Teachers strike on Thursday

Janepig

mrcow wrote: »

If you want too see if NUT members are endorsing it or not, I suggest you hold on to your opinion until Thursday and see how many members turn up for work.

Then you'll see how many actually do endorse the action.

Well as I posted previously, my children's school is open, but I'm not aware of how many teachers there are NUT members anyway, and actually, with all that goes with members of striking unions crossing their own picket line; rather than using how many NUT members stay off work on Thursday as a guide to whether they endorse the strike action or not, I would use how many turn up to picket, and/or other public protests on Thursday as a guide.

My feelings on the futility of strike action are known, and as a member of a union I would vote against strike action, but I accept that should the majority of those voting go in favour of strike action then I would stay off work and not cross the picket line. I wouldn't picket, and I wouldn't join any protest, but I would stay off and lose a day's pay. I'm sure there's many that feel as I do (there's plenty of people I work with who feel the same) so as I say, just because people stay off during a strike, doesn't mean they agree with the action.

Jxx

CallaLily

lordlazy wrote: »

My kids aren't affected but we would just deal with it if they were. Not much else we could do except moan and life is too short for moaning IMO. Its a shame for those who lose pay but the teachers are too, don't forget!

Yes but the teachers are by losing pay by choosing to strike, the parents that are affected me included do not choose to lose they they do not have any other option.

Spendless

milliebear00001 wrote: »

Who do you think starts unions? There are loads of general workers unions you could join, they don't all have to be related to a particular place of work. If there isn't one, look at starting one, rather than just accepting you have nobody to help in a dispute.

The teachers' pension scheme has already been changed (in 2008) to make it sustainable in the long term. It was agreed then that any future changes would depend on the scheme being revalued and found not to be sustainable. The present Government is refusing to revalue the scheme - I wonder why!?

Teachers are a profession. When compared with other professions, we earn less.

It's not as simple as that, because there is no automatic union for many occupations. If hubby had belonged to a general union for his industry (if indeed one exists), because he could well be the only person in it, it wouldn't make any difference when his company (an independently owned one) changed the ts & cs of pension contributions and reduced wages. It's not fair to say that 'private sector workers rolled over and accepted cuts.' Many 'industries' are in the same postion- ever come across retail workers striking? I haven't.

Zziggi

I've 3 children in primary school. The school has 12 classes and 11 are off due to striking. I have 2 children who will be off and one child who will be school as he's in the one class that'll be there. The only class teacher who is not striking is running a "holidays" day where kids are doing a mini- project on France for the day. I had a little think, checked prices & thought I could take my kids on a daytrip to Calais on Thursday as they've never been. So popped in to see the Head to ask whether my youngest (Reception class but is "of school age") could be absent on Thursday along with my older 2 who are already off so I could take all three of them on a real day's experience of France on a cross channel ferry rather than have 2 bored at home & one in school doing a 'pretend' French day. I assured the Head that all 3 would be back in school on Friday without fail as it's only a day trip.

Absence was refused.

The air was blue when I got home.

Dorisb

New to this forum and have just spent a while reading the thread.
I am a primary school teacher aged 47 and yes I am striking on Thursday - not something I have taken lightly.
I love my job and at the moment cope fine with teaching thirty 5 and 6 year olds. I get very angry when I hear people slagging off teachers like we have an easy ride, a 9- 3.30 day and lots of holidays, all Rubbish!!!
I arrive at work at 7.45 and generally leave between 6.30 - 6.45 in the evening. I get home and generally work for another 2 or 3 hours planning, doing assessments or my co-ordination work. Holidays - I will go in at least 2 days of a half term to set my classroom up i.e. role play areas and tend the school garden. In the summer holidays I can be in school on and off for about 3 weeks tidying, setting up areas for my new class, tending the garden etc. If I actually add up the hours I do for the pay I am on at the moment I'm earning just over minimum wage not the fortune some of you seem to think we are on!
I have loads of energy at the moment but the thought of working these hours at 68 scares me to death - I will need my own SSA to look after me!
I too have children at university to help fund, bills to pay, mortgage and debts and I cannot afford for my pay to drop, which it will.
If some of you think you can do the job then go in on Thursday like Gove has suggested and have a go!
Sorry this is long winded but some people need to know what teaching is actually like!

FATBALLZ

Dorisb wrote: »

I have loads of energy at the moment but the thought of working these hours at 68 scares me to death - I will need my own SSA to look after me!

I work long hours, and wouldn't want to be doing them at 60+ either. But this is why it is common to take less pressurised jobs when you get towards retirement age. Nobody needs to retire at 68 either, if people take a bit of responsibility for themselves and do a bit of retirement planning they should have no problem retiring many years before.

msb5262

FATBALLZ wrote: »

I work long hours, and wouldn't want to be doing them at 60+ either. But this is why it is common to take less pressurised jobs when you get towards retirement age. Nobody needs to retire at 68 either, if people take a bit of responsibility for themselves and do a bit of retirement planning they should have no problem retiring many years before.

Most of us did our retirement planning under the (mistaken) impression that the government wouldn't be trying to do a Robert Maxwell with our pension fund!
The government is now moving the goalposts. This is the problem.

Dorisb

FATBALLZ wrote: »

It's sad really that when teachers have a dispute with the government they feel the most appropriate course of action is to take it out on children's educations. Why don't they boycott 'inset' days or refuse en masse to pay council tax or something rather than take it out on the vulnerable.

All the government has to do is sit back and watch public opinion turn more and more against the teachers as they continue to destroy the prospects of future generations in a fit of spite.

Teachers are boycotting the job they do on Thursday that happens to be educating children, you don't find other people striking by doing their job and boycotting something else! We don't want to we have been forced into it and you are exaggerating to the extreme by saying we are destroying the future prospects of children - I'd love to be able to teach that much in one day! Did you complain when children lost a day of education for the Royal wedding?

Dorisb

FATBALLZ wrote: »

I work long hours, and wouldn't want to be doing them at 60+ either. But this is why it is common to take less pressurised jobs when you get towards retirement age. Nobody needs to retire at 68 either, if people take a bit of responsibility for themselves and do a bit of retirement planning they should have no problem retiring many years before.

You are writing this as if I have made no plans for my retirement - I had plans - the Government want to go back on agreements and move the goalposts - this is not acceptable!

jellyhead

Zziggi wrote: »

The air was blue when I got home.

Substitute your child with one whose parents can't find childcare, see if school notices

Or ask if all 3 of yours can join in the project - there are bound to be some spaces as other parents won't send one child while another is off.

I've heard of others locally who are keeping all their kids off just because 1 of them has the day off.