Are Doctors just greedy ba*tards?
Discussion
The last Government changed doctors contracts in a way that substantially increased their income and reduced their hours worked for that income. They also set the very generous pension plan that doctors want to keep.
The current Government wants to change the retirement age in line with other sectors and the pension is still a very generous one. It is, after all, approximately double the national wage!
How can a public sector (all-be-it self employed) group be so blind to the greed this shows when many lower paid workers that could only dream of earning, while working, what doctors will receive as a pension
when they have retired after a well paid career?
The current Government wants to change the retirement age in line with other sectors and the pension is still a very generous one. It is, after all, approximately double the national wage!
How can a public sector (all-be-it self employed) group be so blind to the greed this shows when many lower paid workers that could only dream of earning, while working, what doctors will receive as a pension
when they have retired after a well paid career?
My view is that they perceive their labour to be scarcer than the government does and are taking collective action to prove it.
Personally I don't think that most GPs put in the hours or have the unique skills (specialised, certainly, but not unique) that other comparable earners do in most sectors, particularly when you look at the cash value of their pension contributions.
Personally I don't think that most GPs put in the hours or have the unique skills (specialised, certainly, but not unique) that other comparable earners do in most sectors, particularly when you look at the cash value of their pension contributions.
You might want to see what the other public servants at the same pay point and seniority have to contribute to their pensions. All doctors are asking for is equality among those employed by the same employer. Most would be unhappy if basic contract and pension terms varied widely amongst the same company. Also the contract was only changed in 2008, and is £2 billion in surplus. Therefore why should it change?
speedster986 said:
You might want to see what the other public servants at the same pay point and seniority have to contribute to their pensions. All doctors are asking for is equality among those employed by the same employer. Most would be unhappy if basic contract and pension terms varied widely amongst the same company. Also the contract was only changed in 2008, and is £2 billion in surplus. Therefore why should it change?
The scheme is unfunded and therefore is not in surplus.The whole public sector remuneration and pension system needs to be slashed.
If I can afford a night away in a reasonable hotel it is full of ex-public sector employees on index linked pensions staying for the week/fortnight. This is self evident from conversations in the bar/restaurant.
I hope the Government has the strength to cut the public sector and cut it hard. We, as a country, cannot afford an over-paid public sector of over 18% of the working population. Every country in financial difficulty in Europe have a bloated public sector.
If I can afford a night away in a reasonable hotel it is full of ex-public sector employees on index linked pensions staying for the week/fortnight. This is self evident from conversations in the bar/restaurant.
I hope the Government has the strength to cut the public sector and cut it hard. We, as a country, cannot afford an over-paid public sector of over 18% of the working population. Every country in financial difficulty in Europe have a bloated public sector.
speedster986 said:
You might want to see what the other public servants at the same pay point and seniority have to contribute to their pensions. All doctors are asking for is equality among those employed by the same employer. Most would be unhappy if basic contract and pension terms varied widely amongst the same company. Also the contract was only changed in 2008, and is £2 billion in surplus. Therefore why should it change?
It should change because ALL public sector pension terms are quite frankly taking the piss. They will have equality eventually, just at the new level. Happy? Probably not, but that's what's going to happen.davepoth said:
It should change because ALL public sector pension terms are quite frankly taking the piss. They will have equality eventually, just at the new level. Happy? Probably not, but that's what's going to happen.
If that was proposed the doctors would not be striking. It is the inequality with other civil servants (including those who are writing the changes in the pension schemes) that is the crux of the issue. It is not a private vs public sector debate. speedster986 said:
If that was proposed the doctors would not be striking.
Are they actually striking? I thought they were all turning up but not seeing non-emergency patients? If so does this mean they are still getting paid?speedster986 said:
It is the inequality with other civil servants (including those who are writing the changes in the pension schemes) that is the crux of the issue.
Is it the crux or is it simply what they have chosen as their best argument to justify keeping their pension arrangements as they are.speedster986 said:
It is not a private vs public sector debate.
Or they don't want it to be that debate because there are very few major private sector professions that have such hugely subsidised pension setups. If most/all doctors are self-employed, why do they get any pension subsidy?The Greeks don't want austerity measures, the bankers don't want their bonuses cut, doctors don't want their pensions reduced. It's all the same debate, nobody wants to look at the bigger picture when they are seeing their own personal bottom line shrinking.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Saw a friend of mine on Tuesday. He was filling up with tears, because his sister had just been taken to Exeter hospital, and was in intensive care. Apparently, she had had a massive stroke.This was less than an hour after the doctor heard her describe the pain in her ear and temple/behind the eye. Doctor diagnosed "a virus". "Make another appointment if it doesn't get better".
She died yesterday.
Sorry for the offtopic.
philthy said:
Saw a friend of mine on Tuesday. He was filling up with tears, because his sister had just been taken to Exeter hospital, and was in intensive care. Apparently, she had had a massive stroke.
This was less than an hour after the doctor heard her describe the pain in her ear and temple/behind the eye. Doctor diagnosed "a virus". "Make another appointment if it doesn't get better".
She died yesterday.
Sorry for the offtopic.
My ex-ex girlfriend went to the GP with chronically bad stomach pains. First visit was diagnosed as abdominal migraine. had some tablets.This was less than an hour after the doctor heard her describe the pain in her ear and temple/behind the eye. Doctor diagnosed "a virus". "Make another appointment if it doesn't get better".
She died yesterday.
Sorry for the offtopic.
Second visit after no joy, turned out to be growing pains. Go home and ride it out.
Third visit, after a bit of verbal, ended up with a scan at hospital and turned out she had an ovarian cyst and had to have one half of her reproductive organs out.
Sorry again for the off topic.
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