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!

Teachers (especially) seem to think they are a special case. They aren't. There is no money. They are just doing a job. If they don't like it - leave. There will be lots and lots and lots of graduates waiting to take their job.

the Tories wont listen I reckon

shooby maybe its because we see that although vital services for disabled children are being dismantled, we can see that the LA can still afford 18million in consultancy fees.

Perhaps the question should be 'when are [some] private sector workers realise that if they dont start sitting up and taking notice they will have no welfare system at ALL when they need it' and you will all need it.

But its fine. You sit and judge and shake your head while people who do the work the do because they really care, risk losing their jobs.

You know something. The UK has the BIGGEST TOTAL DEBT of all the countries in the world. If you think Greece was bad. If you think Spain is bad. If you think there might be trouble in Portugal, think again and look at this graph.

The hard times haven't even started yet.

www.zerohedge.com/news/goldmans-sigma-x-hints-who-next-contagion-target

In terms of pensions no more money is needed. Can you not understand the term self sufficient. Our contributions pay those already on retirement, if this goes ahead people will withdraw leaving a huge gap to be filled by taxes.

The Govt proposals are a tax on the public sector, the money raised will not be used on pensions but to plug the hole caused by the banking sector, yes them with the huge bonuses.

Shooby - I had to generalise; you can't cover off everything in 1 post or even 1 thread.
Be honest - if you had worked somewhere for 30 years, were due to retire in a few more and were suddenly told you would be leaving with a much lower pension than you had planned for, would you be happy?

Yes they have to save money, but do it for new contracts, not current!

It's not just teachers. My sons school is partially open. My sons class are allowed in but my son isn't as his support TA is striking :D

My DH's pension conditions were changed (naturally, for the worse) while he was doing the same job. He is in the private sector, so just had to suck it up. Public sector workers get as good pay as private and get much better pensions. Didn't used to be so, I agree, but it is now, so I do not support the strike. What do they think it will achieve? There is no more money in the pot due to profligate spending and no saving by the previous government. I'm not saying I'm not sympathetic, but everyone is in the same boat (apart from the heads of companies who have huge salaries that increase in proportion to the average worker, year on year).

Haven't read the whole thread so may have missed someone else pointing this out.

This is a Unison strike and they're not just a union for teachers, but healthcare professionals and policing too. It straddles the whole of the public sector.

I support the teachers as i do all public sector workers who put their lives and souls into their jobs for everyone, not only children. From the bin men to the brain surgeon - where would we be without them?

but Jackstini not every public sector worker will have been there for 30 years will they.

FFS this is NOT about fucking pensions for most of the strikers.

Pension? If only that was all I had to worry about when I was at work.

I am a parent and I support the strike.

DS's Specialist Teacher will be striking. She has been an absolute lifeline to us and we would be lost without her. Also his TA who has been fab since he started reception.

Is there a thread on Daves suggestion we take our children into work with us on strike Day?

lol at Dave's suggestion we take our children into work. Even less work would be done than the £500m loss he's currently predicting! You can see who does the childcare in his house!

Those on here questioning where public sector workers think the money is going to come from are looking at it the wrong way round.

Teachers' pensions are self sustaining, they aren't asking the country for any more money. So in fact, you could argue the rest of the country is 'asking' them for more money. They are trying to say no, and getting lambasted for it.

Have worked for 20 yrs in the public sector and 9 in the private. i can only post my experience. I paid into a pension in the Pub. sector but it is and still will be far more generous than anything i can afford as self employed in the private sector. moving between the two has made me realise how brilliant my terms and conditions were in comparison, how few people got sacked and how things like 30+ days annual leave, flexi time, working from home and all the other perks which are taken for granted in the pub sector just arent there in the private sector. sure there is someone up the top of the tree getting all of this but i am an ordinary working person with kids and a mortgage. i am also fed up of reading threads where people say " yes i understand we have no money and cuts need to be made but you can't cut (insert whatever is your favourite) can you?" this is the real world, we have no money, we have a huge debt and cuts have to fall on all of us. I know it isnt just about pensions but to all of you in the public sector, give in your notice and get a job in the private sector then post on Mnet.

I'll be striking (not a teacher, but work for the council and am in unison) and my ds school is shut too. My problem is finding child care while I attend the demo.

I've heard that local authorities are not complaining too much about the day of the actual strike, because they'll make big savings by not paying the strikers' salary for the day. This will help the local authorities to avoid budget cuts elsewhere.

I'll be doing just that Mummy. I trained as a teacher but never worked as Dd came along. When I go back, I will go back to my previous career as it pays far, far better and the perks are better.

Again, reverse it. All those moaning about the cushty life of the public sector workers, come and sign up.

mummy yeah ok I will give up my job in the public sector and go and do something that I am not trained to do knowing full well that my post will be deleted as soon as I go.

WTF would that achieve exactly?

I do the job I do for the love of the work and not because of the conditions or pay. I spend a fair bit of my own money providing resources to families.

Its like the arguments we used to hear in the 80s re nurse's pay 'well they knew what the pay was when the took the job so they should just get on with it' . Yeah right. Just suck it up - that will make the world a better place.

Thank you

If it's about who's got it worse, then public sector and private sector workers can both sod off. Try working in the voluntary sector. I'd have a lot more sympathy for public sector workers if the local authority funded charity I work for hadn't had to cope with a 40% budget reduction in the last year and wasn't living in fear of even more cuts to come.

I'm apathetic about the pension situation, I'm going to be honest and say I don't really understand the finances behind it. I DO understand striking over working conditions and pay in general though and even though it might massively inconvenience some people, I support people who stand up for what they believe in. I doubt many nurses and teachers are relishing knowing the standard or care or education they are providing is going to be affected, but they're doing it for a reason.

I worked for 12 years in the public sector and 16 in the private sector. I will have a pension for my public sector work far in excess of from the private sector (and bear in mind I joined the public sector when I was very young so wages were poor)

I support the teachers (& nurses etc) too. Working for a pittance in the public sector without the benefit of a semi- decent pension? No chance!
We will struggle to recruit the best people for these vital public sector jobs if pensions and pay are not protected. Fancy being nursed in your old age by cheap nurses flown in from developing countries with a poor grasp of English? Ditto your ( future)GCs being taught by anything less than the best possible teachers?
We have to protect these jobs now or we will all suffer in the future.