Does anyone NOT support teachers’ strikes?

[Notbeinggoadybut]

I’ve got mixed views. Support that they, as all public sector workers, need a pay rise. And schools need more funding (but the NEU hasn’t badged this as a public reason which is a mistake IMP).

But 12% is a lot when you’re on a £40k salary. The TA’s deserve 12%, the nurses and ambulance drivers with dire conditions and worse salaries deserve 12%. But not from a starting salary of £40k.

Also public services can be dire. I work in one, it can be bordering on a joke and in so many ways such a waste of money. I will be striking on the 1st of February. But I don’t think it’s right - I voted against the strike. I want a pay rise, but don’t feel like it’s right to ask for 10% and strike if I don’t get it.

No I’m actually really fucked off about the strike for civil service! I’m in two minds whether to strike but feel I have no choice what with being in the union. Also I do want a fucking pay rise, I’ve “stagnated” as you’ve called it for teachers for over 10 years now!

Pay is equalled over 12 months based on the weeks in school, it doesn’t include holidays

So they are well paid and get paid more than nurses who start off £25 K.

as much as I partly agreed with you I have to say I still support their actions . The reality is most job wages should increase at least with inflation . I’m currently negotiating a pay rise as mine was 3% and it’s a pittance as with raising taxes it means I’m on mess than £16 extra a month which is nothing !!!

Teachers have THE most important job in society.
Without teachers we wouldn't have doctors, nurses, paramedics, car mechanics, plumbers, electricians, lawyers, architects, engineers etc etc etc.
This isn't just about their salaries. Underfunding leads to lack of staffing and teaching resources.
They deserve to be supported.
(I'm not a teacher BTW)

That vvvv low. You need to talk to your head. My DM retired got more than that retired part time over 20.yea years ago. That barely min wage depending how many hours

Change jobs then , that’s what teachers are constantly told to do, hence the massive recruitment crisis

I'm stuck at the top of the main scale on UPS 3. I've been teaching 22 years and don't want to be in a management position. So not at the bottom, but no further movement.

Have you never had a TLR @MrsHamlet

It's not unusual to get stuck in any industry though if you don't want to progress onto management.

If nurses want more pay they should go on strike.

Hang on.....

I absolutely don’t support teachers striking. Whether they are overworked and underpaid for the role that they do is irrelevant when they are making children who have already had all the disruption from Covid suffer even more.
I agree with pp that their annual leave and pensions are head and shoulders above most professions and they should be grateful. I’d personally love to spend all of the school holidays with my children and earn a little bit less, rather than have to fork out for childcare and have the guilt of not seeing them because I‘ve not got enough annual leave!

Which is why they’re striking

Come and join us then, plenty of jobs going

Pension entitlement for public sector workers has been brought into the argument time and time again. And without any regard to the fact that historically, public sector workers like civil servants agreed to lower pay in return for better pensions. It also doesn’t take account of the fact that final salary schemes have been closed to new entrants for a number of years in order to bring public sector pensions more in line with private sector. But still the myth persists.

It’d only be £50 if you’re really bad at maths. £35,000 for 40 weeks of work and 5.6 weeks of paid holiday. Then there’s 6.4 weeks unpaid. That means it’d increase by about 1/7 roughly (I can’t be bothered to pull up a calculator) so, £40,000.

I’ve already mentioned upthread @MrWhippersnapper that I know what my advantages are - good pension, good holidays, security. You can’t have it all. Which is what teachers are asking for!

Yes I have.
I don't see management as "progression" any more. It's more shit, from all directions.

The pay and conditions are perfectly obvious before your train to teach.

I think It's very hypocritical to close because they want more pay yet complain about attendance levels of a child who has had sick days/hospital visits. Why is it now ok it's on their terms?
We all want a pay rise.

Why you complaining then ?

Yes, this!

Love that exceptionally eloquent sweary phrase! I must put it in my verbal toolbox for future use
!

I'm public sector, non-departmental public body. We don't have pay increments. I am surprised to hear others in civil service do?! I've been doing my 'senior' level job 7yrs and am £400 from the bottom of the pay scale. We will get 2% this Yr. We are being balloted and I'm not sure which way I'll vote.

Dh in private sector similar line of work to me is on £20k more than me and got 8% rise. We have so many vacancies we can't fill. Ones been advertised 2.5yrs.

To be honest I have mixed feelings about teachers striking. I think the pay sounds OK. However I realise I have a skewed view of OK pay thanks to 15yrs of being in my place, with all the pay freezes and stagnation we've had. I tell myself it's not a race to the bottom. I do think education is in a sorry state. And striking is about the only action left to bring that to the fore.

Attendance targets come from the dfe, not from teachers.
Next...

The go and be a teacher.

If it's good as you say, I can't imagine why there's a recruitment and retention crisis.

Then!!!