UK STRIKE DAY 30TH NOVEMBER

[Tiberius]

I'd also reduce the excessive salaries of those working in government, put more power in the hands of local councils, make the House of Lords electable, and introduce a policy whereby for every law enacted, two archaic laws are repealed.

[5thHorseman]

'The current government won't do that, because they are a bunch of authoritarians who like policing the world.'

You forgot the lining of the wealthiest's pockets. Bonus Tax - gone. Corporate tax difference(bringing in from other countries and paying balance) - gone. Corporate tax - lowered.

Bring back bonus tax.

I do agree, mostly, with military expenditure, i'd cut it and make it a defensive force too.

[edk]

No. It's just that in order to stop the cuts, they'd have to either reduce spending somewhere, or increase taxes somewhere. Nobody wants a tax increase, and nobody seems to want the reduction of spending anywhere either.

If I were in charge, I'd end the wars, slash the military budget, and have the current military as a defensive measure rather than an attacking force. Then I'd use the money saved to stabilise what needs stabilising. The current government won't do that, because they are a bunch of authoritarians who like policing the world.

This. I wouldn't necessarily agree with the military thing (specifically, I think we only went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan because we were kissing Bush's arse, but the Libya thing was different, they were actually asking for our help). We do need more money though, and the army uses up a lot of it.

The other thing that uses up a lot of money and annoys me is the Civil Service, which currently has more employees than the total number of people living in my city (even if you go by the "full time equivalent").

---

I'd also reduce the excessive salaries of those working in government, put more power in the hands of local councils, make the House of Lords electable, and introduce a policy whereby for every law enacted, two archaic laws are repealed.

You sound like my dad!

[bozo]

See, this is why the private sector is better. The solution isn't to strike; you are striking against a government which has a massive amount of debt, and is thus unable to do anything about your demands. The solution is to get rid of the public sector (as much as possible), and move all the jobs to the private sector, where companies actually know how to run themselves.

Would you care to comment on the fact that two-thirds of workers in these wonderful private companies that you so admire do not have a pension sheme?

[Ace Otana]

Whether there be more power for the government or the people, corruption will always fester. When governments have more power, they become corrupt, people suffer and so do businesses. When businesses have more power, they become corrupt, people still suffer.
Where power and money flow, so shall corruption. Right now I see corruption in both government and business. But that's just me.

[5thHorseman]

bring in aussie style superannuation and im all for more private stuff. Oh, they wont.

[Minimalist]

where companies actually know how to run themselves.

That's one of the single dumbest things you've ever said, Adrian. In case you don't know it, the bankruptcy courts are choked with the detritus of companies who do not have a fucking clue how to run themselves and stiff everyone in sight in the process of collapsing.

This god-like reverence you have for the private sector is seriously misplaced.

[bozo]

where companies actually know how to run themselves.

That's one of the single dumbest things you've ever said, Adrian. In case you don't know it, the bankruptcy courts are choked with the detritus of companies who do not have a fucking clue how to run themselves and stiff everyone in sight in the process of collapsing.

This god-like reverence you have for the private sector is seriously misplaced.

It's what happens when you live in a bubble.

[Tiberius]

Would you care to comment on the fact that two-thirds of workers in these wonderful private companies that you so admire do not have a pension sheme?

Sure, given that I'm one of them. There is a lot of distrust over pension schemes, given that the government doesn't have a very good record of them. We have an ageing population; people born today are expected to live until they are 100. The government doesn't have the funding to support their pension promises. In fact, we had a representative from HSBC come into the office yesterday to talk about pensions, and most of us raised our concerns with him. He didn't manage to convince most of us that pensions were a good idea. At one point he even used the phrase "too big to fail" in reference to HSBC!

That's one of the single dumbest things you've ever said, Adrian. In case you don't know it, the bankruptcy courts are choked with the detritus of companies who do not have a fucking clue how to run themselves and stiff everyone in sight in the process of collapsing.

...and countless others aren't. The vast majority of companies run themselves fine; if they didn't, the market simply wouldn't function properly; we'd have monopolies all over the place, and small business would cease to exist. This is simply not the case.

[bozo]

Would you care to comment on the fact that two-thirds of workers in these wonderful private companies that you so admire do not have a pension sheme?

Sure, given that I'm one of them. There is a lot of distrust over pension schemes, given that the government doesn't have a very good record of them. We have an ageing population; people born today are expected to live until they are 100. The government doesn't have the funding to support their pension promises. In fact, we had a representative from HSBC come into the office yesterday to talk about pensions, and most of us raised our concerns with him. He didn't manage to convince most of us that pensions were a good idea. At one point he even used the phrase "too big to fail" in reference to HSBC!

That's one of the single dumbest things you've ever said, Adrian. In case you don't know it, the bankruptcy courts are choked with the detritus of companies who do not have a fucking clue how to run themselves and stiff everyone in sight in the process of collapsing.

...and countless others aren't. The vast majority of companies run themselves fine; if they didn't, the market simply wouldn't function properly; we'd have monopolies all over the place, and small business would cease to exist. This is simply not the case.

So, you don't think a retirement pension is a good idea?
Do enlighten us as to how you are going to live your life and prepare for old age without one.