strike

[jamdonut]

I am a TA.I am not striking today,because I don't believe it will achieve anything,although I do believe in the right to strike. But what really annoys me is the people on the news saying "why don't they strike in non- educational time?". Well....because then it wouldn't be a strike,would it? Strikes are meant to cause disruption so they are embarrassing to employers/government,precisely because it causes inconvenience to others,thus drawing attention to their cause.

Or am I being unreasonable?

Tangerine we attempt to negotiate as the first resort, always. We only strike when negotiations have completely broken down or management refuse to meet with us.

We always make it 100% clear that management just have to say the word and we'll come to the table and talk. Nowadays, they don't say the word.

I think it's more simple than thay Gordy, people don't agree with everything their union does, they agree with some things but not others. For something.as fundamental.as this though I agree people should consider leaving their union if they don't agree.

I respect the work you do Shocking, I really do. My beloved grandad was a big union man and he was egalitarian and believed passionately in fairness and the best working conditions for the people he represented. I.just don't agree with striking in this context, I will go on demos, write letters etc, I.just think that closing schools is not right and garners hostility.

I will do a big explanation as it seems people here don't understand the union's role :)

First of all, dues do not pay for everything. It's not a transaction like buying a eBook off Amazon or a chai latte from Starbucks. There are a heck of a lot of reps and unpaid officials taking time out of their lives to help you in personal cases and negotiate on your behalf. If you're a union member, those people need your thanks rather than your contempt.

Secondly, striking isn't a matter of agreeing or not agreeing. I haven't agreed with every strike the union's called (usually due to timing). I would still never scab. It's a really important - vital - part of what you sign up to when you join a union. If you're committed to crossing a picket line proudly why are you a union member?

Finally, if there's a strong and active union in the workplace everyone gets the benefits. We negotiate with management constantly on everything from toilet breaks to theft from desks to pay, terms and conditions, to how to treat members who have been diagnosed with cancer. All human life is here :) It's something that you may not notice but you'd sure as hell notice if it was gone.

People who don't believe in closing schools can join other unions. There was only one teaching union out on strike yesterday.

Tangerine I would say in that case I would encourage you to speak to your union and put forward your point of view. Nowt wrong with that and they, I am sure, would be interested in views from the front line. They could also give an explanation about why they are calling the strike. I get queries from members about this and am always happy to respond.

The thing is, however, it is not a choice issue about striking. Crossing a picket line isn't more right in the 21st century than it was in the 1970s. It's still a wrong thing to do.

I'm confused as to why you're in the union? Your part of supporting the union is to actively support them. If you're going to take on such a self righteous attitude about striking then you are hindering the unions action - UNION means to be UNITED: fighting for the same cause. You're just in it for yourself. I bet you will take the improved conditions if the strike action is successful though .

It's pissing me off that teachers are the main focus of this strike. Teachers are NOT the only profession striking yet the BBC decides to interview disgruntled parents to ask their views on the strike - childcare being the main issue AGAIN.

All workers in the public sector had very good reason for striking and it's high time this was recognised rather than teachers being bashed yet again for wanting a day off. The real issues are far more important yet they are being overshadowed by the persistent teacher bashing.

The two comments you see a lot whenever teachers are involved in strike action are

'Why can't they strike in the summer holidays, they're still being paid in August even though they're not working'

'If I take my child out if school for a holiday, I get fined. We should fine the striking teachers for taking time off during school time'

What Blinkandmiss said!

I'm an ex-teacher and now work in another part of the public sector. We did note on the news that they picked "poor mums" to complain about the evil of teachers daring to strike. They didn't ask jobseekers about how they felt when they couldn't sign on because BENEFITS SCUM....

We didn't have our bins collected Thursday due to the strike......they've been out this morning on overtime!!!!

There are strict rules about that kind of thing, only. There is no way anyone would be receiving overtime (not that we get paid overtime any more) to make up for work not done because they had been on strike.

Tangerine, you speak of being "fed up being attacked."

By whom? Who has done this to you?

I'm talking about people that I know locally who also work in the public sector. Two work in the local library, a few others are also teachers. I suppose I feel as if I can't win. I feel disloyal to my fellow public servants if I don't strike but I feel disloyal and selfish in the eyes of the families of the children that I teach when I did strike. Believe me I am not taking this lightly, I feel very conflicted about it.

Not going to work this week, thus preventing a long awaited school trip to happen seemed like very much the wrong thing to do and yet, when I described this dilema to someone I know who did strike this week she said I was a scab and was behaving selfishly.

I should clarify, I am not in a union that went out on strike this week, but I used to be. I was explaining to this person why I felt the need to leave the union in the first place ifyswim.

So why did you speak of "you" being attacked??

No need to think about winning. Do the right thing which, in this case, is to abide by the instruction of the union you chose to join, at a time when it suited your book to do so.

I have just explained echt. I felt attacked by being called a scab.

I respect people's right to join a union that doesn't strike. I don't like the existence of such things but people have the right to join them. I don't think they're really unions as I understand them but some kind of protection or insurance scheme. What I have no time for and hold in utter contempt is people who belong to unions who have called for strike action who then do what the OP and many of her colleagues have done. If I said what I thought of people like that I'd have my post deleted for certain and I'd quite possibly be banned.

Tangerine I can well understand why that person would still call you a scab. You were right to leave, in the sense that a striking union has no place for the faint-hearted, but to say your acquaintance attacked you by calling you a scab is wide of the mark. You jumped ship, so must abide by the consequences. Had you joined such an, ahem, union in the first place, it would have carried some very, very faint semblance of commitment, as opposed to a flag of convenience by joining later.

It's that attitude echt, jumping ship so must abide by the consequences...of being called a scab? They joined, realised it wasn't for them, left but they're still a scab?

I'm not against striking or protesting if it's something you believe in but don't think it's fair to say all members MUST do what the majority have voted on. Strike to show your support, don't strike to show you don't support. Surely that's how it should be?

and no, I dont need one more clever poster to tell me a union is about being united...I understand the concept, but think people should be able to do what they are comfortable with the exact reason why I would never join a union

Another wee bit of Union 101 - we call strikes to cause disruption Otherwise, what would be the purpose of the strike? Ask the RMT how far they'd get if they called a 2am walkout for 10 minutes.

And ilovesooty I may actually love you. Just saying ;)

PossumPoo has a very interesting argument :D

"I'm not against striking or protesting if it's something you believe in but don't think it's fair to say all members MUST do what the majority have voted on."

I didn't vote for the present government, so by your logic I'll be OK to break any laws they bring in. After all, I never voted for them.

Well to be fair no one voted for a coalition.
Of course Possum 's argument was the one Margaret Thatcher advanced when she ensured that the law about union membership and striking was changed. It means now that anyone can cheerfully undermine their colleagues and behave in a totally reprehensible way and the unions can't kick them out.

Condescending much? I know why you call strikes but thanks for explaining it again. And if that is the reason why was a pp rubbish collected today, two days later? Not much of a disruption. Hope you call those scabs too?

are you comparing unions to government?

I personally believe if you're in a union, you're in through the good and the shit. I'd love to pick and choose the bits we would support but we can't.

FBU have emergency talks with the Government this weekend duw to the 7 days of action. Fingers crossed for good news as it'll strengthen the argument for us all.