I hear what you're saying, but - I did my 44 years of graft plus National Service to earn my pension, so does that now mean that I have to use a bus pass and forego all the privilidges that I have earned in those years? A bus won't take me to lots of the places I like to go, or in the time I can allow to go there. Using my bus pass it takes 3 hours to get to Chester and 3 hours back, total of 6 hours. By car under two hours total. Cheshire Oaks in a day, impossible!
Some employers are having a difficult time at the moment so have had to slow things down on the remuneration front and as a past employer I know how they feel having to tighten the belt. One of the main contributing factors has been the dramatic increases in the past which have at last caught up with us. WWW
As Harold MacMillan said, "You've never had it so good!" - but that was then! Perhaps if it hadn't been so good then, it would be better now! ZXZ