to say this to all the teachers who are striking next week

[Memoo]

As a parent I am 100 % behind you.

I really appreciate that you put your life and soul into your job and im sorry more people don't get just how hard you work for the benefit of our children.

Don't let the bastards grind you down!

But anxiouselephant we keep on being told "it's not fair but that's life"

the point is omgomgomg that the public sector are employed by the government and when your employer does something you perceive to be unfair then you have the right (not the privilege, the hard fought-for RIGHT) to stand up and say 'this is unfair'. The private sector has also, to a large extent, been shafted by its employers, however, it is more fragmented and less unionised (because perhaps people with similar opinions to you think 'oh what is the point'?) and has not managed to fight back. I say, good on anyone (teachers, nurses, the Occupy movement) who stands up for themselves and says the way things are being done is unfair. Why take things lying down?

Is it unfair? 6.4% employee vs 14% employer contribution (government).

If you have paid into the old scheme for 15 years you still get the 15/60 or the 15/80 x your final salary (along with a lump sum of 3 x this annual pension if you opted for the 15/80 option). The final salary will be the one you get at original final pension age. This is payable at original retirement age as previously agreed. What you paid for you get. If you have less than 10 years to retire you have no alterations to pension.

After this though (the idea is 2015) onwards your contributions move to the new pension scheme (this maybe career average linked-infact very likely). Contributions will increase (this is planned to be staggered). You can of course opt out, change job......... This will still be a great index linked (CPI) pension scheme with protection for spouse/partner.

The only problem I occasionally think is unfair is the switch from RPI to CPI and this is to be challenged in court. As contributions had been paid in expecting RPI.

The country is broke.

I agree OP- the govt have behaved shamefully over this. There is still no evidence that these pensions are unaffordable anyway. Ime anecdotally from chatting with friends, a lot of people just feel jealous that professions such as teaching have a good pension. Many public sector workers have traded this off against lower pay and less good conditions in other ways, so it's unfair to move the goalposts. The key issue to me' though is that it seems these pensions are not unaffordable anyway. If the govt wants to use the funds to bail themselves out of the crap caused by bankers that's a different issue

I think lots of the public service workers aren't actually aware of what is being proposed.

They aren't losing anything from their present pension. That is protected. The changes are things that are going to happen.

I have worked in public and private sector - as a contractor in both cases. My own personal experience - the public sector was an absolute walk in the park.

I was one of two contractors there and the CEO would come to us to get the project/work done. My staff colleagues would look up their terms and conditions to see if they should be doing what was asked. Then they would leave at 5pm. On. The. Dot.

iggly2 my calculations are based on the assumption that the 250-330 is what is paid at the start and throughout. To be honest though I doubt there are very many in their 20's that would contribute what will probably be a high % of their salary. Delaying starting would be crippling in terms of how much extra you would need to contribute.

The NUT has been calling for an independent valuation audit of the pension scheme, they say that £46.6 billion more has been paid into the scheme than has been paid out.
The government has refused to consider an independent valuation.
Because it would show the truth?

WET AUGUST - What you have contributed/the Government has contributed HASN'T CHANGED.

I AM SO ANNOYED THAT PEOPLE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW/EDUCATE THEMSELVES ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING.

WetAugust is not a teacher, and has very little liking for most members of the profession.
She is usually found beating them up with a copy of the SENCOP.
The fact that she and I are on the same side for once shows just how inclusive and far-reaching the problems are.

Swedeheart, I think you'll find most union members know exactly what is proposed. Not so much a huge proportion of the govt supporters who are still shouting about gold plated pensions.

Do you know the other reasons behind the strike? Or do you think that this is all about pensions for all teachers?

Font - I never said it was all about teachers. However reading these threads - and there are a few of them - it appears the strikers have been brainwashed by the Unions and actually have very little real knowledge of what is going to happen.

I would really appreciate however if you would give me, say, 3 "reasons" behind the strike that I might not know of. Thank you.

Okay, so the reasons that I am striking. Because the amount of paperwork we are expected to do is becoming ridiculous. For eg the latest is that we need to make records of any verbal feedback we give students. Our school has already tried to shaft us over our 10% PPA time. Schools are basically being forced to become academies. Money is constantly wasted by the govt on new initiatives in schools that only last a year. Forcing us to re-write schemes of work almost every year to fit with the new buzzwords. SEAL anyone? There is no proper system in place for kids who are excluded, thus throwing them out to nothing or being expected to keep them in classrooms disrupting everyone else. The govt promised no cut in funds for education yet in real terms there is indeed a cut in funds. Building schools for the future funds were taken away from schools that really needed it, because there was no money, money was then found for Goves pet free schools project.

I could go on. All I want to do is teach, not struggle against counter productive govt crap.

I'm a member of the NASUWT and if you go to their website you will see that the strike is about reclaiming the classroom. Not just our pensions.

There is still no evidence that these pensions are unaffordable anyway
How much more "evidence" do you need? There is plenty of evidence around if you want to go find it. Some posters including myself have posted links. The government deficit is a staggering £150billion

Yet you still think there's no evidence? Seriously?

FontSnob. Fair enough about paperwork/initatives. I'll take your word for that. But do you think that you striking over this issue is going to help your issues one bit? Because next week the press will be reporting it as a strike over pension changes. I bet not one will mention classroom conditions. So in that context aren't you really inconveniencing many others for all the wrong reasons?

I think lots of public sector workers do a great job. It sounds like the paper work for teachers is ridiculous and the pressure your describing sounds very bad FontSnob. Why is your union therefore not making more noises about that.

I have no way of controlling how the press report anything. I have no doubt that many important messages will get lost along the way. I'm also pissed off about the pension, not that it has to change, it it does then it does. However it needs to change honestly and fairly, not clobbering us from 3 different sides to create a pot of cash that the govt can start borrowing from again. I'm also pissed off that it will be women who will be most effected. Again. This is also on top of another series of planned changes to our pay scale. Not that anyone has to stick to the pay scale once the school is an Academy. The govt are NOT being honest or transparent.

Iggly, because the noise is too loud about the pensions perhaps, because a reason that people will agree with isn't good newspaper fodder? Because it doesn't fit in with people's ideas of the big bad public sector? Who knows.

I'm sure someone will pop along and say its because it's not the real reason and our union is just tacking it on as an afterthought though.

niceguy2

How much more "evidence" do you need? There is plenty of evidence around if you want to go find it. Some posters including myself have posted links. The government deficit is a staggering £150billion

What i would like are actual figures that state the "facts" as you see them.

I would also like to know how posters can justify that as the Scheme stands at the moment is self sustaining where they think that these overpayments are going to go.

Because as the scheme is unfunded its going to get swallowed up paying for other peoples mistakes.

Were the last government honest or transparent? Increase the public sector regardless of affordibility-buying votes effectively.

What has happened was.... NOT AFFORDABLE

OUR CHILDREN WILL BE PAYING

Oh hell.... all the governments only cared about being relected they did not care long term. This is the bravest thing to be done for some time (it is a vote loser same as child benefit removal for higher rate tax payers). The increases in pension payments will not be fully in for the next few years ie next election.

The benefit (ie slightly less tax rises for us and our children) will not be seen for sometime which is actually brave. Unless if by showing they can put in austerity measures they can help maintain an okayish credit rating.

Foolishly generous pensions were offered to workers in both sectors.
They were offered during a period of absurd boom.

Then it became plain that they were unsustainable and the private sector has been rejigging them. That's what's kept actuaries in bread and butter work these past ten years.

The previous government knew full well that there was a pension deficit and that, at current pay outs there will be a lrge hole in the not too distant future. It wasn't a secret. But there was no political will to deal with it.

Now there is the political will.

I can see how it must be bloody galling for teachers. They thought they were getting one thing and now they're not. But the alternative is that our DC inherit this pension deficit and frankly I think that is even more unfair than what the teachers are being asked to swallow.

Our DC will not have free teriary education. They will not have generous benefits to rely on. State pension will be utterly eroded.
Do we really want to add to their misery?

There is a very good reason why the Labour party, in particular Ed Milliband, do not support this strike and that is that they know the pensions have to be dealt with and would rather the Tories did it. When Labour then next come back to power it will be sorted. And let's be very clear they will not reinstate them.

For the problems just ggogle "government pension liabilities". Oh the BBC has loads on how unfunded the pensions are.

FontSnob - oh dear I don't think you have done yourself any
favours by complaining about paperwork. That's the real world my dear. I'm not about to disclose what I do for a living, but paperwork is involved a lot.

This is the real world. Not the cushioned public service world. You need to get used to used to it and toughen up. Or leave.

The politicians should try out a teachers job for one month - put them on the firing line for a while and let them handle it - nope I'm not a teacher, I'm a volunteer who goes into the classroom to help out - I love it but some of the flack that these people have to take is beyond a joke - and NO THEY ALL DON'T FINISH AT 3.15PM or what ever, some of our staff stay till about 7pm depending on what they have to do the next day.. and they don't get paid for that so I would say that for the extra hours that they have to work unseen in school/at home etc then they have every right to strike for what they believe in ...don't see the MP's wages and bonuses doing much in the way of down grading does anyone else?? Back 'em all the way!!

Go teachers Go!