Private or Government? - which job is better?

[apathy maybe]

While many of us here are students (I am one) sooner or later we will need to get a job to eat and to buy stuff that we think are nessesary. Is it better to work in the private sector or in the government sector? Considering most of us here disagree with the whole private business idea but also disagree with current government policies and way of running things.

[Marxist in Nebraska]

A government job would have better benefits, and for now more job security. I am planning on being a teacher, so I will probably be a government employee.

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

welfare :biggrin:

[dannie]

indeed, welfare, planning to be a "straathoekwerker", work with troubled kids (junkies, depressed, suicidal, etc.), but i also want to be self suffi

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

straathoekwerker = social worker?

[MikeyBoy]

Government jobs are the most stable...except for military during these times...

[Sensitive]

I'll probably be a teacher too... and my students will learn the real Amerikan history!

[liderDeFARC]

so whats wrong with private jobs? (does that sound ok? hmmm i think i phrased that question wrong)

[chamo]

Coming from a family which only works in the Public Sector, I would have to say that government jobs are far better, if you're in Britain it's a plus when you can work in the Health Service and you're serving your fellow people and not working for a big multi-national capitalist company where the only person getting rich is your employer.

Government policies have little to do with what sector you choose to work in; alot of the people working for the government services can help change the running and spending of public money, and there are teachers unions etc.

Just as long as you don't plan to be a cop.;)

[Umoja]

Local Government jobs are by far the best. Since Local government is more people oriented, but if you look at it properly, everyone has to do every sort of job, so I couldn't really hate the Tech Support people from Microsoft.

[Kez]

also as well as job security, more importantly you can strike easier with public jobs, and can go on a protest without being fired from public job, eg for the anti-war demos, some private working comrades couldnt go..

However, private pay is much more, of which money you can give to a socialist organisation, which im sure will be happy to receive

[Marxist in Nebraska]

Originally posted by [email protected] 31 2003, 02:36 AM
I'll probably be a teacher too... and my students will learn the real Amerikan history!
Ditto that, Comrade Sensitive!!! (But not "ditto" in the Rush Limbaugh sort of way...)

On the question of striking, it is indeed much easier to strike when employed in the public sector (at least in the USA). Here in America, reforms still on the books (for now, at least) make it much harder for the government to break strikes than it is for private corporations.

[apathy maybe]

I wouldn't want to be a teacher but otherwise working with the Government does seem the better option. I could various jobs with my various skills. even if the pay isn't as good. Thanks for the advice people I hope it helps others as well.

[blackemma]

Be careful with government jobs is my advice. They're great if you can grab 'em, but they also have their disadvantages. For instance, since the Liberal party got elected in British Columbia, much of BC Hydro (our publically-owned power company) was privatized and the work contracted out. Whole portions of it, such as Health Services which basically brought benefits to disabled workers, employees suffering from mental illness, and windows, etc., were scrapped since they didn't improve the profit-earning ability of the company. Also, a whole series of health workers have just lost their jobs to non-unionized workers who will now be working in PPPs with the greater Health Authority. Teachers too have been subject to considerable losses in payments and many have lost their jobs outright. And mind you, this is Canada - a country with a much stronger public sector than America. I guess what I'm saying is that although it can be nice working for government, it also carries it fair share of risks, not that the realities of the corporate market are any prettier...

[Comrade Raz]

My Dad used to work publically for the british government but hated it so much he left. I think public jobs are better than private ones but my Dad felt that the public sector is so badly run. He now owns his own buisness and prefers it hugely.

So from my Dads evidence perhaps a private job is better here in Britain even though in theory i disagree with it.

[liderDeFARC]

It does sound as if governemnt jobs are better. But i think there are some private jobs that can offer many benefits. Ill keep everything that you guys have said in mind when its time for me to get a job, which fortunately will be in a few years. I think that you should pick a job that you enjoy though, that would be my first priority, then the other stuff. (dont worry i havent even considered being a cop, i spit at them...)

[Cobber]

I've been working in Local Government in Australia for almost 14 years and for the most part it is quite rewarding. In terms of a comparible job in the private sector you tend to have a lower wage, however benefit from job security, leave entitlements etc as a trade-off. Is an extra $10,000pa worth more than working a 9 day fortnight? For me I think the time off is far more valuable and I cannot put a monetary value to it.

The planning profession I work in is constantly under pressure from developers (ranging from the mums'n'dads who want to extend their house, to speculators in the housing market wanting to do a multi-unit development, and larger development companies - the later two I have no sympathy for as they are in it purely for profit), the general public (who don't want to lose views of the harbour, be overshadowed or lose their privacy) and unfortunately the elected representatives - ie your local politician who always have an agenda. If you can adjust and cope with that type of bullshit you will survive.

[praxis1966]

Originally posted by [email protected] 31 2003, 01:20 PM
also as well as job security, more importantly you can strike easier with public jobs, and can go on a protest without being fired from public job, eg for the anti-war demos, some private working comrades couldnt go..

However, private pay is much more, of which money you can give to a socialist organisation, which im sure will be happy to receive
While I agree that pay is considerably higher in the private sector than public, I would certainly disagree that it is easier for public sector employees to strike.

In the state of Florida, not only do teachers and other public employees (by law) not have the right to strike, they don't even have the right to binding arbitration. Instead they are stuck with collective bargaining. Furthermore, all state agencies are considered open shop.

For those not familiar with these labor terms, I offer the following:

Binding arbitration: a form of contract negotiation in which both parties involved look to an impartial third party (the arbitor) who makes a recommendation to which both parties must adhere

Collective bargaining: Similar to the above, except that the arbitor's recommendations are non-binding and management can turn them down for any reason

Open shop: Employees are not obligated to join the union, and management can make seperate contracts with non-union employees; thereby braking the back of the union (as opposed to agency shop, which is the opposite)

In the private sector in this state, there are far less regulations.