“You keep referring to public sector workers as if they are homogeneous but as I mentioned many times that the ordinary workers in the public sector would not be threatened if only the most highly paid over 60k were to be under scrutiny to see if the public is getting value for money. Why should it be a considered a victory for socialism to see the promotion of the worseing pay inequality that developed over the past 40 yrs?”
You really believe that cutting the higher paid in the public service would stop there? The entire argument is a stalking horse for cuts across the board. Even on this thread – first it’s 100,000, then it’s 60,000. Where does it stop? What’s the cut-off for ‘highly-paid’?
In terms of the question of inequality (and let’s always bear in the mind that salary inequality is far more pronounced in the private than public sector), you haven’t – on this thread, at any rate – ever suggested improving the position of those at the bottom. It’s always about cutting those at the top. Which isn’t to say that those at the top are in need of any protection, but it’s a fairly pointless exercise in that the savings incurred are negligible and those struggling with hardship continue to struggle.
As it happens, I think all those working in the public sector – regardless of salary – should be subject to scrutiny to ensure that public funds are well-spent. I just happen to think that that scrutiny should come within a context of a fair and organised system of management, not vague concepts of ‘fairness’.
The reason I took issue with your use of the power workers turning off ‘the switch’ is that precisely the same logic can be used the attack the basic concept of trade unionism, and the underlying strength of organised labour: that the threat of withdrawal of labour can be used to secure improvements in conditions of employment. I’m not what it is you’re actually advocating, in practical terms, unless it’s that workers in certain sectors should forgo the benefits they’ve fought for and achieved until workers in other sectors catch up.