"Furthermore, more people in the public sector have a degree." There's your explanation ps I work in the private sector.
Did you read that article Kim? The ONS said there was a higher proportion of higher-skilled jobs in the public sector, and the gap had widened over the past decade as lower-skilled jobs had been outsourced to the private sector. Another factor behind the difference is that the state sector contains a higher proportion of older employees, whose earnings have increased over time. Furthermore, more people in the public sector have a degree. In 2010, some 38% of workers had a degree or equivalent qualification in the public sector, compared with 23% in the private sector. But when employees with a degree are compared, those in the public sector earned around 5.7% less than those in the private sector, figures showed. The gap between the top 5 of earners is greater in the private sector than the public sector, the ONS said.
"Moreover, the timing of the research meant that payments made in the normal bonus season of January to March were not taken into account." How convenient Also, it doesn't compare like-for-like jobs. The private sector has 10s of thousands of low paid jobs in the fast food and hospitality industries which skew the figures. Unless you want to nationalise McDonalds and Premier Inn there will always be a discrepancy of the figures taken as a whole.
As a lefty working in the private sector, it's obvious that both sectors should learn from each other and the current mood for private versus public isn't in any common person's interest. "The private sector has 10s of thousands of low paid jobs in the fast food and hospitality industries which skew the figures" Stereo, I think this is kind of the point that (outside conditions) annoys people working in the private sector Council Binman - avg starting salary £23,000 Private Cleaner - avg starting salary £13,617 I'm sure that the canteen workers in the council offices get far higher salaries than those working in McDonalds and I'm sure the working conditions and hours are much better. This is for obvious reasons, though - in the private sector, cash is king and all cost-cutting is justifiable but in the public sector, there is an idea of "duty of care" towards salaries and conditions. My pal is a teacher and I work in a banking call centre. I earn (a tiny bit) more than her (I've quite a senior job)but for me to get her pension I would need a pension pot of £500,000 pounds at retirement. Her pension pot is 80% paid for from the public purse - no private employer is crazy enough to do this - pension shortfalls have cost jobs all over the private sector. I have four seperate private pensions - I pay much more than her into it but will receive less while her's is subsidised by my tax. Doesn't sound very socialist....
Sheikh I don't disagree with a lot of your points or the points that the more sensible posters make. It just gets a bit annoying listening to the Daily Mail rhetoric being repeated on here on a near daily basis (or so it seems.) As I said, I work in the private sector and I've also worked in the public sector. I've had good jobs and bad jobs in both. Everyone's getting screwed (apart from bankers and politicians) but at least those in the public sector have a platform to fight back.
Ah, the old "I've made an arse of myself so I'll pretend it was a fishing expedition" deflection technique. You don't see it so much these days since 606 went tits up.
I agree - what annoyed me in recent weeks is Facebook and forum posts where otherwise reasonable folk have been giving it: "I work in the public sector - why is my pension being cut when it's the fault of people who work in banks" or "I'm in work while all you teachers are striking about how much tax I pay into your pension - grrrr" The average starting salary for a bank worker outside London is £14,000 and they get tiny contributions towards their pensions - I agree that this is not the fault of teachers or social workers etc but the ones I know couldn't afford to live on that and couldn't cope if put through private sector productivity stuff. Equally, there are people in the private sector who have completely forgotten that they should be able to help out and look after their fellow man - their tunnel vision approach to employment and solidarity will no doubt bite them on the erse one day. The current climate of blaming people in either sector is doing my nut in Anyway, back to seriousness Tina, how far do reckon you could manage - could you sink it to the hook?
Actually baw jaws I made the thread solely to piss you off seems to have worked quite well allbeit in a slightly differeent manner than I was hoping.
