirals away up its own orifice….. :rolleyes:

These look like they were taken from the inner perimeter road, near the old ‘Beehive’.

It’s a good spot on a sunny morning, as the sun is coming from over your shoulder.

Blimey!

Is it really 11 years since 2010? How time flies……. 😉

Thanks so so much for your help 🙂 I’m very grateful.

You’re most welcome. 🙂

Things move fast in the world of IT. 😉

Try that first, then post and let us know what happens.