View From The Top

Everyone I know in the public sector knows and understands this but they/we/I feel that those in the schemes should be left alone and those schemes adjusted for new folk. As Emma, one of my lasses said, she is now going to have to pay 50% to get 30% less and work an extra 6 years for the privilage so f**k it, she'll not pay anything and they (we) can look after her in her old age. I'm going to bail out of the one I'm in (not been in for long), rely on one I've already built up, and use that payment to pay my mortgage off quicker, buy another house and rent it out and make my own arrangements for old age.

It's the same argument that you are using about corporation tax though. The idea that we should be happy that they give us 20p in the £ instead of what they should pay, especially as we, the tax payer, bailed them out.

Jesus, have you actually read this thread. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

Not really. If you want to use the tax argument then you should use what they should pay, not the meagre amount they do or are you totally unaware of how little they do pay? Check how much Barclay's didn't pay, or Morgan Stanley for that matter.

For tax paid read tax avoidance.

It's very easy to know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

Even the tories have said that the banks wouldn't go, despite saying the opposite previously. Bankers want to live in a world city like London which is why they come from far and wide.

How the f**k people are expected to get on the housing ladder is beyond me as they need to be earning big bucks, which, in a way, is why maths grads, who earn excellent money in financial services, aren't going into teaching and that is a disaster.

If you really believe that the wealth created and contained in the City impacts the rest of the country in a major way then you're not as switched on as I thought you were. I'll try and find the report, Deloitte I think it was, that showed how approx 99% of money earned in the City was spent within a 20km radius of it. One person far from proves the opposite.

No, the economy which is London and it's bubble would. The rest of us wouldn't notice. I'll add FACT for gravitas.

I'm simple stating my surprise at the Virgin crew. I thought the BA action insane and would have sacked the lot of them. Turkeys voting for Xmas IMHO.

I see the militant pilots at Virgin are going on strike. Never saw them as the type yet they had 93% yes on a 97% turnout.

As I and my colleagues all pay more than that at the moment then yes, it is.

So the 7% that I currently pay is make believe is it? My admin staff pay 3% into the Local Government Scheme which the government accepts is in credit and is looking at separately & because of that UNISON have yet to to ballot their members It's a myth that all the funds are over stretched but it suits the agenda to ignore that.

Indies really do need to have a niche but also need to evolve with the market. Alas I feel the days of B&M indies are long gone but thankfully the majority that I'm used to dealing with still have an online existance.

You'll get away with it in the back row but nowhere else.

Fair point although I buy deadstock from Indies at cost which benefits all parties.

Independent Shops Day 2011

I appreciate that Mack, just where I live it's been out sourced since God was a child.

Dune and I have agreed the terms of a truce. He also knows that I'm relaxed about who knows what about my past. It matter not one iota to me.

Please don't laugh at Tristan, it's tragic case.

Would have thought the kids too old for him.

Be gentle with Tristan, he has complex needs.

Thanks for the advice.

Spot on. None of my staff have less than a 2:1, a number have 1:1, Masters and even PhDs. I wouldn't consider a anyone with less than a 2:1 or anyone with less than 4 consecutive "2s" in the observations against OFSTED standards but our reputation means that we can demand that. The local secondary schools struggle to get anyone to even apply for a maths job. My wife's secondary school, a rough Black Country number, has 3 maths jobs waiting to be filled and they've not had one application. According to the Ed Dept at Keele a maths graduate with a 2:1 or above can expect to earn around £30k with in 5 years of graduation if teaching and £55k if the private sector. £30k working with sh*ts in a tough secondary or £55k in financial services?