Tomorrows teacher strike.

Since the action started, the STRB threw out much of Gove’s proposals, Gove published the hours survey, and we won a 1% pay rise this year. That would count as achieving something, right?

The employers awarded you a 1 % rise like a lot of other workers got.

50 mile ride planned, with a stop halfway in Exeter for a bit of marching 😉

….and no, it’s not analogous to taking holiday – we don’t get paid for the time off.

£60 per parent per day, IIRC. So, £600 for a week if there are two parents

Just 60 quid per parent per holiday, not per day. If it was per day that might change things!

A teachers/college lecturer’s strike acheives nothing. The public hate you, the government save a day’s pay and the world goes on as if nothing ever happened. I know, I was there once!

The employers awarded you a 1 % rise like a lot of other workers got.

After 3 or 4 years of no rises. And also increased our pension contributions, so we didn’t see any of it. At our place, we’re also doing 5% more contact time with larger class sizes, so we have a lot more marking and admin to do.

A teachers/college lecturer’s strike acheives nothing. The public hate you, the government save a day’s pay and the world goes on as if nothing ever happened. I know, I was there once!

Apart from the things already achieved, of course.

project – Member

A proper strike is all out, picketing during working hours, turning suppliers and deliveries around and not crossing picket lines

And then they all get arrested.

and why would they get arrested, strikes are still allowed,

ah and heres the rub striking teachers dont lose a days pay they lose 1/365 of annual salary quite a bit less than a days pay as they are only employed 260 days per year..so a teacher on 30k earns 115 a day where as they will only lose 82 so in effect they are earning 33 quid for doing nowt..

project – Member

and why would they get arrested, strikes are still allowed,

Strikes are allowed. The sort of strikes you describe are not- to quote the picket code,

“The only purposes of picketing declared lawful in statute are:
• peacefully obtaining and communicating information: and
• peacefully persuading a person to work or not to work.”

It’s a criminal offence to stop suppliers/deliveries from getting through as you suggest. Blocking a public highway- even if you let people through on request- is also an offence. (you can politely ask people not to make deliveries; but you’ve no way of stopping them to politely ask, so in practice this means you’re allowed to watch them drive past). Oh I suppose you could ask loudly but that’s breach of the peace.

Maybe most importantly, the police have discretion to stop any “mass picket” at will where there is an “excessive number of pickets”- which is not defined, but the advice is that this can apply to any picket of more than 6 people. Failure to stop immediately when asked is a criminal offence

So when you see a pathetic looking picket and think “Not many people, must be a rubbish strike”, remember it’s because they know the police can close the whole thing down if it gets any bigger. We had a pretty good turnout on our last strike but most people don’t believe it as there wasn’t a mob outside. The TV footage made it look more like a bunch of staff nipping out for a fag.

I’m sure it’s purely coincidental that the law on strikes just happens to make all legal pickets look pathetic and undermanned.

If I am only emplyed for 260 days can I cancel the two days of teaching I’ll be doing during the easter “holidays”?

I’m losing 1/260 of my salary tomorrow.

should be bloody grateful they have a decent job.

Plenty of teaching jobs going if you want one.

mike you could probably argue that if you want, in the lgps strike a couple of years back we got docked 1/260 but then it got changed to 1/365. I agree it seems over generous but wasn’t going to argue with it!

should be bloody grateful they have a decent job.

They are but they also want a decent and pay to go with it.

I don’t believe in the public sector taking full industrial action I could never do it but I wishy them the best of luck.

mike you could probably argue that if you want, in the lgps strike a couple of years back we got docked 1/260 but then it got changed to 1/365. I agree it seems over generous but wasn’t going to argue with it!

It was 1/200 until we got it changed.

poah – Member
should be bloody grateful they have a decent job.

I assume that was an attempt at cutting edge STW humour but just in case it wasn’t………….

…………. Cameron et al appear to be doing a remarkably good job in creating that sort of mindset.

Cameron et al appear to be doing a remarkably good job in creating that sort of mindset.

Do the Tories really want people to think like that ?

That to have a decent job is something which people should be grateful for because crap jobs are now the norm in Tory Britain ?

Low expectations for ordinary working people, but high rewards, even for failure, for them ?

I can’t see people falling for that sort of nonsense – surely not many people are that stupid ?

They are but they also want a decent and pay to go with it.

I don’t believe in the public sector taking full industrial action I could never do it but I wishy them the best of luck.

they do get a decent wage

I assume that was an attempt at cutting edge STW humour but just in case it wasn’t………….

no humour intended, it was my honest opinion. As someone who has been unemployed effectively for 4 years I’m disgusted by the way teachers act. I’m pretty sure they knew it would be hard work going into the career.

They complain and fine parents if they take children out of school during term time but seem ok with not turning up themselves. This causes no end of issues for working parents which frankly is unacceptable.

ernie_lynch – Member
Cameron et al appear to be doing a remarkably good job in creating that sort of mindset.
Do the Tories really want people to think like that ?

Well wether they do or not, lots of us in the private sector do, they (teachers) are more than adequately remunerated and they have the benefit of a pension system, which would be fair enough if the results of their efforts were employable without a serious amount of further education and training, er by the private sector which isn’t adequately remunerated nor pensioned. So, only anger here, first thing I even knew about a strike was dropping the daughter off to an empty school this morning. Personally, in this climate, I think they are on a hiding to nothing.

they do get a decent wage

It’s about pay, pensions, and conditions. If you think that teachers enjoy decent pay, pensions, and conditions, then you will fully understand why they want to defend them.

They complain and fine parents if they take children out of school during term time but seem ok with not turning up themselves.

No, teachers do not fine parents. Schools and local authorities fine parents.

This causes no end of issues for working parents which frankly is unacceptable.

Doesn’t really affect you though does it what with you being unemployed.

Given the required qualifications, training and responsibility a teacher’s remuneration package isn’t that great.

Doesn’t really affect you though does it what with you being unemployed.

Classy

Well wether they do or not, lots of us in the private sector do, they (teachers) are more than adequately remunerated

“Us in the private sector” ? I’m in the private sector and I don’t agree with you. Lots of ‘us in the private sector’ believe that teachers should receive decent pay, pensions, and conditions. And reject the argument that they should have less favourable pay, pensions, and conditions.

Lots ‘of us in the private sector’ believe that teachers should receive decent pay, pensions, and conditions. And reject the argument that they should have less favourable pay, pensions, and conditions.

I am in the private sector as well and and I suppose the issue is that I feel that they already get the former.

… which would be fair enough if the results of their efforts were employable without a serious amount of further education and training…

So the education system exists solely to produce more efficient drones for your office?

I am in the private sector as well and and I …..

Excellent, we have established that it has nothing to do with private v public sector, despite what Tory newspaper leader writers would like us to think.

Given the importance I place on education I believe that good teachers deserve to be well remunerated and better than they are now *. But that is not the same as saying that teaching does not enjoy “decent” benefits (however decent is defined). That does not stack up against rel stats on national benefits.

Pensions are not going to go away as an issue. Prepare properly (difficult with gov stealing money via financial repression granted) but sticking head in the sands is not the answer. Ok, dealing with Gove is a nightmare but no reason IMO not to embrace performance related pay, if properly managed. Unless, of course….

*£26k for fully qualified versus £20k offered by Big 4 to be an undergrad seems unbalanced! (leaving aside the obvious reasons)

Lots ‘of us in the private sector’ believe that teachers should receive decent pay, pensions, and conditions. And reject the argument that they should have less favourable pay, pensions, and conditions.

I am in the private sector as well and and I suppose the issue is that I feel that they already get the former.[/quote]

Teachers are trying to preserve their current pay and conditions, not asking for more.

Most teachers are striking because of their fears for the education system in the future, not because they want extra cash in their pocket for less work.

Mike, NUT cite two key reasons – performance related pay and national pay awards – so today seems more about remuneration than the mess with curriculum and constant change etc

(Almost) Everyone has the right to withdraw their labour as have others to opine on whether that is justified or not.

Mike, NUT cite two key reasons – performance related pay and national pay awards – so today seems more about remuneration than the mess with curriculum and constant change etc

Changes in remuneration will impact recruitment and retention of staff in the future. This will affect the education system of the future.

On the NUT website, three main issues are highlighted:

* Excessive workload and bureaucracy
* Performance related pay
* Unfair pension changes

I’d love to do a job swap then watch them bleat about conditions.
I knew what I was getting into, I’m still here, if I strike I get nothing other than a probable p45.

However in their defence.
After a recent parents evening my eyes have been somewhat further opened.
Class sizes are too big, teachers are worked hard and don’t live the cushy life some like to think they get.

I’d love to do a job swap then watch them bleat about conditions.

Can people saying things like this tell us what their job is?

I knew what I was getting into, I’m still here

So did I. But what I got into is changing for the worse, so I’m doing something about it.

However in their defence.
After a recent parents evening my eyes have been somewhat further opened.
Class sizes are too big, teachers are worked hard and don’t live the cushy life some like to think they get.

Ta

Sorry mike took (1) as read 😉

Can people saying things like this tell us what their job is?

Self-employed…I think most everyone here knows what I do. If I don’t work a day for whatever reason, I don’t get paid. I have no sick-pay. I have no paid holidays. I’m not in a union. Backbone of the nation I am, me, yeah.

I wouldn’t swap for a day, let alone a week or month.

(Oh and my mum (retired) and sister are both teachers, so of course, I’m more than qualified to “opine” 🙂 )

Construction site agent,
Brickie
Joiner
Groundworker
General **** dogs body!

The Spanish teacher I came across was in my eyes the epitome of a perfect teacher, her general aura was one of enthusiasm and a drive to teach the kids the best way she could. She seemed so dedicated, knew our daughter personally and not just as a pupil and most of all made us feel she actually cared!
Then she dropped the bomb shell that she was leaving as languages was no longer on the main curriculum (?) and as she was last in she was first out.

Better one day strikes than we work to rule. If teachers did the hours that Gove a) claims we do,or b) says we should do, education would be stuffed.

derekfish – Member

Well wether they do or not, lots of us in the private sector do, they (teachers) are more than adequately remunerated

I went from the private sector to the public sector and for some reason my opinion on teacher ts&cs didn’t change overnight, it’s almost like it’s got nothing to do with anything. Job’s a job regardless of whether it’s private or public.

poah – Member

They complain and fine parents if they take children out of school during term time but seem ok with not turning up themselves.

Strikes of course are always exclusively the fault of the person striking. Why not blame the employer for not meeting their demands? There’d be no strike if they did. It’s not teachers that fine parents and it’s not teachers that control working conditions.

Schools don’t strike at the drop of a hat, teacher strikes are actually pretty rare. Just because they’re doing it doesn’t meant they’re “ok” with it, most teachers don’t want to be out on strike- they’re choosing from 2 bad options. So comparing with holidays is still absurd.

People say “They knew the job would be hard when they signed up”- apparently oblivious to the fact that this is all about it getting worse. And weirdly, people are fine with saying you shouldn’t go on strike to get improvements because “You knew what you signed up for” but at the same time, don’t think you should complain when you don’t get what you signed up for. What is that? Everything’s binding only on one party?