The difference between the median level of full-time earnings in the public sector (£554 per week) and the private sector (£473 per week) widened over the year to April 2010, following annual increases of 3.0 per cent and 2.0 per cent respectively.

I’ve seen lots of stuff about how public sector/private sector aren’t comparable.

“Would you want a nurse working at 65?” and so on.

The answer is, perhaps “Would you like the privately employed cleaner in the ward working at 65?”

People are living longer. Our finances are in a mess

Funding the pensions is expensive says the Guardian in an article exploding the myths about public sector pensions.

Private sector employees who have also seen pay squeezes, and had their pensions frozen, closed or reduced in the same sort of way aren’t likely to be overly sympathetic.

As an aside, as indicated most public sector pensions aren’t funded, and between 1999 and 2011 the public sector payroll increased from 5.4 million people to 6.2 million people.[ONS]

I’d like to see the sensible suggestions as to how we tackle this. Not many coming from the Opposition, nor the leaders of the public sector unions.

I don’t think striking is going to help the case of the public sector much, nor indeed the Labour Party.