The Civil Servants due to strike on November the 5th over government plans to axe 104,000 jobs. Do you support them?

Apparently, only 42% returned their ballot papers. Why bother been in a union if your not going to vote?

104,000 is a hell of a lot. How do you end up been over staffed by this much?

Which departments are they axing?

I heard quite a few would be axed from DWP in Sheffield. Personally, I view striking as a hideously outdated, overused and abused form of dispute negotiation, and it's disgusting when used by those on a cushy civil service job whose chosen role is to serve the public.

A strike will embarrass the Civil Service rather than damage it and bring them into disrepute.
They don't like that and as I believe the true figure is more 80,000 jobs rather than 140,00.
Most of the jobs will be severence and get the top flyers nice big hand outs, so don't be to disapointed.

I personally support all strikes in the UK...i believe that the striking actions of the workers should not be limited to firefighters etc but should be an all round effort of all workers in all fields to show the government that it is the workers that contribute to this country and it is the workers that could bring it to it's knees.

After that, at least we can look forward to a depression and economic demise!

Originally posted by DerekH
I personally support all strikes in the UK...i believe that the striking actions of the workers should not be limited to firefighters etc but should be an all round effort of all workers in all fields to show the government that it is the workers that contribute to this country and it is the workers that could bring it to it's knees.


The Civil Service has taken Strike action before.. Has it ever really resulted in anything ? Apart from the loss of a days pay :confused:

Originally posted by Lickszz

104,000 is a hell of a lot. How do you end up been over staffed by this much?

By creating "jobs for the boys" to make unemployment look lower under Labour.

Well I work for D.W.P and will not be on strike. Personally I dont belive in it and am not a member of the union. At the end of the day I do my job to feed my kids and pay the bills, yeah the wages could be better but at the end of the day they could be a lot worse too. I am not sure if my job is one of the ones to go, although I doubt it from what I hear it will be the processing side of the staff who will be more at risk. But hey there are loads of jobs out there regardless of what some may say, so if I do get the boot I dont doubt I will find somthing else.

Originally posted by Lickszz
104,000 is a hell of a lot. How do you end up been over staffed by this much?

A HUGE mis-calculation of anticipated/forecasted work :confused:

I think it's a bad day when we start bickering about anyone in the public service realm standing up to governments who b****r about to save money. How much has the war in Iraq cost us? The public might not like those that work in public services, but the public will be the first to complain if the cut backs affect them!!!

I think a big hunk of civil servants will just see it as an unpaid day off!:D

Originally posted by dodger
I think it's a bad day when we start bickering about anyone in the public service realm standing up to governments who b****r about to save money. How much has the war in Iraq cost us? The public might not like those that work in public services, but the public will be the first to complain if the cut backs affect them!!!

104,000 on an average of £20,000 a year amounts to over £2billion a year.

love to know where the average £20,000 p.a comes from- mate of mine luckily scrapes £16,000. I think we need to put ourselves in the shoes of those who might lose their jobs. The prospect of wondering what is going to happen in the future for yourself and family is bloody scary. To lose your job because of a political ploy is a disgrace.

To lose your job because of a political ploy is a disgrace.
Surely people must realise that their job may not be for life when they take it on? How does it differ from private company employees whose employer may go bust? No one's guaranteed a job. I feel sorry for those whose jobs may be lost, but at least they'll get some warning and (in most cases I guess) a chunk of redundancy pay.

Originally posted by t020
104,000 on an average of £20,000 a year amounts to over £2billion a year.
HA more like 12 to 13k a year for the lowest payband (and thats most of us) God If only my wage was 20,000. The thing is that if they do cut back on the sheffield offices, it will be the ones who are on the lower paybands who will go. Why they dont just cut back on the fat cats wages instead is beyond me.

Originally posted by honeyplanet
HA more like 12 to 13k a year for the lowest payband (and thats most of us) God If only my wage was 20,000. The thing is that if they do cut back on the sheffield offices, it will be the ones who are on the lower paybands who will go. Why they dont just cut back on the fat cats wages instead is beyond me.

My thoughts exactly!! I've been in my department for about 3 years and I'm nowhere near this £20,000 average.

So, what area do you work in honeyplanet? PM me if you rather not say here. Oh, I'm not a senior bod either so you have nothing to fear from me :thumbsup:

Is 12-13K the AA or AO band ? Been a Civil Servant six years so mine goes up with each reporting year etc.. When I started the AA band was £6700..

Originally posted by Deejay
Is 12-13K the AA or AO band ? Been a Civil Servant six years so mine goes up with each reporting year etc.. When I started the AA band was £6700..
I think the paygrade systems in our dept are different to yours we have numbers the lowest being 8 there used to be a 7 but I am sure they dont have them now I think a level 8 starts at about 11,040 or possibly 12,040 (can't remember offhand) Although like yourself eventually these rise with the yearly payrise