VIDEO: Hundreds at strike rallies in Bucks (From Bucks Free Press)

ok old news now. you have thrown your toys out of your prames. now get back to work

Considering that there are tens of thousands of public sector workers in Bucks why were there only "hundreds" at the rallies?

They walked ALL the way from the hospital to Easton Street? Crikey, well done! I hope they walked boy/girl, boy/girl and held hands.

The strikers lost a days pay and so the Government and Councils must have saved quite a lot. So where, as a taxpayer and ratepayer, do I get a refund for the services that I pay for but that weren't available today?

Unfortunately, the strike will achieve very little; nonetheless, those who took part have my respect and sympathy for standing up for themselves against a lying, venal and heartless government whose vicious cuts are ideologically driven.

This was a great day.....
For drivers....
The roads were so clear.

Let's have more strikes like this...

i agree
and parking was plentiful too in the workers popular car parks

dtap wrote:
Unfortunately, the strike will achieve very little; nonetheless, those who took part have my respect and sympathy for standing up for themselves against a lying, venal and heartless government whose vicious cuts are ideologically driven.

Government spending has risen from 690 billion last year, to 740 billion this year, no doubt next year will see another increase in spending as "unexpected" bills are found for the Olympics.

There is a 140 billion pound deficit this year, it is expected to rise to 160 billion next year.

Debt interest payments are

dtap wrote:
Unfortunately, the strike will achieve very little; nonetheless, those who took part have my respect and sympathy for standing up for themselves against a lying, venal and heartless government whose vicious cuts are ideologically driven.

Government spending has risen from 690 billion last year, to 740 billion this year, no doubt next year will see another increase in spending as "unexpected" bills are found for the Olympics.

There is a 140 billion pound deficit this year, it is expected to rise to 160 billion next year.

Debt interest payments are

What a farce, the country (and most of the world) is currently going through an economic crisis and millions of people are facing real hardship NOW, and yet these employed people are striking over what may or may not happen in 35 years time! The world will be a totally different place in 10 years time, let alone 35, so knuckle down and get on with it.

What a farce, the country (and most of the world) is currently going through an economic crisis and millions of people are facing real hardship NOW, and yet these employed people are striking over what may or may not happen in 35 years time! The world will be a totally different place in 10 years time, let alone 35, so knuckle down and get on with it.

There are 196 countries in the world: this one is the 6th richest. There`s money about, all right, it`s a question of tapping into it fairly.

gpn01 wrote:
The strikers lost a days pay and so the Government and Councils must have saved quite a lot. So where, as a taxpayer and ratepayer, do I get a refund for the services that I pay for but that weren't available today?

Public sector workers pay taxes as well, you know, and nearly a fifth of the national workforce are in the public sector, cleaning up your (grand)parents when they mess themselves, putting out your house fires, educating your kids, taking you to hospital, gritting your roads... Our pensions are NOT gilt-edged, and I stand to receive the princely sum of £2,500 PER ANNUM when I reach retirement age in 8 years' time. That is NOT enough to live on. I have seen my pension progressively downgraded by both Blair's Tories and Cameron's Tories (2 brand lable; same politics.)

gpn01 wrote:
The strikers lost a days pay and so the Government and Councils must have saved quite a lot. So where, as a taxpayer and ratepayer, do I get a refund for the services that I pay for but that weren't available today?

Public sector workers pay taxes as well, you know, and nearly a fifth of the national workforce are in the public sector, cleaning up your (grand)parents when they mess themselves, putting out your house fires, educating your kids, taking you to hospital, gritting your roads... Our pensions are NOT gilt-edged, and I stand to receive the princely sum of £2,500 PER ANNUM when I reach retirement age in 8 years' time. That is NOT enough to live on. I have seen my pension progressively downgraded by both Blair's Tories and Cameron's Tories (2 brand lable; same politics.)

dtap wrote:
There are 196 countries in the world: this one is the 6th richest. There`s money about, all right, it`s a question of tapping into it fairly.

I'm no Socialist but I agree with you; rather than us in the private sector moaning about the those in the public sector wanting to keep their hard fought for rights and terms and conditions, perhaps we in the private sector should do the same.
!
As with the Cold War, acid rain, climate change and now the financial 'crisis' much of it is scaremongering, there is money around, it doesn't just disappear, somebody somewhere has made a mint and WE are paying for it; the idea that "we are in it together" is utter cr@p", this is the mantra trotted out by politicians who want to defer their own failings to the people who are most affected, trying to invoke a blitz spirit although instead of bombs, the innocents are having to endure massive financial penalisation while the fatcats get richer. I don't fall for it, neither should you.

BigRoly wrote:

gpn01 wrote: The strikers lost a days pay and so the Government and Councils must have saved quite a lot. So where, as a taxpayer and ratepayer, do I get a refund for the services that I pay for but that weren't available today?

Public sector workers pay taxes as well, you know, and nearly a fifth of the national workforce are in the public sector, cleaning up your (grand)parents when they mess themselves, putting out your house fires, educating your kids, taking you to hospital, gritting your roads... Our pensions are NOT gilt-edged, and I stand to receive the princely sum of £2,500 PER ANNUM when I reach retirement age in 8 years' time. That is NOT enough to live on. I have seen my pension progressively downgraded by both Blair's Tories and Cameron's Tories (2 brand lable; same politics.)

Well said! But at least on the benches behind Tory Blair were some decent and caring people: it`s very hard to spot any behind Big Dave`s oily smirk.

AlpinaB5 wrote:
What a farce, the country (and most of the world) is currently going through an economic crisis and millions of people are facing real hardship NOW, and yet these employed people are striking over what may or may not happen in 35 years time! The world will be a totally different place in 10 years time, let alone 35, so knuckle down and get on with it.

35 years' time? I reach retirement age in 8 years, after having paid in several decades' worth of National Insurance and reirement pension contributions - but my pension has been progressively downgraded by the government. I have been mugged - by the Bullingdon Club.

Slimster wrote:
They walked ALL the way from the hospital to Easton Street? Crikey, well done! I hope they walked boy/girl, boy/girl and held hands.

lets hope there was an adult around when they had to cross the road.

bless them, such a long way, i bet they had a good nights sleep last night.

BigRoly wrote:

gpn01 wrote:
The strikers lost a days pay and so the Government and Councils must have saved quite a lot. So where, as a taxpayer and ratepayer, do I get a refund for the services that I pay for but that weren't available today?

Public sector workers pay taxes as well, you know, and nearly a fifth of the national workforce are in the public sector, cleaning up your (grand)parents when they mess themselves, putting out your house fires, educating your kids, taking you to hospital, gritting your roads... Our pensions are NOT gilt-edged, and I stand to receive the princely sum of £2,500 PER ANNUM when I reach retirement age in 8 years' time. That is NOT enough to live on. I have seen my pension progressively downgraded by both Blair's Tories and Cameron's Tories (2 brand lable; same politics.)

Please get off your high horse. I didn't claim that public sector workers don't pay taxes
Nor do I dispute that there's a lot of hard working people. All I pointed out was that I pay for many services that weren't provided ans so I should be refunded. If you bought a train ticket and the trains were cancelled because of a strike, irrespective of the reason behind the strike or how hard the drivers work, you'd expect a refund wouldn't you?

BigRoly wrote:

gpn01 wrote:
The strikers lost a days pay and so the Government and Councils must have saved quite a lot. So where, as a taxpayer and ratepayer, do I get a refund for the services that I pay for but that weren't available today?

Public sector workers pay taxes as well, you know, and nearly a fifth of the national workforce are in the public sector, cleaning up your (grand)parents when they mess themselves, putting out your house fires, educating your kids, taking you to hospital, gritting your roads... Our pensions are NOT gilt-edged, and I stand to receive the princely sum of £2,500 PER ANNUM when I reach retirement age in 8 years' time. That is NOT enough to live on. I have seen my pension progressively downgraded by both Blair's Tories and Cameron's Tories (2 brand lable; same politics.)

Please get off your high horse. I didn't claim that public sector workers don't pay taxes
Nor do I dispute that there's a lot of hard working people. All I pointed out was that I pay for many services that weren't provided ans so I should be refunded. If you bought a train ticket and the trains were cancelled because of a strike, irrespective of the reason behind the strike or how hard the drivers work, you'd expect a refund wouldn't you?

The article is incorrect in that the extra £140 the teacher is being forced to pay will NOT go into the "pension pot". There is no "pension pot". The extra money, which is akin to a tax solely on public sector workers, will go straight into government general revenue, and be used for all other government purposes including repaying the public debt.

gpn01 wrote:

BigRoly wrote:

gpn01 wrote: The strikers lost a days pay and so the Government and Councils must have saved quite a lot. So where, as a taxpayer and ratepayer, do I get a refund for the services that I pay for but that weren't available today?

Public sector workers pay taxes as well, you know, and nearly a fifth of the national workforce are in the public sector, cleaning up your (grand)parents when they mess themselves, putting out your house fires, educating your kids, taking you to hospital, gritting your roads... Our pensions are NOT gilt-edged, and I stand to receive the princely sum of £2,500 PER ANNUM when I reach retirement age in 8 years' time. That is NOT enough to live on. I have seen my pension progressively downgraded by both Blair's Tories and Cameron's Tories (2 brand lable; same politics.)

Please get off your high horse. I didn't claim that public sector workers don't pay taxes Nor do I dispute that there's a lot of hard working people. All I pointed out was that I pay for many services that weren't provided ans so I should be refunded. If you bought a train ticket and the trains were cancelled because of a strike, irrespective of the reason behind the strike or how hard the drivers work, you'd expect a refund wouldn't you?

So when do I get my "refund" from the Royal Wedding business, please?

wayneo wrote:

dtap wrote: There are 196 countries in the world: this one is the 6th richest. There`s money about, all right, it`s a question of tapping into it fairly.

I'm no Socialist but I agree with you; rather than us in the private sector moaning about the those in the public sector wanting to keep their hard fought for rights and terms and conditions, perhaps we in the private sector should do the same. ! As with the Cold War, acid rain, climate change and now the financial 'crisis' much of it is scaremongering, there is money around, it doesn't just disappear, somebody somewhere has made a mint and WE are paying for it; the idea that "we are in it together" is utter cr@p", this is the mantra trotted out by politicians who want to defer their own failings to the people who are most affected, trying to invoke a blitz spirit although instead of bombs, the innocents are having to endure massive financial penalisation while the fatcats get richer. I don't fall for it, neither should you.

Wayneo - Thank you! "...rather than us in the private sector moaning about the those in the public sector wanting to keep their hard fought for rights and terms and conditions, perhaps we in the private sector should do the same. !"

This government is cynically trying to drive a wedge between communities by spinning the yarn that this is about public vs private - it's not - it's about the monied elite vs the working people that make this country great.

You may all be interested to know that “Workers at Marmite and Persil manufacturer Unilever have voted to go on strike over the axing of their final-salary pension scheme.”

See: http://www.telegraph
.co.uk/finance/newsb
ysector/retailandcon
sumer/8921468/Unilev
er-workers-to-strike
-over-final-salary-p
ension-scheme.html

I would also recommend last night’s BBC2 programme “Your money and How they Spend it” on IPlayer “Nick Robinson examines how governments collect and spend public money. He asks if the rich should pay more tax and finds how little most of us grasp about our baffling tax system.”

This Government needs to wake up to the fact that whilst it’s true that now is not the time to borrow to invest for the future, and that we have to control spending within available resources, this doesn't make it right to cut spending to pay back previous debts. This is simply fuelling the recession by taking more spending out of the economy.

I find it amazing how everyone who defends the strikes ect. always hides behind the "nurses, doctors, firefighters" cloak of the public sector who I agree are an essential part of the public sector. How many of them are or forget to mention the multitude of public sector workers who DONT play an essential role out there? The one who if they were out of a job would do nothing more than be an unimployed statistic and have no effect on anyones life other than their own? I wonder how many bloggers from the public sector on here are actually WORTH looking after by this country with their pensions? Not many I bet! Clerical, noncey jobs-worths probably trying to justify a lifetime of having an easy job with a good pension at the end! LOL!”

Yes - there is plenty of money about.
.
But for a fairer and more just system that money should pass through a lot of peoples hands and not stick to a few self-chosen greedy people's hands and put in their bottomless pockets or locked up in their 'assets'.
.
It's ironic that the ultra-capitalists are demolishing their own well-endowed edifices - at the very foundations. A reasonably workable system, that is being destroyed by a few people's greed and short-sightedness.
.
Most of the other helpless 'innocent' folk will probably get hurt as if it all crashes down. Nobody is immune , even the stupid inept one-track-mind ones running things at the top of the pile.
.
Perhaps that the inevitable story which history has kept telling up over the centuries. But nobody listens. Including me. Still - no system , methodology or even universe lasts for ever, does it ?

tigeran wrote:
I find it amazing how everyone who defends the strikes ect. always hides behind the "nurses, doctors, firefighters" cloak of the public sector who I agree are an essential part of the public sector. How many of them are or forget to mention the multitude of public sector workers who DONT play an essential role out there? The one who if they were out of a job would do nothing more than be an unimployed statistic and have no effect on anyones life other than their own? I wonder how many bloggers from the public sector on here are actually WORTH looking after by this country with their pensions? Not many I bet! Clerical, noncey jobs-worths probably trying to justify a lifetime of having an easy job with a good pension at the end! LOL!”

Mmm - nice view of life! Read Dickens, have you? "Are there no workhouses?"

dtap wrote:

gpn01 wrote:

BigRoly wrote:

gpn01 wrote: The strikers lost a days pay and so the Government and Councils must have saved quite a lot. So where, as a taxpayer and ratepayer, do I get a refund for the services that I pay for but that weren't available today?

Public sector workers pay taxes as well, you know, and nearly a fifth of the national workforce are in the public sector, cleaning up your (grand)parents when they mess themselves, putting out your house fires, educating your kids, taking you to hospital, gritting your roads... Our pensions are NOT gilt-edged, and I stand to receive the princely sum of £2,500 PER ANNUM when I reach retirement age in 8 years' time. That is NOT enough to live on. I have seen my pension progressively downgraded by both Blair's Tories and Cameron's Tories (2 brand lable; same politics.)

Please get off your high horse. I didn't claim that public sector workers don't pay taxes Nor do I dispute that there's a lot of hard working people. All I pointed out was that I pay for many services that weren't provided ans so I should be refunded. If you bought a train ticket and the trains were cancelled because of a strike, irrespective of the reason behind the strike or how hard the drivers work, you'd expect a refund wouldn't you?

So when do I get my "refund" from the Royal Wedding business, please?

Wasn't that a Public Bank Holiday?

gpn01 wrote:

dtap wrote:

gpn01 wrote:

BigRoly wrote:

gpn01 wrote: The strikers lost a days pay and so the Government and Councils must have saved quite a lot. So where, as a taxpayer and ratepayer, do I get a refund for the services that I pay for but that weren't available today?

Public sector workers pay taxes as well, you know, and nearly a fifth of the national workforce are in the public sector, cleaning up your (grand)parents when they mess themselves, putting out your house fires, educating your kids, taking you to hospital, gritting your roads... Our pensions are NOT gilt-edged, and I stand to receive the princely sum of £2,500 PER ANNUM when I reach retirement age in 8 years' time. That is NOT enough to live on. I have seen my pension progressively downgraded by both Blair's Tories and Cameron's Tories (2 brand lable; same politics.)

Please get off your high horse. I didn't claim that public sector workers don't pay taxes Nor do I dispute that there's a lot of hard working people. All I pointed out was that I pay for many services that weren't provided ans so I should be refunded. If you bought a train ticket and the trains were cancelled because of a strike, irrespective of the reason behind the strike or how hard the drivers work, you'd expect a refund wouldn't you?

So when do I get my "refund" from the Royal Wedding business, please?

Wasn't that a Public Bank Holiday?

I think that`s called "splitting hairs" - or, possibly, heirs?

Come back Charles the First - all is forgiven.
.
At least most folk thought they knew who their enemy was in those days. Only about 20 chopping days to Christmas.

They could employ just one extra public service employee to teach Tigeran how to spell properly. That would be a full time job that is urgently needed! :-)

J B Blackett wrote:
Yes - there is plenty of money about. . But for a fairer and more just system that money should pass through a lot of peoples hands and not stick to a few self-chosen greedy people's hands and put in their bottomless pockets or locked up in their 'assets'. . It's ironic that the ultra-capitalists are demolishing their own well-endowed edifices - at the very foundations. A reasonably workable system, that is being destroyed by a few people's greed and short-sightedness. . Most of the other helpless 'innocent' folk will probably get hurt as if it all crashes down. Nobody is immune , even the stupid inept one-track-mind ones running things at the top of the pile. . Perhaps that the inevitable story which history has kept telling up over the centuries. But nobody listens. Including me. Still - no system , methodology or even universe lasts for ever, does it ?

Actually, according to that nice man on the BBC that all the ladies like so much time stops when the universe ends so the universe could be said to last forever . . .

dtap wrote:

tigeran wrote: I find it amazing how everyone who defends the strikes ect. always hides behind the "nurses, doctors, firefighters" cloak of the public sector who I agree are an essential part of the public sector. How many of them are or forget to mention the multitude of public sector workers who DONT play an essential role out there? The one who if they were out of a job would do nothing more than be an unimployed statistic and have no effect on anyones life other than their own? I wonder how many bloggers from the public sector on here are actually WORTH looking after by this country with their pensions? Not many I bet! Clerical, noncey jobs-worths probably trying to justify a lifetime of having an easy job with a good pension at the end! LOL!”

Mmm - nice view of life! Read Dickens, have you? "Are there no workhouses?"

No answer I see!! just a sarcastic coment! I LOVE being right!!

tigeran wrote:

dtap wrote:

tigeran wrote: I find it amazing how everyone who defends the strikes ect. always hides behind the "nurses, doctors, firefighters" cloak of the public sector who I agree are an essential part of the public sector. How many of them are or forget to mention the multitude of public sector workers who DONT play an essential role out there? The one who if they were out of a job would do nothing more than be an unimployed statistic and have no effect on anyones life other than their own? I wonder how many bloggers from the public sector on here are actually WORTH looking after by this country with their pensions? Not many I bet! Clerical, noncey jobs-worths probably trying to justify a lifetime of having an easy job with a good pension at the end! LOL!”

Mmm - nice view of life! Read Dickens, have you? "Are there no workhouses?"

No answer I see!! just a sarcastic coment! I LOVE being right!!

You inability to understand my riposte speaks many volumes.

dtap wrote:

tigeran wrote:

dtap wrote:

tigeran wrote: I find it amazing how everyone who defends the strikes ect. always hides behind the "nurses, doctors, firefighters" cloak of the public sector who I agree are an essential part of the public sector. How many of them are or forget to mention the multitude of public sector workers who DONT play an essential role out there? The one who if they were out of a job would do nothing more than be an unimployed statistic and have no effect on anyones life other than their own? I wonder how many bloggers from the public sector on here are actually WORTH looking after by this country with their pensions? Not many I bet! Clerical, noncey jobs-worths probably trying to justify a lifetime of having an easy job with a good pension at the end! LOL!”

Mmm - nice view of life! Read Dickens, have you? "Are there no workhouses?"

No answer I see!! just a sarcastic coment! I LOVE being right!!

You inability to understand my riposte speaks many volumes.

It's back to Dickens then.
.
And Charles D loved to read out loud to the vast hordes of people who used to turn up to hear him and his books. A live 19th century rapper !
.
But he only tapped his foot and didn't have the vast array of equipment and studio technicians and multinational agencies and broadcasting companies behind him. Not even an agent or a manager or even a roadie.

Or a loudhailer or a microphone.

I`m afraid that, under the present political regime, it is indeed "back to Dickens"

dtap wrote:

tigeran wrote:

dtap wrote:

tigeran wrote: I find it amazing how everyone who defends the strikes ect. always hides behind the "nurses, doctors, firefighters" cloak of the public sector who I agree are an essential part of the public sector. How many of them are or forget to mention the multitude of public sector workers who DONT play an essential role out there? The one who if they were out of a job would do nothing more than be an unimployed statistic and have no effect on anyones life other than their own? I wonder how many bloggers from the public sector on here are actually WORTH looking after by this country with their pensions? Not many I bet! Clerical, noncey jobs-worths probably trying to justify a lifetime of having an easy job with a good pension at the end! LOL!”

Mmm - nice view of life! Read Dickens, have you? "Are there no workhouses?"

No answer I see!! just a sarcastic coment! I LOVE being right!!

You inability to understand my riposte speaks many volumes.

I understand it perfectly! It speaks volumes to me that you have no answer, you Answer like a politician does to a question they cant answer without admiting the truth!

dtap wrote:
I`m afraid that, under the present political regime, it is indeed "back to Dickens"

What ? THE Dickens ?

tigeran wrote:

dtap wrote:

tigeran wrote:

dtap wrote:

tigeran wrote: I find it amazing how everyone who defends the strikes ect. always hides behind the "nurses, doctors, firefighters" cloak of the public sector who I agree are an essential part of the public sector. How many of them are or forget to mention the multitude of public sector workers who DONT play an essential role out there? The one who if they were out of a job would do nothing more than be an unimployed statistic and have no effect on anyones life other than their own? I wonder how many bloggers from the public sector on here are actually WORTH looking after by this country with their pensions? Not many I bet! Clerical, noncey jobs-worths probably trying to justify a lifetime of having an easy job with a good pension at the end! LOL!”

Mmm - nice view of life! Read Dickens, have you? "Are there no workhouses?"

No answer I see!! just a sarcastic coment! I LOVE being right!!

You inability to understand my riposte speaks many volumes.

I understand it perfectly! It speaks volumes to me that you have no answer, you Answer like a politician does to a question they cant answer without admiting the truth!

Marvellous! I almost wish I had all evening! GawBlessYa... sleep well.

Public workers serve the public and do not go on strike! Yet many public sector workers claim to be professionals (teachers?). I despair because genuine professionals do not go on strike. The strikers are selfish people who have harmed the very people they profess to help. Strikers do not seem to understand firstly, the massive debts left by the Labour Government and secondly, the demographic fact that as a population we are aging and living longer thus we all need to pay in more to cover our retirement and we need to retire later.

The "massive debts left by the Labour government" would have been no less under a Tory regime, as the Tories backed Labour`s spending plans throughout most of Labour`s tenure. It just doesn`t wash.

There is precious little public sympathy for them, and if they inconvenience the general public (you and me) then there will be even less. The union leaders do not care - they have fancy salaries and do not take a pay-cut for days on the picket-line.
Time for the strikers to realise they are being manipulated.

There is precious little public sympathy for them, and if they inconvenience the general public (you and me) then there will be even less. The union leaders do not care - they have fancy salaries and do not take a pay-cut for days on the picket-line.
Time for the strikers to realise they are being manipulated.

dtap wrote:
The "massive debts left by the Labour government" would have been no less under a Tory regime, as the Tories backed Labour`s spending plans throughout most of Labour`s tenure. It just doesn`t wash.

Obviously economics and political history are not your strong points.

piran wrote:

dtap wrote: The "massive debts left by the Labour government" would have been no less under a Tory regime, as the Tories backed Labour`s spending plans throughout most of Labour`s tenure. It just doesn`t wash.

Obviously economics and political history are not your strong points.

The boot is, I`m afraid, firmly on the other foot...

ratman123 wrote:

dtap wrote:
Unfortunately, the strike will achieve very little; nonetheless, those who took part have my respect and sympathy for standing up for themselves against a lying, venal and heartless government whose vicious cuts are ideologically driven.

Government spending has risen from 690 billion last year, to 740 billion this year, no doubt next year will see another increase in spending as "unexpected" bills are found for the Olympics.

There is a 140 billion pound deficit this year, it is expected to rise to 160 billion next year.

Debt interest payments are

'Debt interest payments are' - are what?