i dunno if this shd be under speakers corner or saf...
so its in cc
when he found out i'm gonna become a recruit in a matter of days, he adviced me,
"dont sign on for that fucking army"
Being the curious individual i usually am, i wanted to know why the strong language.
He told me that, sure, the pension scheme is good, it gives u a lump sum of money to tide over.
But thats only provided you complete the whole course of work, which mean you only retire at 50 plus.
He told me one cannot quit, change job or whatever, or not only will the sum of money be confiscated, one will also have to pay remaining the amt owed to the saf, which is something like 8, 9 years of pay.
And should you fall sick or die, ie. cancer or something, and have to leave the force, the saf will not give u the pension money. Not one cent. And spouse benefits will also disappear just like that. "in the end, its your family that suffers"
And heres the thing. He told me that the saf want "THE generation" to take over. so once you've passed your prime, they try to 'force' you to quit, no promotions, nothing.
Thus he says the saf steals your youth, and they play you out in the future.
This guy doesnt claim to be carrying the tales of others. He himself signed on as a naval diver due to family difficulties in the financial area and pulled at 40 with a "reduced pension". I think 40 is the min age to leave with a reduced pension, not sure.
He has since been informing every young man about this so that he may not fall into this "trap".
He told me, your youth is supposed to be vibrant, exciting. Why tie yourself up with the military, leaving yourself with no further options, only to be played out in the future?
He's not your standard cabby who curses the government for no reason. I've seen loads of such cabbies. This guy is a been-there-done-that situation and i can sense he's really passionate about not letting young men fall into this "trap".
Furthermore, he's very family orientated and not the usual money-comes-first cabby. most of his arguments revolved around how the family unit and how loved ones suffer..
He said, if studies cmi, dont have to sign on. Go out there, pick up a skill, even if it is less well paying. Because at least you have options, and you dont stamp out a good chunk of your life the moment you join the force.
I respect him for that. Most cabbies only want to strike it rich fast and live a luxurious life whenever they make such speeches to their customers.
Any comments from current saf personnal?
I have a few friends interested in signing on and i dont want them to do so blindly should this chap be right. I want to at least let them have the full picture before they can a decision.
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