Oink

The poor hard done by things, having to be subject to the will of the people while receiving large wages and relatively little accountability. The one thing that doesn't change over time is public sector moaning, yet people still take government jobs.

dave_j

Casting aside the polemics, go into most privately run businesses and you'll be treated well, because 'the customer is always right'.

Do battle with a government agency and, from my experience, you'll be lucky if you can find anyone to talk with, and if you do, then they won't know what you're talking about.

BristolUK

Is that what's been in the news? Like the DWP in the UK wasting millions upon millions awarding contracts to people who repeatedly fail to do what's paid for but with friends in high places what difference does it make?

viajero

This is just one report, but... Public sector workers earn 37 per cent more than private counterparts: report | CTV News

"Public sector earnings have been allowed to drift well above market-tested norms, and cash-strapped governments are looking for ways to invest in infrastructure and other priorities. Closing the gap is not just what's fair, it's what is needed."

Tirytory

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Large wages and little accountability? Are you talking about the same jobs that I quoted?

The same (relatively little) accountability that would land me in jail or sued if I didn't do my job properly? Could you kill somebody if you made a human error in your job? Moreover would your working conditions actually contribute to a situation where making a error was very easy?

Former Lancastrian

The best part about the Phoenix system is that it was given to IBM and allegedly it was an off the shelf product and then modified by IBM to use by the Public Service. Guess who has got the contract to fix this problem well heres a clue it starts with I and ends with M

scrubbedexpat091

And I cannot do any of those. I was specifically talking about me and the jobs I could do. Those jobs make more in public sector but are very difficult to get, even getting an interview is difficult.

I am not a lawyer or psychologist so those would not be jobs I would look for and are not relevant to me.

scrubbedexpat091

I wonder how many here could live on 11/hr, keep housing, save for retirement, save for a rainy day, buy food, pay hydro etc?

Some seem to have either never made a low wage ad an adult or did so long ago they have forgotten.

How many skip medications because they cannot afford it?

Former Lancastrian

I know you can't but thats not the point I was trying to make. Not all Govt jobs are paid more than private sector workers for the same job. True we get good benefits but those were bargained for over the last 50 years or so and were given in lieu of pay raises when nobody wanted to work for the Govt. I guess we should all join the race to the bottom where nobody is employed full time and we get minimum wage regardless of the job we are doing and no benefits or bonuses.
That way we would all be equal and nobody would be moaning.

Oink

I work for a government agency and it affords me both. Now, I'm taking advantage of the situation and I'm naffing off the rest of the afternoon and going down the boozer.

Tirytory

And you can conveniently dodge the question I asked you, not everyone has your easy large wage job with little accountability.

viajero

I know you directed this question to Oink, but for myself the issue is more to do with public sectors jobs that have direct comparisons in the private sector. Clearly this would not include doctors or firefighters (for the most part) or police officers, among others. Although it should be noted that police wages are through the roof and unsustainable.

There is no reason why an Accounts Receivables Coordinator working for the Ontario government should receive 30% more pay, plus more extensive benefits and job-for-life security, than his/her private sector counterpart at a time in which the government is essentially bankrupt.

Former Lancastrian

Question 1 ; How much gross profit did Walmart accrue in 2015?

Question 2 ; How much profit did the Canadian Government make in 2015?

Oh I forgot Governments don't make profits they provide services for their citizens. The fees paid for Government services e.g. Citizenship application, work permit etc etc are charged at a cost recovery figure thereby lessening the burden on the taxpayer.

Apart from the obvious security concerns I would love to see the issuance of passports handed over to the private sector. I wonder how much a passport would cost? Hands up those who think the fees for a passport would go down?

bats

When we first moved here we were on one minimum wage and even with no rent or mortgage to most it was impossible.

scrubbedexpat091

Private sector workers try and fight for better, but those in power don't care and it all falls on deaf ears.

I've been union in the private sector even, but when it came to negotiating we as a work group had no power really, we could be outsourced, so our contract offers had to be competitive enough with the outsourcing companies, so end result we kept jobs, but generally lost benefits and pay. But we needed jobs, so what other option did we have? Demand more, strike, be outsourced and unemployed instead?