Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

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stuart.uk
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Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by stuart.uk »

I'm a public sector worker, who took part in the one day strike against the Goverment reducing pensions on Wedensday. On the same evening on The One Show, the BBCs Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson guested and made a controversial jest on the subject. On reading 2 newspapers, The Sun and The Daily Record, both giving different views on the subject. The Sun, against the strike, said the Unions should get a sense of humor, after they called for Clarkson's sacking from the BBC, The Record, for the strike, said Clarkson was out of order.

I have mixed views, understanding Clarkson was jesting, but his comments could also be seen as insulting to workers in the public sector. On the strike itself, I can understand the private sector workers say that those in the publc sector have better pensions and should be prepared to take a cut, but I also feel that the Goverment should honor its agreement with those in the public sector to pay them what they're entitled. I also know this might be a controversial view, but I wonder if P.M David Cameron is guilty of stoking up trouble between those in the private and public sector in an effort to win public opinion. Cameron also said the strike was a damp squib with the Country barely damaged by the strike. Again my view was that the Unions didn't want to bring the Country to its knees, only to make the Goverment and the public aware of the anger of the Tory, Liberal policies against them. I personally feel striking is almost a futile gesture, but also feel bullied into submission by this Goverment.

My apoligise to Alison, who I image is against the strike.

Here's the Clarkson interview that caused such a stink. It edits out the piece where he hinted that Pulic sector workers didn't work for a living, which I thought was even worse than what he said on this link

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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by charliechaplinfan »

Stuart, you don't need to apologise to me, I'm not Jeremy Clarkson :wink: . My thoughts are that the country is being divided between private and public sector by the journalists and politicians but also by the sectors themselves. I am not against striking but I am as cynical about the union bosses as I am about the politicians, I don't think the union bosses necessarily have the interest of the workers at heart. I also don't think this is a strike that the strikers can win, I doubt the government will back down, they might grant small concessions but they aren't going to give in on the pensions. The economic climate is against the strikers too as money is short and this could be a long fight and finally the non public sector workers might start to get peeved at the disruption to schools etc. It's a difficult one because there is no spare money in the pot to carry on financing the pensions. In our household one of us works in the private sector and lost their final salary scheme a couple of years ago and the other one works in the public sector but we agree on the action taken. I do sympathise, as for Clarkson, he won't lose out, he's got a DVD out and he's getting column inches, my 6 year old son worships the Top Gear team but I cringe at 50% of what Clarkson says.
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movieman1957
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Re: Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by movieman1957 »

We have a similar situation with our public sector employees.
Chris

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stuart.uk
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Re: Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by stuart.uk »

I do get annoyed when bankers get huge pay rises, when they causedthe problems. Why can't they out of a sense of resposibilty take a cut, which wouldn't hurt them to much, instead of hitting the poorest in the Country, who aren't to blame for the crisis
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Re: Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by charliechaplinfan »

That's the thing that annoys me more than anything, it's not just bankers but chief executives of corporations, council leaders etc can't these people show a little humility? In days gone by we had philanthropy but that doesn't exist anymore although if the subject is brought up they counter it by saying that it is better to give privately. I'm a banker, an ordinary, high street banker and we are demonised by some for working for a bank but we are just the hoi polloi at the bottom on fixed wages. There has recently been a study to say that the chief executives salary at Barcalys is 13,000 times his average employees and that has gone up 1000 fold during the past 50 years, that's not progress, it's wrong. The rich have got stinky rich in the West and everyone else gets relatively poorer.

Comparing myself to the generation of my parents we're going to be far worse off, my parents in law are rolling in it, with a super generous pension and free bus travel. We'll have to work at least until 67, that's an extra 7 years for me for a less than generous state pension and a private pension that will be inadequate. This worries me because there was no way my parents could have worked past 62 even if someone would have employed them, they were simply worn out, they hadn't had tough manual jobs but had worked diligently to keep a roof above our heads and food in our belly. Who is going to employ us all up to the age of 67 when our health starts failing? I wonder if I'm alone in my generation of having such thoughts as my friends are either spending everything they have or more likely pinching every penny in the family budget that is squeezed by rising energy, food, petrol and utility costs. Only our mortgage costs stay relatively low.

How is the feeling in the US Chris? Is it a divide between state and private sector workers?
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movieman1957
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Re: Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by movieman1957 »

In a manner of speaking, yes. It is really about taxpayers providing the funds for folks who often have better salaries and benefits packages then they do themselves. And when the burden on the treasury gets to be too stiff there is, at times, a seeming lack of compromise from the public employees. The area that gets the most notice or coverage is frequently the education field.

They were granted things and the obligation should be honored but at some point things need to be reconsidered, from the government's view, and any attempt at that is met with disagreement and sometimes derision.

I am not a government worker, local or federal, nor is anyone in my family but many of my friends are. This problem is often more on a county or state level than the federal one but that section is growing more than the private sector is growing.
Chris

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CineMaven
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Re: Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by CineMaven »

I am an American, born and raised:

Image
ME, AS A BABY AMERICAN.

I am a native New Yorker and was educated in the NYC public school system from kindergarten through high school. I graduated with my Bachelors from Hunter College.

I worked for thirty-four years (25 years with the NYCHousing Authority plus 9 years with the Board of Ed or as I hatingly called it: The Bored of Dread).

I am now retired and collecting a pension that I contributed to from my paycheck for 34 years. It’s not an entitlement...I earned it and paid INTO it.

Now, I get to the do the fun things. Well, truth be told, all through my working life, I did my fun things. I traveled a lot. I used to ride a motorcycle:

Image
Me on a Gold Wing.

I’ve always been into films. Classic films:
Image Image Image
I love watching classic films, that's why I love TCM.

I have a bunch of friends. They are from all walks of life and work in the public and private sector or own their own business:

Image
My friends celebrating with me for my TCM guest fan programmer tv debut.

I love making films. My webseries (”MEG RAMSEY”) was recently accepted into a NY film festival (and by the way you oughta go online and check it out):

[youtube][/youtube]
"MEG RAMSEY" WEBSERIES TRAILER.

Image Image
ME AND MY CO-PRODUCERS AT FILM FESTIVAL.

And through ALL of my working life, since I was sixteen, I have been a Civil Servant (I guess you call it the Public Sector in England). And I’ve always paid my taxes. Sometimes getting a refund; sometimes having to pay back. And if little ol’ me, a native New Yorkin’ motorcycle-ridin’, American, who is college-educated, traveled, and loves classic films can pay her taxes...then millionaires, billionaires, gazilliontrillionaires and quadrillionaires, can pay their fair share of taxes too.

Image Image Image Image Image

Every one could use a sense of humor, and every one should pay their fair share of taxes. Hmmm...is that too much to ask? Don't take it from the Unions of hard-working people. Get that extra income from the millionaires.
"You build my gallows high, baby."

http://www.megramsey.com
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MichiganJ
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Re: Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by MichiganJ »

CineMaven wrote:
Me on a Gold Wing.
Cool looking bike! Look forward to watching your series. Thanks for posting.
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
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CineMaven
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Re: Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by CineMaven »

Sir, you're quite welcome. Hope you like our sense of humour. Let me know what you think.

By the by..that's not my bike. It's my best friend's brother's bike.
"You build my gallows high, baby."

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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by charliechaplinfan »

The problem here is that public sector workers pay into their pension but it is subsidised by the tax payer, most private pensions have ended their final salary schemes because they aren't affordable without strike because there just wasn't enough support, there wasn't enough money in the pot to fund the younger employees, the same with the public sector, only there is so many of them they can strike enmass, there isn't enough money there, they need to fund more themselves and accept stricter terms. It's the same for us all based on a ageing population. It's tough, it really is, I feel that most workers below a certain age have had a bum deal, whereas I watched many a colleague where I worked walk off with quite nice package deals and gold plated pensions just to make up redundancy numbers but for anyone below 55 here the going isn't so good in private or public sectors. Most of the wealth here is controlled by some of the over 60s, very little by people below that, that's the real inequality not the public versus private that is being manipulated by politicians and journalists. I just look at it and think we can keep our heads above water but what about the kids, I shudder to think about what their lot will be.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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MichiganJ
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Re: Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by MichiganJ »

CineMaven wrote:Hope you like our sense of humour. Let me know what you think.
I watched the first two episodes and they are terrific! Couple of things that stood out are
the cinematography (New York always looks good, but wow!) and the editing. (I love the insert reaction closeups during the meeting.)

Loved the payoff with the shoe gag (and not showing them made me crack up) and that guy with the dog is a priceless accident.

What a beautiful guitar in episode two. (Well, the second one. The one in the closet needed tuning... at the very least). And I laughed out loud during the litany of women musicians, especially Shelia E!

I hope to limit myself to one episode a day, but I doubt I'll last that long.

Great production and a lot of fun. Thanks again for sharing!
-------
To get back to the thread topic: It's a shame that the economic crisis seems to be pitting the private sector against the public sector. We're all in this together.
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
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Sue Sue Applegate
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Re: Jeremy Clarkson and public sector workers

Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

Cinemaven:

Aha!!!! The truth be told, it is out, at this veritable oasis of schmoozing .

The child appeareth early on, and reveals her hallowed sanctity dawning like the crown of mirth and muse

Alas! Awake yon harbingers of worldly worlds and seeming tomes.

The missive's the thing... of course and can't be alter'd nor ne'er seen foretold...

as the spirit moveth nearer to the warmth of cherish'd kindness..

Oops...somebody must be teaching Shakespeare today....

I just wanted to say that I saw your picture and it's cute. Glad you have told everyone about your web series!
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