We are all in this together, well not if you are in a union.

Really2

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8603554.stm

Teachers are threatening to take industrial action with other public sector unions to oppose cuts to public services after the general election.
Members of the National Union of Teachers backed calls for a joint campaign to oppose "privatisation and cuts in education services".
There were fears of "savage public spending cuts" after the election.
These included warnings over pay freezes and threats to pensions.
Earlier, the NUT had given a standing ovation to Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the Public and Commercial Service Union, when he called on public sector unions to join forces to fight any cuts in jobs, pensions or conditions of service.

This is what annoys me sometimes about unions, in the current climate are pay freezes really that bad and changes to pensions considering what people in the private sector have gone through?
Why not accept a freeze, let the capital expenditure carry on so kids get a good education and that they don't miss days due to strikes?
If they want more money at the moment it means money for the children's education and to buy every day things gets less!
If they vote to go ahead with this I will find it hard to believe it is for the love of the job and not the money TBH.

shane42

public sector workers need a reality check, instead of whinging and moaning, if you dont like it.get out

Kohoutek

Here's what Dave Prentis of Unison says, representing 1.4 million public sector workers:

We will not accept any cuts in pay. That will lead to industrial action.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/7550011/Unions-may-be-spoiling-for-a-fight-with-next-Government-but-members-might-not-follow.html

Meanwhile Mr Prentis is a bit evasive about how much he is paid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRlrfOCt8To&feature=player_embedded

MrsE_2

I left the union last month.

I think it is wrong to protest against pay freezes when jobs are being cut & services will be slashed.

markharding557

An important thing to remember is a union can not do anything unless it's members vote for it,they need to think carefully.

Alan_Cross

I'm all for pay freezes...

... and as soon as you can assure me that all those [STRIKE]useless, waste-of-space, leering, red-braces moron-prats[/STRIKE] fine city gents have agreed to come on board the concept, I'll be the first to accept that you can apply it to people who are on vastly lower remuneration.

Genuinely, we have some total to$$ers posting on these threads...

Prudent

I am a teacher and would be extremely uncomfortable about striking for a rise in the current climate. I think the government could easily avert this strike by tackling our biggest issue which is workload. Teachers do more unpaid overtime than any other sector of the workforce according to a recent survey. My wage isn't an issue to me - its perfectly adequate to live on. My work/life balance is a big issue. The saddest thing is that much of the workload is paperwork for the sake of paperwork. I would much rather have time to prepare quality lessons for the children.

Kohoutek

Alan_Cross wrote: »

I'm all for pay freezes...

... and as soon as you can assure me that all those [STRIKE]useless, waste-of-space, leering, red-braces moron-prats[/STRIKE] fine city gents have agreed to come on board the concept, I'll be the first to accept that you can apply it to people who are on vastly lower remuneration.

Genuinely, we have some total to$$ers posting on these threads...

And what about the 99.99% of the private sector workforce outside the City of London that doesn't earn huge salaries and bonuses, do you they get you frothing at the mouth too? If you follow the news, hundreds of thousands of jobs have been already been lost and salaries cut. And in fact, public sector workers are paid more on average than private sector ones.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

"We are all in this together" is a line flashed about by people who are neither in it & can afford to be out of it because of money they made from it..

Anyone who says it needs to be robbed of all their money.

22225

I am a teacher too and I work 60+ hours in the term time. I am happy with the pay but I agree about the workload. I love my job and the children and would not strike about pay but I find it infuriating when people suggest that teachers have it easy. (I'm not saying anyone has said that here but you know what I mean.)

22225

60 hours + per week you understand. Not per term. That really would be good.