I've been getting more and more angry over the last two days. That's not really like me because I think that I am quite placid and cope reasonably well with adversity - most of the time anyway. Those closest to me may well have a different view!!
What's getting under my skin?
First is the issue of public sector pensions and the way that the government appears to be handling this at the moment. There was a review and report done by Lord Hutton a few months ago and the recommendations were then to be discussed and negotiated with all the relevant unions.
Now things have really kicked off in the last couple of days. Public sector workers voting for industrial action and the government - in the form of Danny Alexander (Lib Dem) the Treasury Minister seeming to say that policy decisions have been made and are not up for negotiation.
Today according various news reports the Treasury is stepping back from this stance and appears to be saying that no final decisions have been made and that negotiations with the unions are still on.
I've been a public sector worker for over 41 years and was looking forward to retirement in about two years. Now I know that things change in life and that there are no guarantees about anything. I also accept that the pensions world is in a mess and that many working in the private sector have had their pensions devalued. So it seems only fair to me that public sector employees should share the pain.
But that pain needs to be inflicted fairly and not as a result of some political dogma.
Being so close to retirement I feel particularly angry about the prospect of my pension being reduced - so I hope that some protection can be put in place. I do think that public sector employees will have to contribute more to their pensions and that the retirement age will need to go up. But does that have to be for everyone currently in the scheme? or for those close to retirement? I don't know what the definition of close to retirement is except that I think it means me.
So come on Government and unions get it sorted.
The other thing that is getting me cross is the closure of Tetley's brewery in Leeds. Beer has been brewed on the site in Leeds since 1822. Tetley's is owned by brewing giant Carlsberg and I think that it's an absolute disgrace that the Vikings are raping and pillaging our country again. So let's just imagine the advert shall we.......
Carlsberg don't do mistakes, but if they did, this would probably be the worst mistake in the world ..... RIP Joshua Tetley.
Ok rant over now settling down to watch Lee Mack on telly.
