Unilever ~ Final pension

[BorninHaulgh]

Given my previous enthusiasm on joining the pension debate I thought I would add another 2 pence worth.
Unilever profit 2009 =  $4 billion, 2010 $6.5 billion & this year thus far $4billion.
Directors on wages that compete with Premier footballers, & that is disregarding the directors bonuses that will soon hit the streets.  Yet they are ending final salary pensions to save money.
Unilever are clearly jumping on the band wagon.  My take is simple.  If you are in your 60’s, your pension arrangement should not be touched.  If your joining at 20, you know what your signing up for & can take your skills elsewhere if the rewards are deemed insufficient.   The likes of Unilever & the Civil Service should be able to work out some sort of sliding scale in between the two.  One out all out brothers and sisters.

[Weststander]

With people living much longer final salary schemes have become too expensive for private companies to run. Every scheme has some kind of protection for those close to retirement. When I was in a private scheme my contributions were increased at least twice which is what pisses me off when the public sector moan about paying more. Is the Unilever sceme just being closed off to new entrants?

[bangerhard]

It is being closed to all current staff and any new entrants

[Squidgy]

I'm fairly biased on the account that I currently still have a final salary pension (for how long who knows)

I can see the need and the argument for them to be abolished, I would say it would be a bit harsh to withdraw them for existing employees though.

The 'consider yourself lucky to have a job' and 'we pay, why don't you?' argument has been done to death before everyone starts.

[bangerhard]

Previously when many of the private sector were moaning about the public sector going on strikes over pension - isn't it now funny that the private sector is beginning to strike.  And the difference is.... NONE

All workers pay taxation and pay towards a pension fund (or if lucky in some cases had 100% pension paid for) but now all pensions are changing.  It is no excuse to say that people are living longer - this was predicted at the beginning of the 20th Century and if one looks through history of humanity, each generation lives longer than the previous one.  It is a case of reduce pensions and create more money for the big fat-cat bosses and for the pension companies - which in turn are the minority shareholders.  It is all about profit for the minority whilst screwing the masses - nothing new.  SWith regards to the public sector - do you not think that it is funny that the MP's have voted NOT to reduce or change their pensions - why???  If is good for the gander then why not for the goose?

[bangerhard]

What i will say here is that these changes to pensions do NOT take effect of the Dutch employees pensions (with uniliver being an Anglo-dutch company) as the law is more stricter and thighter in protecting workers.

[Weststander]

Which private companies are going on strike?

If you feel so aggreived about it with all the spare time you now have you could set up your own private company offering final salary schemes to folk who will live well into their nineties?

[Manny]

A significant number of online companies have gone on strike today. 

[Weststander]

Isn't that something to do with privacy laws though?

[bangerhard]

Which private companies are going on strike?

If you feel so aggreived about it with all the spare time you now have you could set up your own private company offering final salary schemes to folk who will live well into their nineties?

Unilever is one of the big ones to do so now, but there have been a few local ones across the country that have gone on strike - just need to read the papers to find them out - not that difficult!

I do have my own company now, actually, but only limited to 1 person for now and I have my own pension - but not that difficult to set up company pensions over here and they are more protected than in the UK.

[Manny]

Yes. Way too boring to go in to. All to do with US Law but seeing as the web is a worldwide thing, the plans will impact pretty much all websites if approved.

Wikipedia are one of the main companies to strike. If you go on their site then it will black out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

If you don't have any idea what the hell is going on, give this a read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more

[Weststander]

Cheers Manny

Amos, you sure staff at Unilever are striking? Might be so but I haven't seen anything about it.

[Squidgy]

What i will say here is that these changes to pensions do NOT take effect of the Dutch employees pensions (with uniliver being an Anglo-dutch company) as the law is more stricter and thighter in protecting workers.

Holland sounds ace, you should talk about it more.

Don't they also have laws especially to protect their working women?

[DaveBWFC]

Don't they also have laws especially to protect their working women?

Yes, you only get 20 minutes for 50 euros. That's the law.

[bangerhard]

Cheers Manny

Amos, you sure staff at Unilever are striking? Might be so but I haven't seen anything about it.

Port Sunlight, Trafford Park and another place in North West on an 11 day strike.

[bangerhard]

The Wiki strike, as well as many of the other "web" strikes, will be fairly easily to work round, tbh.

All you need to do is choose another language and then copy and paste into www.translate.google.com

[Manny]

Or in Wikipedia's case, turn off Javascript.

[bangerhard]

Holland sounds ace, you should talk about it more.

Don't they also have laws especially to protect their working women?

Fairly easy to find out, if you are not lazy, as the common laws are readily available on net and in pamphlets and other documents in Toursit offices and hotel room....

All the women have to be licenced to work in the districts and have to pay the exact same tax as any other worker in the country and have to be medically checked every 2 months, the current rate is about EUR 50/30 minutes plus extra for extras - barebacking is completely illegal and if caught is an instant fine of EUR750 for the woman.  The women are not allowed to own their own windows and have to rent them through official licensed letting companies of which there are now only 2 and each window costs EUR175 for 12 hours.  On street prostitution is definitely illegal and is an instant fine and possible imprisonment.  

In Amsterdam there are 3 areas but the Amsterdam authorities are trying reducing that, during next 12 months, to 1 area and half of those windows will be closed.

Also to add the Dutch authorities are trying to quickly get through the Tweede Kamer that the number of coffee shops will be reduced and that they will be barred for foreign visitors - they will only be open to people legally living in the country and the duty on weed is also being increased.

[bangerhard]

Or in Wikipedia's case, turn off Javascript.

Its been fine with me all day.  And all I did was choose the Dutch language and it was working normally.

[Squidgy]

How do they 'catch them'?

Sounds like a good job.

[DaveBWFC]

the duty on weed is also being increased.

I don't know if this is true or not but I once got told, by someone working in a coffeeshop, that they didn't pay tax on weed. Because it's illegal so they couldn't tax it?

[bangerhard]

How do they 'catch them'?

Sounds like a good job.

For the tax, medical checks, rent  - sure would be easy enough as they are licensed and can be called in at any time for checks. (as per Wikipedia)

With regards to the other as to what happens behind the closed curtains - haven't got a clue.


Dave - Weed
Growing weed is illegal but small amounts can be grown for own use  but the government has licensed weed growers (think there are 2 or 3 for the whole country) which are then allowed to sell on to Coffee-shops.  Selling it on the other hand, only licensed premesis are allowed to sell weed (if they sell weed then they are not allowed to sell alcohol but there are places that sell alcohol and allow the smoking of weed just not allowed to sell it.)  These licesend premesis have to pay duty on what they sell - hence why I did not use the term tax - and the duty of each different weed is dependent upon the strength of the weed.  But the Dutch government, and the Amsterdam council especially, are withdrawing licenses left right and centre and the number of coffee shops in the last 12 months have reduced by 30%, according to Mondays Spits newspaper.