re teacher's strike

[norton84]

Firstly I have no problem with teacher's striking. I have a young teacher in the family and can see where they are coming from.

However, today I found a letter in dd's book bag saying that the school may or may not be open on 30th and please can we have alternative arrangement in place just in case.
AIBU to think more notice would have been good?

Obv knew stike was possible but as school had not been in touch of course we assumed we would not be affected.

Hahahahaha. Cause that is where the extra money they cream off the top of the self sustaining teachers' pension scheme will go...of course.

Fanjo the sad thing is if the Govt have their way teachers will be leaving the profession in drives, new graduates will not be applying to teaching so schools like yours will be first in the firing line.

What people need to understand beyond the DM style bollocks that is in the meeja is:

1. The TEACHER'S (cannot speak for others as I am not familiar with their systems) are self sustaining. We had a review 3 years ago which declared them thus. Our pension contributions pay those who have already retired. If this new proposal goes ahead I, along with many others who have had maternity leave, gone P/T because of children, will not be able to afford to stay in the scheme. This will leave a big gap that will have to filled by... drum roll please... taxes! These proposals will have a bigger burden on the tax payer (of which we are too) than sticking with the revised scheme we are currently on.

1. The Unions have asked again and again to see some hard figures from the Govt. None have forthcoming. Ever. The Unions are willing to accept changes (as proved by the current revised system we are on) if they see some concrete evidence rather than wishy-washy rhetoric about being in it together. If the TPS is so unaffordable there would be reams of data and evidence to back this up.

1. The Unions have been trying to negotiate but the Govt are not interested. One thing that the majority of teachers would welcome is lower employer contributions if we do need to have such a cut. This would then make the TPS still affordable to those like me who would otherwise leave. This is has been rejected. Again and again. Because this wouldn't actually raise any money to plug the deficit which is what the Govt want from us, not to make things affordable but to TAX the public sector to plug the hole made by the banking sector The changes therefore have bugger all to do with affordability and everything to do with taxing a whole swathe of public sector workers to clear up Cameron's buddy's mess.

If we were to have real reform of the public sector we need to include MPs in the equation, funny how that hasn't happened...

"Cant see their own unsustainable greed or see that striking and winning means the cuts have to be applied somewhere else."

It's almost as if you have no clue what you're talking about. Our pensions are NOT unsustainable. It is hilarious that you are so brain washed that you feel we are the greedy ones. Well it would be hilarious if it wasn't for the fact that you're not alone in your ignorance and blind belief in what the media and government tells you.

Norfolk is spot on, like Noblegiraffe was earlier in this thread. Is there any reason why people don't believe them and still subscribe to the greedy public sector crap?

wideawakenurse..i am not talking about nursing, merely my DD's particular teachers.

Fanjo, the same goes for teaching though as it does for nursing. 50% of teachers have seriously considered leaving the profession in the last year. Average retainment is less than 5 years. Do you really believe that this is a good thing for this or future generations of children. Change needs to happen, teachers need to be allowed to teach and to feel that their employers respect them and the job they do. Yes, all people deserve that, we are in a position to try to make positive changes for all. That includes your dd's teachers.

It's not just about the pension. Not for me anyway.

yep, we one of had those letters, but ours said, they know some teachers will be strikeing and there will be more info on the morning of the 30th on class room doors to explain which classes will be open and which won't, so we have to get the dc's ready for school get there and see if there class is open, if its not them home, now i have 2 dc's at this school, ds has asd, now if dd's class is open and ds's is not ds won't understand why he can not go to school but his sis can, but if ds's class is open and dd's is not he will cry because dd is going home and he is not, i can not win, got a good mind to tell them neither will be in on wed and see how they like that.

So do that then prams, if that's what you have to do for your ds, then do.

I doubt they'd mind Prams.

The only brainwashed ones here are those who think the pension fund is sustainable into the future without taxpayers help.

I also know you've already had some cuts a few years back. We all did, so that doesn't make your treatment any worse than the average worker in this age of globalization. And after the cuts your pensions are still brilliant in relation to your contributions.

If your pension fund is now so full, we can use some of the excess to top up all those other public sector funds that arent. That is significantly less unfair than asking taxpayers who are getting no benefit at all to do it when they cant afford pensions themselves.

On a final note, the old 'we'll all quit and move abroad' line is being trotted out by all the different workers who are striking. I can see why you think it might work as its worked for the bankers (and you are two sides of the same selfish coin TBH), but unfortunately your individual negotiating positions are for shit and the public sector gravy train just too damn good in this country. Dont lie to yourselves.

public sector gravy train? not for most public secotr workers.

I hope everyone does strike, there is nothing else that can be done.

HA ha ha that's the funniest thing I've heard in ages lassylass. Nurses/teachers etc are as selfish as the bankers. You're funny.

Did I mention that if NO ONE paid into the local govt pension scheme from now on then it would still fulfil all it's obligations for the next 20 years. Obviously a scheme in trouble and needing to be slashed from every direction.

Yep, all those over paid, over fed public sector workers. Tsk.

I'm afraid its a perception you need to overcome. The taxpayer calls the shots at the end of the day and thinks you're all greedy little piggies. And its no surprise when they are worse off than you are in most cases nowadays, for an equivalent job.

Its human nature to think the grass is greener over there, but make no mistake the public sector have it easy. Now a little of the cushion is being removed and a touch of private sector reality is seeping into your protected environment, you are whining like kids who don't care that mummy and daddy have run out of money.

Good luck with the strike. It may work, and some shitty politician will kick the can further down the road (just as Labour did) for the next generation to deal with. I hope not.

I don't doubt that some public sector jobs are easier than some private sector ones.

But I can tell you straight off that teaching isn't a cushy job. Forget what you read in the Mail, if it was cushy, why is the drop out rate so high? And why is the government offering up to £20,000 bursary to train depending on degree class and subject area?

Imagine how much money the government could save if it treated us decently and didn't need to keep training new teachers to replace the burned-out ones all the time.

Lassylass- teachers and other public sector workers are taxpayers. Apart from the ones whose pay is too low, of course.

Norfolk has already put forward an excellent explanation about how teachers have already paid for their own pensions which you seem to be ignoring. I don't actually think it's legal to raid pension funds to shore up finances elsewhere- perhaps somebody could clarify whether the government are allowed to do what Lassylass suggests?

You'll be wanting to hop onto this lucrative gravy train yourself, presumably? You'll be wanting to join the ranks of , for example, the care workers who are having their shift allowances removed (with termination of contract if they don't agree) because local councils don't want to negotiate with the unions?

noble I admire you greatly but I think we may as well be talking to the virtual brick wall here. Lassy is never going to change views and has been highly critical on previous threads.

It's like the Daily Mail has been liquidised (and not in the good way) and administered through an IV line.

And Inertia who I cross posted with. Very well said

Lassylass gets funnier. I didn't realise that as a public sector worker I no longer need to pay tax or NI! Excellent. But as I have been paying it up until now (silly me) my big fatty wage must mean that I pay even MORE tax than most in the real world private sector.

Thank you Lassylass for paying my wages and funding my champagne lifestyle.

Im sick and tired of all this Daily Mail divide and conquer shit turning it into a battle between the public and private sector. Lassylass you came out with all this rubbish a few weeks ago on the other strike thread, you are even using your same greedy little piggies line. If your experience of the private sector is so rubbish compared to the public sector you should be campaigning to increase conditions and rights there rathe than the other way round and bringing conditions and rights in the public sector down.

For the record Im neither greedy nor a pig. Just a normal stressed hardworking Mum who wants to keep a roof over her families head and feed them.

Oh give the fuck over with constant DM shit. Its tired and lost its potency when the regulars stopped using it months ago.

Play the ball, not the player.

You pay tax, but not enough to be taking a big handful of cash back out when others cant.

Or looking at it another way, your tax + your contributions probably still doesn't even come close to the pension you will get over 30 years, so we could equally ask why the fuk you arent paying any tax?

So selfish its shocking.

So the answer to unsustainable pensions, is to make every pension unsustainable? Beautiful logic, but I'm afraid the markets dont work like that, as you will soon find out.

Who's pensions are unsustainable? Oh sorry you're not interested in facts are you!

lassylass you know nothing about me - Im a Nurse who cant afford to pay into the pension scheme as it is, never mind after the proposed changes. So what pension will I get in 30 years time then - nothing.

Yes the DM and their opinions on this is shit I agree with that.

Out of interest Lassy, do you feel that people who have expensive operations on the nhs are selfish too? I mean, they are probably taking out way more than they have paid into the system. Should childless couple pay less because they don't need the school system? I know let's privatise everything to make sure everyone pays what they should for what they use. That'll work.