D Thursday, November 12, 2009 METRO 23 Big rock: A model displays the largest vivid green diamond ever, weighing 2.52 carats, during a Sothebys auction preview yesterday in Geneva Picture: AFP/Getty The Big Picture Lucky to have jobs Sickness not affordable: GP clinic Every persons situation is individual. My public servant salary is 50,000+ gross thus no medical card or social welfare can be availed of by my husband, who is more than a year unemployed (construction industry). We have children and a mortgage and everything is paid for from one salary only. If public salaries go down anymore we wont have enough for food. At the moment we have no money for GP visits if we fall sick. Thanks God at least a flu vaccine will be for free. We are not upset that we have no money for holidays or nights out. All we need now is to survive. If my public servant salary seems too high that it needs another pay cut, please comment. GG I have a business degree and Ive been working for the council for four years and I would love to be earning the dizzying heights of a 30,000 wage! I took a 10,000 wage drop to get my job in the council, during the boom, when all my friends were laughing at me for doing so. The less paid public workers just want to bring some meagre money home, or is that too much to ask? Do we not deserve to earn a living or must we now all be vilified? A flogged horse Heather, youre one to talk about whinging. I am one of those who took an eight per cent pay cut last April and Im on just over 30,000 a year. Another pay cut means Ill barely be able to cover my rent. It took me four years to get my secure job in the public sector and I only started earning a pension last year. In our job, weve never got overtime pay, never got a bonus, I Dublins best-read letters page Metro Mail E-mail letters to mail@metroireland.ie with a name. Or text us. Text MAIL followed by comment and name to 53131. *Texts cost 30cent per message + standard network charges. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, Hospitality House, Cumberland Street South, D2. Customer service number 0818286606 talk to us Scary: Paul, OMG women have hair all over their bodies. Get over it. Why do we still have to endure the pain of depilation or be seen as freaks while men can take pride in resembling a hairy monkey. Hairy Eve Free ride: I get the bus home from work every day and see recovering drug users getting onto the bus flashing their bus passes. Why do they get free travel? Kevin Less talk: Dont just be horrified by the story of the puppy cruelly killed by a thug or group of thugs take action! Donate to an animal charity. The story shocked me and I realised that, while I cant do anything for that puppy, I can help thousands of other animals by donating to the DSPCA. To the person or persons who set the puppy on fire, I hope you rot in a dark corner of hell. Anne, Dublin Pushing paper: Hard working civil servant. The reason I dont work for the public sector is because my parents sacrificed a lot for my education and I wouldnt like to throw it back in their faces by becoming a paper pusher. Louise non-AIB worker In Brief work more than 50 hours a week and now I have to take another pay cut because of the bankers! We all know how lucky we are to have jobs, but not all of us are on a huge wage. And by the way we pay taxes too! Michael To all the angry civil and public servants writing in. I have gone from being a civil servant (CS), to being self-employed to now working in the private sector. My former CS colleagues, all in their late forties have never had to emigrate. Most have their mortgage paid off and many have second apartments or homes and they have more than 20 days annual leave. The majority of CS are working in administration, like myself, and doing jobs that are repetitious, like my own. I did my CS time and the hardest part was putting up with the monotony of the job. Monotony, however, does not deserve to be rewarded with pay hikes. The CS did not cause the crisis, but they certainly benefited from it salary-wise. H ONest Sendusyour txt Louise Ray, while I too am completely disgusted with the treatment of that poor defenceless animal, it is unknown who did it. Dont automatically blame a group of children. Puppy-loving youth When animals are subjected to horrific cruelty in factory farms, fur farms and laboratories, nobody cares. But when a little puppy is set on fire... FP Im really getting annoyed at these public sector workers complaining about earning under 50,000 or even 30,000, God forbid. Im private sector and have taken a 20 per cent cut and now earn less than 20,000. Stop moaning and do some decent work, you useless bunch of overpaid wasters! LM Next bankers out marching, I suppose. JM, Dublin 8 Hard working civil servant the word infer is defined as to hint, suggest, imply or speculate. If you are going to be pedantic at least check your facts! Lisa txt MAIL to 53131* index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html