Public Pay Talks - see mod warning post 4293

Your February 1% is already agreed so I doesn't matter if it's a No vote.

I actually do and the training is double that of a new entrant as they have to learn admin AND ICT as well

There is so much global instability at the moment. Wars aside, Italy, Pakistan, China are all big countries with very significant vulnerabilities that could cause us major problems. Our next door neighbours are effectively in a economic recession while facing down the barrel of a humanitarian crisis this winter. We could be looking at the similar. I just don't feel it will be as bad. That said it will be quite nasty.

Nearly everyone in Europe is losing wealth due to inflation. Most of us, no matter our personal circumstances, are becoming poorer. The lower the income levels the worse the experience will be. This deal doesn't compensate for inflation. Everyone is effectively having a wage reduction. The thing is if our economy turns, and it very well could, there will be far less money and public appetite for a similar deal. I really think this is the best offer the government will make. Could it be better? Yes, but will there be better?

The current deal will mitigate the hardship for a lot of people. No deal runs a very real risk of a lot more hardship and a potentially weaker bargaining position if the economy and tax take falters. If businesses have to shutter and people lose their jobs how much appetite do you think a public that can sometimes have very begrudging attitudes to civil and public servants will have for public pay increases?

I'd see virtually no chance of any agreement being made this year if this is rejected. It'll require a series of strike days to draw the government back to the table, for a possibility of another percent, or another percent and a half, at most.

There is a thin line here between rising inflation and a worsening economic forecast, wait too long on the deal and the optics of it will get much worse - so striking for an additional percent or two may end up coinciding with a loss of leverage for those strikes as a recession looms.

I'd have been hoping for something closer to a 7.5 (not including the 1% in October) but the backdated pay lump sum will make a huge difference to me this winter (I saw another person say how it would cover their heating oil for winter - that is a huge deal right now), 6.5 isn't that far off, and we can see how things are in 18 months to trash out a new deal.

I cannot tell anyone how to vote but I really think anybody rejecting this would be incredibly moronic and living in some fantasy land, given the fact that numerous strike days would virtually be a guarantee to draw the government back to the table - which would likely go on for months, with a possible additional rise of 1-2 percent at best, but more likely is that the balance of power will have firmly shifted over to the government by then in a worsening economic outlook and a tough winter - and we will reach a point where many of those who turned this down would beg for an opportunity to have a similar offer again.

It’s going to be weighted I believe to stop that scenario I believe