Why are bloody teachers striking AGAIN?

[noblegiraffe]

Because, dear hearts, the government, when they offered us a pay rise of 4.5%, mostly unfunded for next September and all 4 teaching unions thoroughly rejected it, Gillian Keegan said that teachers would then have to take their chances with the independent pay review body and that there would be no further negotiations.

So teachers did. And the independent pay review body, who seem to have rather more of a handle on the current crisis in teaching than the government, recommended that teachers should get a 6.5% pay rise to introduce some stability into the system.

We only know this because the independent pay review body findings have not been published, but this figure was leaked.

Calls for the government to publish the report have been ignored. Most recently, a freedom of information act request to the DfE for the report was rejected, because the DfE says it's "not in the public interest".

Why is it not in the public interest to know what the independent pay review body has recommended? This report is published every year.

In the meantime, Rishi is briefing the press that he will reject the independent pay review body's recommendations, after making a huge fuss about how he always accepts independent pay review body recommendations.

Why should this matter to parents? Because headteachers are currently trying to write their budgets for September. The end of term is approaching. This job is currently impossible because headteachers don't know how much more they are expected to pay teachers next year, (6.5%? 5?% 4.5%?) and they have no idea how much extra money their school will be given to account for the pay rise (all? some? None??). This makes a massive difference as staffing costs account for the vast majority of school budgets. Should they be planning to cut GCSE subjects? Make staff redundant? Or will they actually be able to plan in some literacy support? That they don't know is intolerable.

A senior government advisor said that school budgets last year weren't worth the paper they were written on because of this same issue, and that it shouldn't be allowed to happen again.

Yet here we are.

The government are trying to drag this out to the summer before they make their pay announcement because then they'll be on their holidays and the 4 teaching unions' ballots will have closed.

Media outlets being the third pillar of democracy and all that...

I think you mean the fourth estate.

What do you teach?

@Reality25 Sounds like a return to Victorian times regarding workers rights in your utopia. Workers have rights and collective action can force change. You enjoy now many of those rights that were fraught by earlier workers.

Heaven forbid people manage to have concern for others, not just themselves.

I know colleges aren't great either, but my brother in law is an excellent carpenter. He can train him up. It's just the college side that may pose some issues.

Oh possibly yes, I wasn't aware this discussion thread was reserved solely for teachers? Is it?

Yes another law that up until this moment I knew nothing about...lol

That sounds great.

Oh, OK. I assumed you were a teacher, what with you posting information about how to find a local picket line and all.

Members of the public (such as parents/carers and anyone else who would like to ) do actually go along to picket lines too, you know. Even pensioners, people who don't have job can go along and stand in support...bake cakes...contribute a fiver towards the union strike fund...that sort of thing you know...😀or just generally help to keep morale up...striking is not an easy thing to do - and the picket lines I've attended have always appreciated it...

It's that rather old-fashioned word called 'solidarity'.
I like the word myself!

and the picket lines I've attended have always appreciated it...

I’ll take your word for that.

Yes, you do that, lovely!

Of course it’s all about pay !

Just read the headlines !!! or the OP, although clearly in denial, she’s still clinging onto her very brief reference to funding ! 😂

According to a number of sources, militant union leaders are saying that increasing the current pay offer from 4.5% to 6.5% will end the strikes. Presumably then, the other reasons some of the sheep are giving and pretending to care about suddenly won’t matter anymore, and they’ll all go back to their pen.

Have a look at your paltry take-home pay teachers, and see just what that additional 2% would actually be in monetary terms. According to your union leaders, that’s the value you’re placing on depriving the kids you pretend to care about so much and totally humiliating yourselves your own self-worth ! 😁

Of course it’s all about pay !

Just read the headlines !!! or the OP, although clearly in denial, she’s still clinging onto her very brief reference to funding ! 😂

There are limited reasons for industrial action.
Pay is part of this dispute, but also where the funding comes from.

If you speak to most teachers they're not demanding huge pay increases. They're looking for a fair increase given the endless small increments and for it to be properly funded by the government instead of it coming out of existing pots.

Schools break up in a couple of weeks and headteachers still can't budget for next year.

This isn't because of unions. It's because the government is stalling, won't engage, and won't engage with the independent review body either.

Of course they can budget for next year !

Every companies annual budget comprises a number of dynamic factors which have to be accounted for …. E.g. transport costs, raw materials costs, cost of sales, warranty claims etc. in addition to salaries, and we all manage to do them. That’s why they’re referred to as a budget and not a P & L forecast. If the headmaster of a school declares that they’re unable to submit an annual budget due to an unknown few percentage points salary increase within their overall payroll then it’s hardly surprising that state education is in dire straits !

@Efficaciou5

It really isn't all about pay.

Efficacious, if I merely wanted to line my own pockets and had no interest in education I would have fucked off into a more lucrative STEM job years ago

So please fuck off trying to tell people what MY motives are.

Read your post, and the words of your union leader.

Your motives are clear.

NEU press release today is crystal clear:

Following two further days of strike action this week by NEU teacher members across England for a fully funded pay increase, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries of the National Education Union,said:

“We are calling on the Government to publish the STRB report and restart discussions with the unions, which Government has paused since before Easter.
‘We believe that the STRB has recommended a 6.5% across the board pay rise, and if such a rise were properly funded implementing such a rise could bring this dispute to a close.

‘However, with no word from the Government about the reopening of negotiations and with rumours that the Government is intending not to implement the STRB report, the NEU continues with our re ballot of members for industrial action in September.

‘We will not be alone. Education unions ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT are also balloting members for strike action. This is an unprecedented show of determination and unity across the profession. It is an indication of the desperation and anger felt by all who teach in our schools and colleges towards a government who cares little for children and young people’s education and those who teach them.
‘The responsibility for any action in September lies at the door of the Prime Minister and the Education Secretary who continue to refuse to re-enter negotiations with education unions to reach a settlement on a fully funded pay increase for teachers.

‘No headteacher or teacher wants to be taking strike action but if there is no resolution to this dispute, strike action across England’s schools and colleges will be going ahead at the start of September.

‘The holes that are appearing in our education system after 13 years of neglect by his Government can no longer be plastered over. The Prime Minister needs to understand that the education profession and the education system is at breaking point. Years of real-term pay cuts, a chronic lack of school and college funding, enormous recruitment and retention challenges, escalating workload and working hours, and an inspection system that is doing more harm than good have all taken their toll on the profession and our children and young people’s education.

‘We urge this Government to recognise the scale of the problem and start negotiating”. press release today very clear:

Thanks for the update Foresty. I didn’t get chance to read through it completely as I’m helping my daughter with her maths whilst at the same time running my business because she’s not in school today due to the majority of her teachers striking over pay.

So forgive me for asking, but just to clarify, was there any reference to pay in the article you quoted ?

@Efficaciou5

The majority of her teachers are not striking over pay.

If she doesn't have a maths teacher as they've all left then you'll need to teach her more than just today.

Try and see the bigger picture.

The difference between schools and normals businesses is that schools can't increase their income via higher sales.

Staffing is usually the highest cost in schools, 2% is a big difference.

It’s fine to strike over pay.

No one should feel that they have to strike over a nobler cause.

on the ballot it clearly asked us if we were willing to strike over pay! It does make us look a bit daft when we say no, it’s not about pay, oh, more money you say?

Do you realise how fucking stupid it is, telling me to read my words to discern what my own motive is?

Perhaps I don’t. Maybe you could educate me ?

Oh no, sorry, I forgot, they don’t pay you enough to do that now do they.

Would and extra 6.5% be OK ? 😂

Well said.

I don't agree with the strikes - for reasons I gave upthread to do with the profile of the profession - but it's hardly going to win hearts and minds to deny that this strike is about higher wages when the strike is plainly and unambigously about exactly that!

I know how you feel.
My DD didn't have a stable maths teacher in last year of G.C.S.E at all.

She didn't have a subject teacher in one of her A level choices for the entirety of the second year - and into the third, due to the 'recruitment crisis'.

But that was before the strikes. Just read the press release though, it's not long.

It’s fine to strike over pay.

No one should feel that they have to strike over a nobler cause.

on the ballot it clearly asked us if we were willing to strike over pay! It does make us look a bit daft when we say no, it’s not about pay, oh, more money you say?
I agree with you, but also think a lot of teachers realise that pay and conditions link to other issues.

One of the reasons I came out of classroom teaching was because the additional work was unreasonable. It's a lot of extra work on teachers and leaders to support a revolving door of supply staff, keep on top of the assessments for those classes, fend off understandable parental questions about why their child is saying they've got another different teacher. Improving pay and conditions might mean that those classes get a decent, stable teacher, which would reduce my workload.

When pay rises aren't properly funded they come out of school budgets so leaders have to look what to cut back. That means students are missing out on things because the government have chosen to ensure students miss out.

I'm sure there's some anti-teacher, anti-union, pro-eroding working conditions people on Mumsnet who'll say teachers should accept lower salaries for life to financially prop schools up, but then you return back to my first point.

The cycle has to be broken somehow and the government is being petty and trying to create tension between working people rather than look for solutions.