Keeping jobs in the UK

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 18 Oct 2006, 20:43

Vortex wrote:I have this dreadful vision of millions of pensionless ancient baby boomers sitting wrapped up in blankets in unheated houses wondering if they will be able to afford another can of baked beans this week and wondering why there are so many Polish and Asian language programs on the TV and why the power keeps going off.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this my dear. I saved ?700 per month in that Trust International Executive Pension Fund"

I suspect the lucky ones will end up living with their "economically active" kids. (as in the past)

We may find that once again every family home will have a mad old git to look after as no one can afford care homes, and pensions have gone down the toilet.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 18 Oct 2006, 21:51

We may find that once again every family home will have a mad old git to look after as no one can afford care homes, and pensions have gone down the toilet.

It's a different world now.

In the 1950s the old people were indeed respected and cared for at home - but there were many young people and few elderly. Thr oldsters also died in their 60s.

Then the 1960s and 1970s came along with corporate pensions etc. The system could afford it at the young/old ratios and life expectancy of the day.

We now have reached the end of that era ... there are too many old living longer. There are too few young and too much tax and family breakdown and disrespect for the old so ... the elderly are stuffed.

For a while retired civil servants will do OK with their protected pensions ... but that won't last long ... and even if it did they would have to live in protected estates away from the roaming gangs of starving pensioners ...

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 19 Oct 2006, 01:27

More pensioners can garden than young people. Who's going to grow the food and look after the grandkids while the young scavenge for money and fuel?

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 19 Oct 2006, 08:38

kenneal wrote:More pensioners can garden than young people. Who's going to grow the food and look after the grandkids while the young scavenge for money and fuel?

So when I retire I won't be ale to watch daytime TV, tootle around in a Micra, spend 2 days a week at the doctors and have 2 or 3 EasyJet vacations in sunnier climes etc per year? Spoilsport ....

Pippa · Post by **Pippa** » 19 Oct 2006, 09:04

I am not sure that its always going to be the old that are stuffed.

Take our family; my mum is retired and is very comfortably off with various sources of retirement income including teachers pensions.

She has no debts and in common with folks of her generation believes in money in the bank

(I am trying to explain to her what fractional reserve banking and inflation might mean to her stash but its a struggle).

We, on the other hand, have three dependant kids, a large mortgage which still have 9 years to run, pensions which I doubt will ever be worth anything and are both self employed.

Although she may, like the rest of us, become very poor, it is unlikely that her house will be taken away. So, maybe instead of some mad old git coming to live with us, poor old mother will have to put up with two sad old adults and three pesky kiddliwinks descending on her.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 19 Oct 2006, 09:22

Take our family; my mum is retired and is very comfortably off with various sources of retirement income including teachers pensions.

Generally I agree with you ... however ...

1. My relatives in this comfortable position are dieing off ... most have now gone.

2. Other pensioners I know have received letters from their pension funds saying that their annual payments are being cut significantly due to poor stock market performance. Whilst not a killer, this certainly cuts their disposabale incomes.

So I suspect that we are at a transition point betwee the era of comfy pensions and the era of reducing pensions.

(Sure, if you have tons of pensions then a cut might not hurt ... but at some point soonish there will be fewer well-off pensioners)

Pippa · Post by **Pippa** » 19 Oct 2006, 12:51

A good mornings "work".

I have been investigating on the internet and phoning freefone numbers to try to find out the list of banks that operate only in the UK.

So far my findings are that the following are all committed to UK only

Alliance and Leicester (which owns the Giro Bank) Strong links to Post Office

Co-op (sub division Smile) Strong link to Post Office

NatWest

Nationwide

Royal Bank of Scotland.

So, apart from transferring my business to either A and L or Co-op (haven't decided yet as need to refer with business partners and husband) we will, be supporting national community and local community (hopefully this will mean staving off some of the reguar local post office closures).

In addition, my first poster (which will be large and in my living room window) will be

Open an account with

Alliance and Leicester
Co-op or Smile
NatWest
Nationwide
Royal Bank of Scotland

and you will help stop the drain of jobs to unkown overseas call centres.
All the above banks are committed to keeping employment here in the UK.

Think from the heart and vote with your feet.

We can make a difference

Comments on the above welcome as I would like to get this in my window by tomorrow.

I am wondering whether it sounds a bit slushy!

GD · Post by GD » 19 Oct 2006, 12:55

If you're interested in looking at the "investing in arms" and possibly even "currency speculation" (95% of world trade) then it's most likely the co-op bank.

Pippa · Post by **Pippa** » 19 Oct 2006, 13:08

GD

What do you mean?

Do you think Co-op bank is bad?

GD · Post by GD » 19 Oct 2006, 13:18

No, sorry. Co-op have explicit ethical policies such as not investing in arms or currency speculation, which I'm not sure the other banks have. You'll probably have to dig about quite deep if you're interested. (Just re-read my above post and saw how little it made sense

)

bigjim · Post by **bigjim** » 29 Oct 2006, 13:06

If you look at the 'Greenwash Exposed' part of George Monbiot's www.turnuptheheat.org website, on the 'in the pipeline' bit he mentions the Co-Operative Bank. Maybe they're not as ethical as we all believe? But they're probably still the best of a bad bunch

GD · Post by GD » 29 Oct 2006, 14:15

I bet that's do with their travel agent arm: First Choice, selling all them cheap holidays. We'll see...

bigjim · Post by **bigjim** » 29 Oct 2006, 16:24

Good point GD but the Co-op's got its own brand of travel agent and is nothing to do with First Choice.

GD · Post by GD » 30 Oct 2006, 09:10

Oops! That was a mix up!

Travelcare is the one...