Doctors around the country are taking industrial action tomorrow in a dispute over pensions. Members of the British Medical Association will provide urgent and emergency care but will postpone non-urgent cases.
This is the first time that doctors have voted for industrial action since 1975 and I fully support their decision. They are protesting against the government’s planned shake-up of their pensions. Or more importantly the fact that the government have gone back on their agreement. They are being made to pay twice the pension contributions and work years longer for a smaller payout than they were expecting. Why should they do that? Doctors and nurses don’t get paid NEARLY enough money in my opinion for what they do.
It’s not as if the pension pot is empty – according to my very reliable source it makes £2 billion excess for the Treasure a year – this is yet another tax.
My source believes striking won’t make any difference.
But it should.
We need to stand behind our doctors and insist that they get paid what they were promised. If necessary we need to suggest that some of the money be taken out the pockets of the football clubs. I would much rather keep our medical staff happy than watch Wayne Rooney score goals with hair.
Maybe I’m in the minority…but this is not fair – neither is it wise to piss our doctors off long term – they will simply go abroad and then where will we be?
Jon Storey
June 23, 2012Hmm?
1. Yes the proposed plan would not appear entirely equitable comparable with others and that would not seem to be justified but everyone is facing increases in contributions, why not doctors too if the increases are fair?
2. As most doctors will be retiring on pensions way in excess of salaries only dreamt of by most people along with tax free lump sums often in the region of £120 – £150k! what is their problem about contributing more?
3. Of course the pension funds make a profit, they have to in order that those profits can be re-invested to fund the ever increasing demands on the pension funds in the future.
3. A typical doctor currently retiring at say 55 may well be expected to live for a further 30 years. Receiving a typical pension of 50k pa, they will benefit from a pension costing around £1,500,000.
4. There are an awful lot of people in this country in much less enviable positions when they retire and I guess that individual responses to strike action by many doctors recognises that point.
Moan over! xx
Family Affairs
June 24, 2012Entirely fair enough. There were a lot of people who felt like that Lx