Public sector bashing-anyone else sick of it?

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grahamo

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I've been reading through various threads on the forum and am a bit surprised by the amount of bile aimed at Public sector workers. Scapegoating the public sector is definitely flavour of the month at the moment. The generalising and misinformed comments are doing my head in.
I can see that cutbacks need to be made e.g. we are probably the most politically over represented country on the planet and certainly don't need the amount of TD's, top level civil servants we have. At the same time other areas are understaffed. My own dept. is understaffed and the remaining people are doing the extra work on top of their own.
Some of the jibes are a bit of a pain too. I have no problem doing my bit to help out the economy etc. and as usual it will be the PAYE worker who bails the country out but the personal attacks on the public sector workers who post on here are a bit much.

The main jibes:

1.) The 'I'm paying for you' mentality:
I agree the public sector is a drain on the economy,however, some sections of the public sector make money so you don't pay for us all! Plus we pay our taxes too and we're all net contributors to society and the economy.

2.) 'You are all bone idle'
I work my ass off and it is rare I even get to take my lunch break so
the jibes about the public sector being 'bone idle really get on my tits. Of course there are some wasters but don't tell me that doesn't happen in the private sector.

3.) 'Public sector are all paid too much:'
I agree some are. but the average worker certainly isn't raking it in. For the job I do I could earn more in the private sector.

4.)'You wouldn't last a week in the real world!'
I've spent most of my working life in the private sector. Never had any complaints about the quality or efficiency of my work and I have very good references from private sector employers. Gards and nurses work in the 'real world'. would you do their job?

5.) Your all 'unsackable'
People employed after 1995 in the public sector (not sure about civil service)have the same working conditions as people in the private sector.
 
Totally sick of it. It's the same old boring unimaginative hackneyed responses.
 
Vanilla said:
No, not sick of it yet.:eek:
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Me too, kinda find it entertaining. I understand the public service workers will have to take a hit, like we all will. But I don't hold strong feelings or grudges against the public service like other posters here.
 
After working within the public service for a number of years - my experience is
1)the public sector is a drain on the economy..
2)the public sector are bone idle..
3)they are paid too much..
4)would die if they had a job in the "real world".. as for change!! Only if the union allows it...
5) and for the most part unsackable...

I only have about 6 years experience of the working in the public sector..
P:)
 
The public sector is quite big. If you're in it and doing a good job then just assume the jibes are directed at the people who are not.

A blanket defence of the entire public service is not justifiable.

Outsiders would like to see fewer automatic entitlements and greater performance appraisals. If you're a hard working public service employee you should welcome this as you'll advance quicker.
 
I work as a consultant in the public sector and i have to say that a lot of the stereotypes are definitely true.
 
Not sick of it at all, Just surpised that the teachers are not getting it in the neck for getting 3 to 4 months paid holidays per year. Handy number or what.


If there is duplication of work or excess staff in the public sector then that excess fat needs to be trimmed. I know it's nice to give everybody a job but not from my taxes thanks very much. Keep those who are genuinely needed and sack the rest. The fat cat medical consultants also need to be tackled.

Brian Cowen and the rest of the government are like startled rabbits caught in the head lights. They're paralyzed with fear and will not tackle any of the elephants in the room.
 
HTML: 
Brian Cowen and the rest of the government are like startled rabbits caught in the head lights. They're paralyzed with fear and will not tackle any of the elephants in the room.[/quote]
I just don't understand why our taoiseach is paid more than Barack Obama
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How's that for a pathetic example of how to fritter away taxpayer's money.
Thats a big enough elephant to be starting with
 
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Vanilla said:
No, not sick of it yet.:eek:
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Join in, it's more fun;) :p

pinkyBear said:
After working within the public service for a number of years - my experience is
1)the public sector is a drain on the economy..
2)the public sector are bone idle..
3)they are paid too much..
4)would die if they had a job in the "real world".. as for change!! Only if the union allows it...
5) and for the most part unsackable...

I only have about 6 years experience of the working in the public sector..
P:)
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Opps! Whistleblower number one!

qwertyuiop said:
I work as a consultant in the public sector and i have to say that a lot of the stereotypes are definitely true.
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Opps! Whistleblower number two!

...but yes, some of the comments being made are offensive... and sweeping judgements are meaningless. That said general points can be valid despite many exceptions.

A few points:
1) The public sector should not have to make money. The fact that the services cost money is not the issue. The strong suspicion that they cost a lot more money than they should is the problem.
2) Public sector employees come from the same backgrounds as private sector employees, some even move between the two! Therefore generalisations about the sort of people that work in the public sector are not valid. What are valid are general comments about lack of accountability, lack of sanction and lack of reward.
3) While few public sector employees got rich out of the boom it is true that in general terms the public sector has done considerable better out of the boom than the private sector (numerous reports back this up, the recent ERSI being one).
4) Bottom line; The state cannot afford to pay the bills any more so they are going to have to cut costs. Since public sector pay accounted for about half of all the tax revenue taken by the state last year and tax receipts will by down by up to 50% this years that puts public sector employees in the firing line. Whether anyone deserved to have their wages cut of lose their job is a moot point at this stage.
 
june said:
[/html]I just don't understand why our taoiseach is paid more than Barack Obama
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[/quote]How's that for a pathetic example of how to fritter away taxpayer's money.
Thats a big enough elephant to be starting with[/quote]

Who's the elephant Cowen, Obama or Cowen's wages?

Personally I'm sick of all the public sector bashing too.

The real ire should be directed at those who made the P.S. so big in the first place...... FF and their cronies.
 
grahamo said:
Of course there are some wasters but don't tell me that doesn't happen in the private sector.
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10% in private sector and 90% in public sector. That's the problem.

grahamo said:
Public sector are all paid too much:
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So, why are the muppets representing you claim that pay cuts will not be accepted?

grahamo said:
For the job I do I could earn more in the private sector.
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I am sick of this statement. Why don't you move back to private sector then?

grahamo said:
Gards and nurses work in the 'real world'. would you do their job?
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Their choice, isn't it?
Would they do my job? probably not. Their choice.
 
grahamo said:
5.) Your all 'unsackable'
People employed after 1995 in the public sector (not sure about civil service)have the same working conditions as people in the private sector.
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Are you being serious ? Its almost impossible to get fired in the public sector. The usual practice for completely incompetent people is to 'move them on' to another department and make it someone else's problem !
 
Complainer said:
But the blanket attacks are fine - right?
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No. I don't agree with blanket public sector bashing. In fact I believe most are probably doing their best. But hard working public sector employees should not stand in the way of structural reform, oppose the rooting out of poor employees and inefficient practices or feel threatened by reform
 
Niallers said:
Not sick of it at all, Just surpised that the teachers are not getting it in the neck for getting 3 to 4 months paid holidays per year. Handy number or what.


I am not a teacher but comments like this really irritate me- what would you have teachers do...work through the summer - that essentially means that kids don't get their summer holidays either!


Teachers in general do not have a handy number- they have to cope with discipline problems, hyperactive kids, be prepared to spot childern who are goign though a toucgh time at home for whatever reason that may be - classes are overcrowded - some teachers have upwards of 30 kids in a class in spite of FF promises to reduce this ratio.


A friend of mine who is a teacher has said more than once that thet get paid 9 months salary spread over 12. They are now being threatened with a 10% pay cut having fought tooth and nail for a 1% increase not so long
ago.

As is discussed in the tread there are plenty other public sector workers that deserve this bashing....and sure there are good and bad teachers... but surely the buck stops elsewhere if we're going to put all the blame on the public sector!

You couldn't pay me (a little or a lot) to be one- holidays notwithstanding!
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Actually I do think teachers should work through the summer holidays and I also think that Children should not get 2 or 3 months summer holidays.

Why should teachers be exempt from working through the summer. It's ridiculous to think that they shouldn't work through the summer.
 
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