Teachers demand 10% pay rise

stardoman

What always surprises me in these debates are those who seem to think that teachers are the only ones who work long hours. Most people who are paid an annual salary, as opposed to a hourly salary, do many extra hours.

My husband used to work away and would be gone for up to 2 weeks at a time. He'd work long hours while away, but did not get time in lieu or extra money. It was expected. Yet, in the last 8 years, he has had 5 years were he received 0% payrise. So for 5 years, our income has effectively been cut. But during these 5 years, several redundancies were made and the company he works for is just hanging on. At least he still has a job.

I think teachers need to get real. Most people work long hours, and do over and above their job. Very few people get away with 9 to 5 these days.

To the person who said teachers wages shouldn't be linked to the private sector - they have to be. Its the taxes from the private sector which pay the wages. The government is going to receive less tax over the next few years so they are going to have to make cuts.

Teachers may work hard - but at least they don't have the worry of redundancy.

stardoman.

Davesnave

May I just point out that large numbers of teachers are not members of the NUT. Even those who are, don't necessarily agree with motions passed by delegates at conference. Many teachers join a union primarily for legal protection in the event of prosecution, or to have someone on their side if unlucky enough to fall foul of a bullying head, sustain an injury at work, and so forth. There are other teaching unions.

In all the years I taught, I can't remember having a conversation about pay. We'd often grumble about being bitterly cold in winter, about the time writing more detailed reports was taking, or about the lack of money for certain resources, but pay didn't feature. If we worked long hours and in our 'free' time, that was also part & parcel of being in a profession.

We looked forward to the holidays, however, to recuperate. It simply isn't natural being locked up with 30 children, day in day out, encouraging them to do things they'd not necessarily choose for themselves and keeping them interested & focused. In thirty three years I never managed to achieve one of those fabled 'lessons' where I marked books and 'they' sat there, compliantly, working away! It was full-on, face to face contact; a bit like being a performer on a stage, except most 'stage acts' don't last for hours and change every day.

A few of you here should try it for a term. You'd manage, no problem, wouldn't you? Thought so.

dlk

I can't believe people on here are seeing this as a good deal for teachers!

10% over 5 years is less than 2% a year!!! I'd be pretty damn cheesed off if my union agreed that kind of deal.

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

dlk wrote: »

I can't believe people on here are seeing this as a good deal for teachers!

10% over 5 years is less than 2% a year!!! I'd be pretty damn cheesed off if my union agreed that kind of deal.

I'm not a teacher and I would be outraged if thats what I was signed up to! It's a pitifull amount over 5 years..

Really2

Silaqui wrote: »

Sorry Really2 by the 8 till ....

You are much nicer than our other resident teacher.:T

I hope my kids have some one like you than the other one.:D

Davesnave

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain wrote: »

I'm not a teacher and I would be outraged if thats what I was signed up to! It's a pitifull amount over 5 years..

Yes, but that is rear-view mirror thinking. The public sector, like everyone else, is going to feel pain if GB Plc is going to pay down its debts. The party's over.

Really2

dlk wrote: »

I can't believe people on here are seeing this as a good deal for teachers!

10% over 5 years is less than 2% a year!!! I'd be pretty damn cheesed off if my union agreed that kind of deal.

I can't see any referance of it being over 5 years.

Not disputing that it might be but I have not seen any reports on that being the case.

dylansmum

Really2 wrote: »

I can't see any referance of it being over 5 years.

Not disputing that it might be but I have not seen any reports on that being the case.

The media have overblown the claim; the motion and other materials is on the NUT website.

dylansmum

perplexed.com wrote: »

Interesting. My OH is a university lecturer with 22yrs experience and earns 38k which seems to be just about or under some teachers' salaries. they work many hours extra and have only the same holidays as everyone else, indeed I have to nag to get them to take their allocated allowance. There is a lot of work done when students are on holiday, contrary to a lot of people's expectations. There is also the research. But unlike teachers no-one really seems to care about them much so not much support from the public. Teachers are relatively better supported and paid.

Yep - I am a lecturer too (though not on 38K!!). Yes - hard to take hols, masses and masses of non-contact work and prep and research, too. Not complaining about the pay, but the conditions are getting worse. Of coruse lots don't care - what good are we? I mean without us there would be no graduates, no doctors, no dentists, no trainee teachers...and on and on. Useless bunch are we not?

But I do support the teachers. My starting salary was 17.5K and it has been a long haul for pay modernisation. So I do not wish to punish other workers for their claims for fair pay.

Really2

dylansmum wrote: »

The media have overblown the claim; the motion and other materials is on the NUT website.

I did go on before posting that to check. I can't see anything have you got a link? (it could be me but there is nothing obvious)
I went on here.
http://www.teachers.org.uk/