Really want to strike but really cannot afford to.

[toptramp]

Anyone else in a similar position? I am a trained teacher but woprk as support staff atm so really on peanuts as it is. Plus I am a single mum who is mindful that Christmas and subsequent expense is looming.

School isn't open to students on Wednesday. If I sign in and out I get paid; if I don't sign in and out I don't. I agree with the strike but I'm skint. WWYD? Am I letting the side down if I go in? I know some staff who are turning up. OOOOOOOO moral dilemma.

I totally disagree ILS. The union is the only source of support when a workplace issue arises for teachers. Doesn;t mean you have to agree with their every policy. I certainly don't. But I pay my fees - over £100/year - which I have never used so far. If I do, I won;t feel guilty that I haven't striked as I've paid my dues.

Why should someone who doesn;t belive in strike action be denied union support if they;ve paid into said union for years?

I prefer to think for myself when it comes to politics. I pay into my union - as a teacher in today's climate you'd be a mug not to - but by doing this I do not agree to anyone else's politics but my own.

You cannot afford not to strike, IMO

YOU do whats right for you - if striking and the deduction of pay means you cant meet the bills or feed the children - well it's a no brainer that you go to work.

As far as i'm aware we still live in a democracy - its your choice to strike, it isnt compulsory - don't be swayed by other peoples moral high ground. If they are feelng that righteous perhaps they would like to pick up your bills and send over a food parcel.

I'm not striking - my pension is fucked anyway - but as I dont know one teacher who is striking and actually going on a march/manning the picket lines/waving flags etc etc .... basically its a lazy day off for christmas shopping.

Well whoopee-doo, teachers lose 1/365th of their salary. Support staff lose 1/193rd .... approx twice as much a as teacher, because we get paid pro-rata.

any fucker

bollocks

that's nice, OldMac

if you had an argument, you just lost it

Troisgarcons, I plan to march, although I am a leetle scared! [big wimp smiley] Also, whilst I think it totally goes against the point of the strike, I know lots of teachers who plan to catch up with paperwork, marking etc at home.

there will be no picket lines at my place of employment because the protest is about Govt policy, not directly against the employers (an NHS Trust in my case, that has suffered horribly in recent years because of stupid decisions made at Govt level)

Post of the day goes to trois
I currently owe e-on £188 - if any righteous strikers would like to help me out, I will gladly accept.
EVERY local school bar mine (not due to my influence) is closing on strike day, but I can guarantee our campus will be deserted - NOT full of teachers with placards, etc. Very telling.

I dont need an argument. The OP has the argument

and your response is... well

bollocks

FS...Manchester by any chance ?

I expect a heap will go on agency staff and overtime

you don't have debate either OldMac ?

a pity really, on a site where people debate as opposed to insult people's opinion

The whole point of a union is collective bargaining and collective action.

It is a bit odd to expect the union to bargain for you if you won't act for them.

ggrrr

op - I cant afford to strike

af - you cant afford NOT to strike

OM - stop talking bollux af

af - if you want a debate, start a thread,and give me a shout

Unison's hardship fund? HA! Ex-P is going into work, as are most of his colleagues. They work in the kitchen at the local hospital. Unison's hardship fund offered them £12.50 to cover lost wages if they took part in the strike. When Ex-P would be losing over £50 because of the unsociable hours. He has to pay his rent and travel to work and maintenance - he'd be loosing a full week's food money if he went on strike - £12.50 just ain't going to cover that! What's he meant to do? Starve?

If anyone calls him a scab, he will tell them when they are prepared to pay for his food shopping for a week, then he'll strike. He was tupe'd over to NHS 8 weeks ago, they changed his wages from fortnightly to monthly straight away, refused to pay his unsociabe hours for the first month - so he only had half his wages, AND then they didn't pay his unsociable hours this month either - yet he is STILL expected to strike?

Sorry, but I find it laughable that you are all still banging on about going to the Union's hardship fund, I advised him to do that after reading it on here, and they offered him an amount that wouldn't cover two days food!

AAARGH! LOSING

Oldmac...if you stayed off the you might find your communication skills improved

Just a thought

OP, I have much sympathy for you. I can't really afford to strike either. I also could not stand by and watch what I have already worked towards for the last 25 years being taken away from me. Within my profession, it was calculated for the average worker, if the Govt implements the changes it wants to, I would be 40% worse off over the course of an average retirement

I cannot stand by and watch that happen without a fight. A days pay is a drop in the ocean compared to that. We will eat beans on toast for dinner every night and wear coats in the house before I will let anyone say I am not entitled to protest against such unfair treatment

In the case of teachers, if they don't believe in strike action they have the option of joining VOICE. I agree with noblegiraffe on collective bargaining/collective action. I'm not prepared to cross a picket line and there may well be one at my place of work. I shall be attending a rally on the day.

'It is a bit odd to expect the union to bargain for you if you won't act for them.'

Well, not if the OP pays her dues, it's not. If she pays up, she's a member and that's it. I'm amazed at the cult-like fervour with which people treat the unions. You do not have to do what they say!

This strike will achieve precisely zero. Zero. Anyone with any interest in wider economics will tell you that the strikes will fail. So, OP, you will not be contributing/not contributing to a better pension deal by striking or not striking on Wednesday. The only thing you'll be doing is putting yourself out of pocket.

And, yes, don't expect there to be actual picket lines at your work. Christmas shopping all round.

He's PAID way more than the £50 he would need in order to be able to strike in Union dues anyway. And maybe if he'd been PAID all his wages, for the last 8 weeks, it wouldn't be such an issue, but for him, now, it is strike or eat.

I am not going Xmas shopping and neither is anyone I know

And I work directly with several dozen people who will be on strike

I cannot vouch for every other single person but i expect the "Xmas shoppers" will be in the minority

Don't let that stop you from falling for the propaganda about "lazy public sector wokers" though, will you ?

And, yes, don't expect there to be actual picket lines at your work. Christmas shopping all round

Obviously not all places of work are the same. As I said, I expect there to be a picket line where I work.

But Hunty, how can that be the case, he works in the cushy public sector and knows nothing of the hardships of the 'real' world!

'Well, not if the OP pays her dues, it's not.'

The strength of the union's bargaining position does not come from how many people pay their subs, it is how many people are prepared to act.

That is surely obvious.