Ouch!!

[bottle]

All boat licence fees will increase by 6.4% from April 2012. (From waterscape newsletter)

 

I know we were told in November last that they would be 2% above whatever index but that is definitely an Ouch!!

[Guest]

All boat licence fees will increase by 6.4% from April 2012. (From waterscape newsletter)

 

I know we were told in November last that they would be 2% above whatever index but that is definitely an Ouch!!

 

Bloody norah - glad mine is due in Feb.

 

This is likely to price some folk off the system surely.

[Proper Job]

All boat licence fees will increase by 6.4% from April 2012. (From waterscape newsletter)

 

I know we were told in November last that they would be 2% above whatever index but that is definitely an Ouch!!

IIRC inflation was running at around 4.5% for Aug/Sept. Seemed like a nice high figure so they probably took that and added 2% ('ish)

 

I'm sure it will produce a new wave of non payers

Edited September 30, 2011 by Proper Job

[LEO]

Hi,

 

Actually is it that bad? - VAT rate increases, environmental charges up, BW salaries up - sign of the times, of that amount what is BW left with to actually maintain a 200 year old infrastructure?.

 

Leo.

[Québec]

And how much of that is going to maintaining the BW Directors' bonuses at their present level?

[Naughty Cal]

Is it really so bad?

 

We have just paid our renewal, £287 for 12 months (rivers only). For that price i dont think we can really complain at the service and facilities we recieve. Free visitor moorings, free showers, free toilets, free lock keeper service (well actually that costs us a bottle of Bud each time we lock through but thats another story ) and reasonably well maintained strucures and waterways.

 

This year unfortunately we have been plauged with weed problems but in fairness to BW they cant stop the weed growing and they have had a fair attempt at clearing it.

 

We are happy with the service we get for our money and a 6% rise isnt neccessarily going to break the bank.

[David Schweizer]

IIRC inflation was running at around 4.5% for Aug/Sept. Seemed like a nice high figure so they probably took that and added 2% ('ish)

 

I'm sure it will produce a new wave of non payers

A cynical view I would like to agree with, but as far as i am aware, it is normal practice for Government Agencies who use inflation as a guide for increases, to use the end of September figure.

 

For me it is not all bad news, as it maens that my Local Government pension will increase by 4.5% next year.

[bottle]

Well to stop speculation as to what figures and when, here is the whole paragraph:

 

 

All boat licence fees will increase by 6.4% from April 2012. This is in line with the announcement published in November 2010 which indicated that, for the following three years, an increase of 2% above the prevailing consumer prices index would apply. BW’s board approved the increase based on the Government’s July 2011 consumer price index, which showed inflation running at 4.4%. Gold licence fees are calculated as a weighted average of EA and BW increases. The EA has yet to determine its fees for 2012 but has recommended that the Gold licence should increase by the same amount as BW fees. If EA’s 2012 increase turns out to be significantly less or more than 6.4%, an adjustment will be made to the Gold fee for 2013.

 

My Bold

[tosher]

A cynical view I would like to agree with, but as far as i am aware, it is normal practice for Government Agencies who use inflation as a guide for increases, to use the end of September figure.

 

For me it is not all bad news, as it maens that my Local Government pension will increase by 4.5% next year.

 

Depends on wether the 4.5% inflation rate is RPI or CPI? If it's RPI then afraid your increase will about 1% less as it's now based on CPI.

[Caprifool]

£3.61 per month extra for a 57' boat. What is that? A couple of these?

[homer2911]

£3.61 per month extra for a 57' boat. What is that? A couple of these?

 

 

How much extra per month since licence and mooring permit fees started increasing at well above the rate of inflation?

 

 

When you arrive at that figure, think about the effect that has had on boating pensioners who do not have the benefit of David Shweitzer's very attractive public sector pension scheme.

[stagedamager]

£3.61 per month extra for a 57' boat. What is that? A couple of these?

A couple????

I wish!

[Caprifool]

A couple????

I wish!

 

Long time ago I had a beer in the UK. And that amount would only buy 1/3 of a beer over here

 

Anyway, I looked up the prompt payment price for a 57' boat on the charts and after adding the % and dividing it with 12 months thats what I came up with. Who knows where the inflation is going to be in 12 more months and I'm not recalculating things or adding 20 more factors to win a battle or just having to be right.

[homer2911]

Long time ago I had a beer in the UK. And that amount would only buy 1/3 of a beer over here

 

Anyway, I looked up the prompt payment price for a 57' boat on the charts and after adding the % and dividing it with 12 months thats what I came up with. Who knows where the inflation is going to be in 12 more months and I'm not recalculating things or adding 20 more factors to win a battle or just having to be right.

 

 

And your advice to fixed income pensioners is what? I'm ok Jack?

[Caprifool]

Skip one beer per month? I havn't had ANY income since I lost my Swedish pension two years ago. And I could still afford that just by knitting, collecting and recycling bottles or doing odd jobs for others that need more help than I do. But lets not go there, because I have already been snorted at for my positive views and ability to make something out of nothing. I know nothing about UK pension system and couldn't give any advice for them who has it.

[Laurie Booth]

Back to robbing banks for me then.

[sebrof]

For me it is not all bad news, as it maens that my Local Government pension will increase by 4.5% next year.

 

Gloat while you may.

 

People whose salaries are paid for by tax-payers are now paid more than those in the productive (private) sector; they usually retire earlier; they have larger, safe, index-linked pensions; they take longer holidays; they have much greater job security; they take much more time off sick; and they think they can go on bleeding the private sector dry ad infinitum.

 

Like their fellow rip-off merchants in Greece, they are in for a rude awakening. The country cannot afford to support the parasite class for ever, and given that even the Labour Party hierarchy acknowledge this, the come-uppance of our so-called civil servants cannot be far away.

 

Public sector pension cuts are going to happen. Boasting about your undeserved (I mean that generally) good fortune on the internet will only stiffen the resolve of those who are determined to reduce the massive and unsustainable cost of public servants' pensions.

[David Schweizer]

Gloat while you may.

 

People whose salaries are paid for by tax-payers are now paid more than those in the productive (private) sector; they usually retire earlier; they have larger, safe, index-linked pensions; they take longer holidays; they have much greater job security; they take much more time off sick; and they think they can go on bleeding the private sector dry ad infinitum.

 

Like their fellow rip-off merchants in Greece, they are in for a rude awakening. The country cannot afford to support the parasite class for ever, and given that even the Labour Party hierarchy acknowledge this, the come-uppance of our so-called civil servants cannot be far away.

 

Public sector pension cuts are going to happen. Boasting about your undeserved (I mean that generally) good fortune on the internet will only stiffen the resolve of those who are determined to reduce the massive and unsustainable cost of public servants' pensions.

 

Get that straight from the Daily Mail did we. The facts are somewhat different from your jaundiced opinion.

[carlt]

 

People whose salaries are paid for by tax-payers are now paid more than those in the productive (private) sector;

If the public sector disappeared, overnight, it would be a toss up whether the "productive sector" would starve or drown in their own shit, first.

[Stephen Sugg]

I used to be a Civil Servant, now I'm not. When I worked in the Civil Service, we had flexi time system, a lot of annual leave, barely monitored absence levels, casual dress, a bar in the office, final salary pension and not much work to do. I loved it! But then we were then privatised and things changed very quickly (although not the attitudes of some of the long service people). It was a wake up call for me and many of the others around my age as we quickly realised that whilst the good times were over there was no way things could have continued the way that they were, it was not sustainable. I am amazed that they have lasted this long.

 

Now I work in the Private Sector (not for the company that was privatised), I get paid more, but get less holiday and we don't have a bar in the office, my pension is DC.

 

Not entirely sure of what point I'm trying to make other than reporting my experience.

Edited October 1, 2011 by Stephen Sugg

[carlt]

I used to be a Civil Servant, now I'm not.

I used to be a Civil Servant, now I'm not.

 

I regularly worked around the clock, with no breaks, often the only time I could sleep was when I was on a train or plane, going straight from one job to the next.

 

Flexi-time existed but I used to be told off on a regular basis for accumulating far too much flex-leave, that I had no time to take, let alone my annual leave.

 

There was often a bar in the building because I often worked in embassies and the diplomats hated integrating with the locals, constantly accusing me of "going native" (ironic considering their attitudes towards UK immigrants attempting to retain their culture.) I rarely used it though, preferring to get to know the country I was a guest in.

 

It was a bit of a wake up call, after being in the private sector, working for a major research company, where we were paid to sit around and "think" though I left because I was sick of being told that I was overworking and "spoiling it for everyone else"

 

No bar there but the canteen did wonderful egg and bacon butties.

 

I also worked as an LGO, after leaving the civil service. I controlled a budget of around £9 million a year, every penny going into keeping private sector employees in work and buying materials from private companies.

Edited October 1, 2011 by carlt

[DaveG]

£3.61 per month extra for a 57' boat. What is that? A couple of these?

 

Well, this would be fine if it was £3.61 in isolation, but it isn't. Gas and electricity increases up to 19%, rail fares if you commute, petrol and diesel, food prices, these and others all rising above the rate of inflation. At the same time, many in both the private and public sectors are on frozen or reduced pay and pensions, so add the £3.61 into the rest of the real-world mix and it has a far bigger impact than if you take it in isolation and eventually something has to give.

 

@sebrof Interesting that you see doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, bin men etc etc as "rip off merchants". I'd be more inclined to class Richard Branson's £25 million "private sector" self awarded dividend from Virgin Trains as "a rip-off "at a time when "private" train operators are in receipt of a £5 billion per annum publicly funded subsidy.

Edited October 1, 2011 by DaveG

[David Schweizer]

I used to be a Civil Servant, now I'm not. When I worked in the Civil Service, we had flexi time system, a lot of annual leave, barely monitored absence levels, casual dress, a bar in the office, final salary pension and not much work to do. I loved it! But then we were then privatised and things changed very quickly (although not the attitudes of some of the long service people). It was a wake up call for me and many of the others around my age as we quickly realised that whilst the good times were over there was no way things could have continued the way that they were, it was not sustainable. I am amazed that they have lasted this long.

 

Now I work in the Private Sector (not for the company that was privatised), I get paid more, but get less holiday and we don't have a bar in the office, my pension is DC.

 

Not entirely sure of what point I'm trying to make other than reporting my experience.

 

I worked in Industry for nine years before re-training and moving into Local Government. Your Civil Service experience sounds very much like the circumstances I experienced in the Private Sector, and we got payed more!

 

Maybe working for the Civil Service is completely different to Local Government, but working for the local Authority I certainly do not recognise any of the "benefits" that you describe. Leave and Sickness absence was closely monitored by Senior Management and Personnel Officers. Dress was required to be appropriate for the job, which in my case meant a suit in most instances or Smart Jacket and tie when working in less formal situations. Flexi Time - I wish. I worked a significant amount of my time outside office hours, and was entitled to take time off in Lieu, except that no one else did the office work if I was not there, so I regularly worked 50+ hours a week, without overtime.

 

As for a bar, we were not allowed to have alcohol on the premises, and because I was an Essential Car User, I was not allowed to drink during the day at all, in case I needed to use the car for an appointment. There were tea and coffee making facilities, but we had to pay for the ingredients, and if we were given a beverage away form the Office by another group or person, we had to declare it on our monthly returns.

 

There will have been differences in practice around the country, but I am sure that no one working for The local Authority felt they were on a Jolly.

[carlt]

I'd be more inclined to class Richard Branson's £25 million "private sector" self awarded dividend from Virgin Trains as "a rip-off "at a time when "private" train operators are in receipt of a £5 billion per annum publicly funded subsidy.

Yes if the public sector stopped subsidising the private sector we could pay off the deficit and not make all the public sector workers redundant...

 

Of course the wealthy private sector fat cats would make sure they didn't suffer and make the poor private sector workers redundant.

 

Perhaps the best thing would be to stop slagging each other off and attempt some peaceful co-existence?

[Water Rat.]

I think it would take more than that to reduce the deficit and pay off the debt. I just wish I had a pension!! Meanwhile I have contributed loads towards my ex husband's who will retire very comfortably from HMRC next year aged 60!! Hey ho.

 

Back on topic - another advantage of the smaller boat

 

edited for speeling

Edited October 1, 2011 by Water Rat.