So today thousands of council workers have been on Strike and I here a lot of "Oh they're on strike again" or "all they ever do is strike" and "they knew what their wage would be when they took their jobs" but that is just it, they are not getting the amount their contract stated when they took their jobs. They are now losing upto £4000 per annum, that is a huge chunk for anyone to lose out on and I for one would also strike if I were going to lose this substantial amount. What with rising rents and food costs and the extortinate amount we all have to pay for utilities it is too much to lose out on each year.
£4000 per year could be the difference between heating or eating, or being able to have the heating on instead of an extra jumper on, and getting a nice hot bath instead of a quick wash, or parents having a meal with their child(ren) instead of going hungry so their child(ren) can eat. It isn't about getting more money it is about getting the wage they were promised when they signed on for the job, why should they put up with it quitely, they want to stick up for themselves, and show their self worth, just ask yourself would you strike? They are also giving them a bum deal with their pensions, why should people pay into pension schemes all their working life then be left high and dry when it comes to their payout.
They would have worked all their life and want to retire, settle down and enjoy their twilight years with their hard earned savings, instead of now having to worry as to how they are going to survive on watered down pension they are going to receive. Shouldn't we be looking after our older folk after working upto fifty years of their life, some more, shouldn't they be allowed to then live not in fear of not being able to be eat, heat, have repairs done to their homes if needed, they should be thinking about what they are going to do at the weekend, not have they got enough food to last until the weekend, it is a disgrace, that as a rich country we can allow people to Work all their life then throw them on the scrap heap and forget all about them, it could be you, your partner, child, parent, any one you know, so these people who are striking today are letting the councils know that it isn't alright to this to them and that they wont stand for it, and I hope that people who have been whinging about the strikers are never in the predicament that these workers are in. So good luck to the strikers, and I hope that you get what you are entitled to and more importantly what you are worth.