Doctor, doctor: are you going on strike?
The short answer is no! With headlines in the national press suggesting that GPs are going on strike because a £53,000 a year pension deal is not enough (click here to read the full story in The Independent) going on strike and any other industrial action is going to be a PR disaster and the BMA is just shooting itself in the foot. GPs are well paid, we have secure jobs, we have good pensions and there is a recession - stupid!
The governments proposals for pension changes mean that GPs will pay more, for less good pensions and will have to work longer. However GPs are very angry at the unfairness of what the government is doing for two reasons.
Firstly pensions were renegotiated in 2008 to ensure that they were sustainable; pension age was raised by five years, contributions were significantly raised form 6% to 8.5% and the tax payers contributions were capped against future increases.
Secondly, the NHS pension scheme is very sustainable - as a direct result of the 2008 changes. Last year it paid £2 billion pounds into the exchequer and a Public Accounts Committee report in May 2011 found that the 2008 reforms are bringing in substantial changes and will be affordable for many years to come.
GPs are angry because the government proposals simply reduce GPs pay under the guise of pension reform, when the evidence is that the current pension scheme is affordable, sustainable and is not a burden on the tax payer.
But I think that striking will get us nowhere!
The governments proposals for pension changes mean that GPs will pay more, for less good pensions and will have to work longer. However GPs are very angry at the unfairness of what the government is doing for two reasons.
Firstly pensions were renegotiated in 2008 to ensure that they were sustainable; pension age was raised by five years, contributions were significantly raised form 6% to 8.5% and the tax payers contributions were capped against future increases.
Secondly, the NHS pension scheme is very sustainable - as a direct result of the 2008 changes. Last year it paid £2 billion pounds into the exchequer and a Public Accounts Committee report in May 2011 found that the 2008 reforms are bringing in substantial changes and will be affordable for many years to come.
GPs are angry because the government proposals simply reduce GPs pay under the guise of pension reform, when the evidence is that the current pension scheme is affordable, sustainable and is not a burden on the tax payer.
But I think that striking will get us nowhere!
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