anthonyqkiernan
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Modernise?
Nov 28, 2002, 12:54
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"Maybe the firefighters should become as modern as the MPs. After each call, it should be solemnly announced that there's a fire, to which everyone groans "hear, hear". Then they set up a body to look into the matter but can't start until the water has been approved by a second unelected fire service that's made up of ancestors of 13th-century firemen, and Melvyn Bragg."
http://argument.independent.co.uk/regular_columnists/mark_steel/story.jsp?story=356434
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anthonyqkiernan
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Re: Modernise?
Nov 28, 2002, 12:55
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Let's try make that readable:
"Maybe the firefighters should become as modern as the MPs. After each call, it should be solemnly announced that there's a fire, to which everyone groans "hear, hear". Then they set up a body to look into the matter but can't start until the water has been approved by a second unelected fire service that's made up of ancestors of 13th-century firemen, and Melvyn Bragg."
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leontrotsky
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Re: Modernise?
Nov 28, 2002, 13:40
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i love mark steel
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necropolist
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Re: Modernise?
Nov 28, 2002, 13:40
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me too, he's ace!
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anthonyqkiernan
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Re: Modernise?
Nov 28, 2002, 13:55
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Indeed.
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necropolist
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Re: Modernise?
Nov 28, 2002, 14:00
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i just love these bits:
"Some of the other complaints against the union make even less sense. Prescott often cites the firefighters' "generous" pension scheme, but they have to pay into it in the first place. You might as well say: "And they receive generous supermarket benefits. They have a scheme with Tesco whereby, as long as they pay money to a cashier, they are entitled to take away bags full of household items."
Or, with its usual logic, The Sun complains that "long-suffering army wives blasted striking fire-fighters and demanded 'give us back our men'". Apparently one mother said her daughter no longer recognises her dad because he's been away so long. That's six days so far. So presumably The Sun's line on war with Saddam will now change to "Bomb Iraq, but not if it's going to go on all week". "
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FourWinds
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Re: Modernise?
Nov 28, 2002, 14:10
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"If the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) accepted Prescott's terms, they'd be committed to fighting fires in three different tenses at once."
that is one of the funniest lines this year!
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FourWinds
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generous pension schemes
Nov 28, 2002, 14:42
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Actually, he's made a bit of a slip up here. The employers contributions into a fireman's pension are actually very, very good. A fireman's pension, if they've had long service, is around 70% of leaving salary.
There are also different options in it so that the firefighter can take a lump and reduced pension, and such like.
I wish I had the same pension arrangements.
Having said all of that I still wouldn't do the job!
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Vybik Jon
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Re: generous pension schemes
Nov 28, 2002, 14:56
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Hoping I don't sound like an idiot...
The pension scheme may be generous in respect of the employer's contribution, but just because it may be better than many others does not make it problematic. The problem is surely with the pension schemes that aren't as good?
Same with the central pay issue and loads of comment about the firefighters present pay being a lot better than many people get. In that context the issue isn't about what the firefighters are getting but what many people don't get.
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necropolist
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Re: generous pension schemes
Nov 28, 2002, 15:03
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VJ is pretty spot on there...only thing to add is that many companies offer 100% of final salary schemes (well, some do anyway) and that the firefighters themselves have to pay into it - unlike many/most other companies.
and as the final salary can't top 25k (in london0- at the mo, it's nothing like as generous as many many other companies
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