FFS - you have NOT had 2 days notice of strike action! Sorry, FB again.

[IHeartKingThistle]

School mums all over FB mouthing off about being given '2 days notice' about the strike on Thursday. We had a letter last week saying there may be action on that day and they would let us know. And IT'S A NATIONAL STRIKE! IT'S BEEN ON THE BLOODY NEWS!

If I hear one more person say 'let's fine the school, see how they like it' I may lose it. It's school, not childcare. It's a shitty time to be a teacher and no-one is listening.

Rant over. Feel free to ignore me.

Howdareye, so you're happy for exhausted teachers to be teaching your kids? You're fine with them not getting the best education they can because the best graduates won't go in to teaching any more?

Yes that's why I am striking ...because I want my own way not because I have had a 9% pay cut in real terms, seen my dept staff cut by 55% and the workload increase ...or because I care about services for vulnerable young people and their families

We've been told school is not closed. I'm lucky that had they been, DD's grandparents would probably have been able to have her.

However, if they had been out of the country (which they often are) and I couldn't get another parent to have her, DD would most likely have had to come to work with me as I am a public sector worker who is not in the union and we have been told that no leave will be approved that day if it wasn't booked before May 23rd.

gordyslovesheepMon 07-Jul-14 14:11:21

How has your pay been cut by 9% ?

It's a thing called inflation. Prices have risen alarmingly but our pay has stayed the same for years.

Striking does not work - it hasn't since the ridiculous minors strikes of the 70's which went way too far and gave Maggie the ammunition to break the unions.

They are effectively toothless and think that strike action is the answer to everything when in fact work to rule would be much more effective, but neither the unions or their members have the backbone to implement it. They are also ridiculously ineffective when it comes to protecting their members rights on an individual level. The only time it is worth being in a union is if you work in the front line and might get accused of something by a member of the public - the union's seem to step up a bit more in those situations.

Which is why I won't join a union.

That's happened to most people though due to the recession.

The LA spent £34000 on flowers on year to brighten up the place, the same LA refused my son statement even though we had a lot of evidence to back up why DS needed a statement.

The reason the budget, I walk past those sodding flowers that make my hayfever worse and think what the money could of been spent on.

The miners' strike was in the 80s.

How do you work to rule in a school environment then? That would be interesting.

Pay freezes mean pay cuts in real terms if inflation rises.
I could cite many people I know who have been helped by their union membership, not just those accused of something they didn't do!
I think convincing workers that unions aren't necessary is the greatest trick capitalism has played on them.

YouTheCatMon 07-Jul-14 14:16:23

What about the millions of other people that have not had a pay rise also, this is the same for them.

I dont buy into that part of the argument at all, mainly as its a ridiculous thing to say !

Those people are welcome to strike via their own unions too

Pay freezes in the public sector started way before the private.

Do you not want your children to receive a better education? Because they won't be getting one under Gove.

We've had absolutely nothing from our school whatsoever. Not a "There may be action" note, no definite yes/no, just nothing. Though our head has a reputation for saying to staff that if they ever consider striking they'd better start looking for another school. She's not the easiest of people to get along with...

Work to rule worked to get our cover and invigilation loads lightened. But it won't work for pay and conditions. Conscientious teachers won't stop marking books and running clubs and planning lessons, because they care about the kids too much. It would be worse for them than losing a day of school due to strike action.

And that's what the Government are relying on. The fact that they know that teachers care. It would be a whole lot easier if they didn't, but they do.

Instead of striking which, unless done to the point where it causes very high levels of public disruption ( ie weeks not days off) why do the teachers not target the root cause of the issues ie the government.

Refuse to do all the extra administrative duties, unnecessary testing and league tables which the government will then just (mis) interpret to it's own ends.

The only people who are put out by the current strikes will parents and anyone relying on those parents to be at work!!

They tried not doing the SATS a few years ago and got told if they didn't do them the next year they'd be put in special measures. Nice

They need to be unified with all the other unions and do this together but they won't.

People chuntering about ineffectual unions and saying they do nothing rather reminds me of the Pythons sketch.

So apart from maternity leave, paid holidays, paid notice and discrimination legislation, what have the Unions done for us?

OFSTED have effectively put the fear of God into schools. Cat's right, it would have to be everybody. Would be great though!

I am a parent too! As are many public sector workers!

The miners' strike was in the 80s.

I probably should have said 70's and 80's. There was a 7 week minors strike in 1972 followed by work to rule industrial action in 73 resulting in the three day week, both of which were initial consequences of the massive economic downturn which resulted in the limits of pay within the public sector which effectively led to the 78-79 winter of discontent and then ultimately the strikes in the 80's.

It was basically a decade of ineffective and misguided industrial action by the unions which ultimately led to their downfall.

YANBU.

Plus strikes are supposed to be disruptive. They are a last resort when employees are not being heard. As annoying as they are I would not like to live in a society where they weren't permitted.

Speaking as someone who isn't involved in education at all, I've been shocked by how the profession of teaching is being treated by recent governments.

I've experienced nothing but dedication and professionalism by my DCs teachers and support them wholeheartedly against the odious Gove and his endless sound bites and hunger for power. Our schools need bloody stability and focus on delivering a high quality education at a local level, not constant changes and destabilising threats to change and political posturing.

It is two days' notice, though. Working parents can't say to their employers "I may be taking annual leave on Thursday, I'll let you know" and most of them can't afford to use up annual leave for childcare on a day when they end up not actually needing the childcare because the school is open.

I appreciate that it's hard or impossible for the school to give more notice of that of whether they'll be open or closed, but for many practical purposes it's still two days' notice for any parents who don't have a support network to pick up ad hoc childcare and need to do it themselves.