Metro readers say that it’s a myth that public sector workers have it easy (Credits: Getty Images) Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments.
Busting the myths of life as a public sector worker – it’s brutal
Kay (MetroTalk, Wed) perpetuates a myth that public sector worker have it easy, with gold-plated pensions and able to retire after 30 years’ service. Working conditions in the civil service are horrific. When I first started a long time ago, I was shocked how lax things were – but those days are long gone. Staff are expected to carry out the work of three people and pushed to hit targets. When not met, the poor performance policy is brutal. The same applies to sickness. I have a life-threatening condition but have been told by managers to ‘man up and get on with it’. Bullying is rife. No doubt some of this stems from the pressures staff are under – I’ve seen strong colleagues go off with stress. And pensions may have been great but I’ll be working until my 70s. ABG, via email
I reach the retirement age of 60 at the end of this year and after 40 years of service in a government department, will receive a lump sum that will allow me to settle my mortgage and receive £12,000 a year as my pension. Hardly gold-plated is it? Roy, Manchester
As a police officer of 29 years and in the old pension scheme, I am forced to pay 16 per cent of my wage into a pension. If anybody else paid £450 a month for 30 years they would have a decent pension as well. We have had numerous years pay freezes and paltry rises and are unable to strike unlike other public sector workers. Add that together with the incredibly difficult job we do everyday and I feel the service is actually underpaid. Jason, Leeds
METRO TALK – HAVE YOUR SAY
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Mega oyster ought to be celebrated not eaten
All that time just to be sold for a tenner (Credits: Tom Haward / SWNS) So what does one do on finding a once-in-a-lifetime, foot-long 2.5kg monster oyster as happened to a seafood boss in Essex (Metro, Wed)? Harvest it for food worth just £10? This wonder mollusc, which has miraculously survived about 20 years, possibly comparable to 100 human years? Shame, shame. We venerate ancient trees. Why can’t we extend that respect to giant lobsters, cod and other remarkable wildlife wonders that have incredibly survived decades despite the great odds? EC Goh, London
Paying respects to the Godfather of British Blues
John Mayall passed away aged 90 (Credits: Getty Images) Sad news about the passing of blue guitarist John Mayall, who used to live in a treehouse just up the road from me. More so, as he missed his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Why did this giant of British blues have to wait so long? Russ, Cheadle Hulme
While I enjoy reading your occasional obituaries, musician John Mayall was not ‘US born’. He was born in Macclesfield and educated in Manchester, where he became involved in the local music scene. I went to the same school many years later, and found an old text book he had written his name in. That being said, well done for celebrating the life of a man who has had such a profound influence on UK and global music. Alan Holden, via email
Why are BBC presenters on more than £250,000?
Was paid a fee superseding £1million from 2023 to 2024 (Picture: Getty) I revere the BBC for providing services one else would ever supply but there is no reason for any of its presenters to earn more than £250,000, as so many do – including Greg James, Zoe Ball and Lauren Laverne (Metro, Wed). These people are excellent at their jobs but are
