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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Don't want to join the teaching strike

464 replies

SweetRascal · 05/01/2023 19:17

I'm a primary school teacher of 12 years and with the NEU. For my own reasons, I don't want to vote yes to striking but will this be judged negatively by other teachers? I just don't feel comfortable with the disruption it causes.

OP posts:
Needtoseethatbiggerpicture · 05/01/2023 19:18

It’s your decision. I will be striking if it comes to it but I understand that it doesn’t work for everyone, for a huge variety of reasons, both personal and professional.

GuyFawkesDay · 05/01/2023 19:19

Change unions then!

Thedogscollar · 05/01/2023 19:22

You are entitled to strike or not strike that is still your democratic choice. Being a union member should not make any difference. You have your reasons for not striking like the other members have their reasons for striking.

PollyEsther · 05/01/2023 19:24

Don't then. It's not complusory.

Whether it's judged negatively or not shouldn't be your motivation behind your choice though. You should strike if you agree with the cause, and not if you do not.

FWIW, as a current trainee, I'm not 100% sure I would strike either, even though I do support my colleagues in doing so!

watchfulwishes · 05/01/2023 19:24
Confused
  1. It is a secret ballot
  2. You still do not have to strike even if you are a member of a union that does vote to strike
Seasidesusy · 05/01/2023 19:27

Why be a member of a union that strikes if you’re not prepared to strike? We have been balloted - your vote is your choice - and we should follow the NEU’s directions. If you don’t like them, join a different union.

noblegiraffe · 05/01/2023 19:28

I've voted no to a strike before that has gone ahead, and gone out on strike in solidarity with my colleagues who did vote to strike, because that was the majority decision and that is the whole point of a union. You'd hope your colleagues would stand with you if you needed it.

AntarcticTern · 05/01/2023 19:31

I'm not a teacher but I'm in a different profession that recently went on strike. I didn't vote to strike and I didn't strike.

noblegiraffe · 05/01/2023 19:31

Why be a member of a union that strikes if you’re not prepared to strike?

Especially as non-striking unions exist. Join one of them instead.

FormerAcademic · 05/01/2023 19:34

I was opposed to university lecturers striking, and didn't go along with it although I was a member of the AUT. I taught as normal. It meant crossing a picket line, but they were people I'd never seen in my entire life, so it wasn't as if I was losing friends over it. If I'd gone on strike, I'd only have given myself an even more horrendous week later on in which I'd have had to make up everything the students had missed. It suited me better to stick to the timetable.

watchfulwishes · 05/01/2023 19:36

Seasidesusy · 05/01/2023 19:27

Why be a member of a union that strikes if you’re not prepared to strike? We have been balloted - your vote is your choice - and we should follow the NEU’s directions. If you don’t like them, join a different union.

Because we live in a liberal democracy. Unions that bullied members belong in the 1970s.

I am pro-strikes, but your attitude is not acceptable IMO.

FormerAcademic · 05/01/2023 19:37

noblegiraffe · 05/01/2023 19:31

Why be a member of a union that strikes if you’re not prepared to strike?

Especially as non-striking unions exist. Join one of them instead.

There are many good reasons for joining a "mainstream" union - not least as they give you better protection (if you need it) when it comes to litigious students and so on. Unions do have their place, but strikes are not the answer. I wasn't brilliantly paid, but that made it easier to become a SAHM. Grin

More seriously, the not-brilliant pay seemed to me to be fair recompense for a job which had lots of really good points (particularly the students) and enabled me to read and write about the things that interested me.

LuluBlakey1 · 05/01/2023 19:38

You will be asked to leave the union I think.

noblegiraffe · 05/01/2023 19:41

There are many good reasons for joining a "mainstream" union - not least as they give you better protection (if you need it) when it comes to litigious students

Edapt teaching union who are non-striking would dispute that.

FormerAcademic · 05/01/2023 19:41

LuluBlakey1 · 05/01/2023 19:38

You will be asked to leave the union I think.

I wasn't.

FormerAcademic · 05/01/2023 19:42

noblegiraffe · 05/01/2023 19:41

There are many good reasons for joining a "mainstream" union - not least as they give you better protection (if you need it) when it comes to litigious students

Edapt teaching union who are non-striking would dispute that.

Possibly so. I wouldn't know, as the AUT was the only union for university teachers that I was aware of 25 years ago.

fajitaaaa · 05/01/2023 19:43

They won't know your vote!

piefacedClique · 05/01/2023 19:44

Join edapt…. They are a non striking union but they give all the legal protections. I joined when a union dispute in my previous school became a personal battle between two staff and leadership. I didn’t feel
I could support them so changed. Been very happy with them. Happy to send you a joining code if you want to pm me x

Hiddenvoice · 05/01/2023 19:45

I’m currently on mat leave so the strikes don’t impact me right now but I’m getting quite annoyed by some judgemental teachers online who berate others when they say they are worried about striking. Yes striking in the hope for better pay is okay for some but for others who are already struggling with cost of living and losing over £100 a month then it’s tough for them. Personally I wouldn’t judge anyone who says they cannot strike. It’s also annoying me that some women are essentially being forced to announce their pregnancy early due to requiring an exemption and thag is not fair.
No one needs to know your reasons for not striking so please do what you need to do. All teachers want a better pay but don’t let others opinions get to you.

Quinoawoman · 05/01/2023 19:45

I will be striking if it's voted for this year, for the first time in my 18 year career. I actually don't really care so much about the pay - its the conditions, curriculum & lack of child development centred policy that's what's leading me to strike this time.

No hard feelings in the past from other staff when I chose not to.

Hbh17 · 05/01/2023 19:45

Many years ago I was a civil servant and my union voted to strike. I fundamentally believe that people working in the public sector should not strike, so I resigned from the union and went to work as normal. You have a choice.

Quinoawoman · 05/01/2023 19:47

I would rather do a long term 'work to rule' strike but we weren't balloted on that.

Pumperthepumper · 05/01/2023 19:47

Will you take a pay rise if the strike is successful?

noblegiraffe · 05/01/2023 19:47

Yes striking in the hope for better pay is okay for some but for others who are already struggling with cost of living and losing over £100 a month then it’s tough for them. Personally I wouldn’t judge anyone who says they cannot strike.

The OP didn't say that they couldn't afford to strike, they said they didn't agree with striking because of the disruption it causes.

This suggests that the NEU isn't the right union for them and they would be better suited to a non-striking union, such as Edapt where they wouldn't be put in the above position.

noblegiraffe · 05/01/2023 19:48

Quinoawoman · 05/01/2023 19:47

I would rather do a long term 'work to rule' strike but we weren't balloted on that.

Yes we were. It was voting for strike action, and action short of strike action.

That's why you had to vote in two boxes.