Page 6 | Today we strike

Perfect28 · 2023-02-01T07:56:22+00:00

Aibu to ask you to support all striking workers today? Please do, however you can.

MrsMurphyIWish · 01/02/2023 11:45

Notjusta · 01/02/2023 11:44

Just went drop off snacks at the picket line at school but there was no one there which I think is a shame (we were told there would be a picket). It won't change my view but it will make some people question why there are 2 year groups at home today if there isn't a visible presence. Perhaps our teachers have joined a larger picket somewhere else.

There’s no picket out slide of my school. There’s a town march though with other striking sectors.

MrsMurphyIWish · 01/02/2023 11:46

*outside even

on way to march. Trying to text and walk!

Batcountry8 · 01/02/2023 11:48

My last term last year uni student DC is at the end of their rope.

I know the reasons for the strike.

It would be nice if the universities esp hers, a lovely Russell group one had ensured resources for this gap.
If someone had actually said we'll take your marks into consideration because you have no interaction in your important modules.

17 days they're affected. Mental health at rock bottom after 3 yrs of uni endurance.

60 grand.

Slowingdownagain · 01/02/2023 11:52

Out of curiosity, what happens to teachers who are in a union who votes to strike, but choose not to? Are there any consequences?

MrWhippersnapper · 01/02/2023 11:52

Slowingdownagain · 01/02/2023 11:52

Out of curiosity, what happens to teachers who are in a union who votes to strike, but choose not to? Are there any consequences?

No, they go in as normal

Kingoftheroad · 01/02/2023 11:54

Sense at last

evtheria · 01/02/2023 11:56

Oysterbabe · 01/02/2023 11:41

It was a shame to see both my kid's teachers on the picket line this morning, so we know they are amongst those who don't care about the children they teach.

I am embarrassed for you.

Shade17 · 01/02/2023 12:27

Hell no! They can fuck off to the far side of fuck and when they get there fuck off some more!

BookwormButNoTime · 01/02/2023 12:44

Stormyseasallround · 01/02/2023 11:01

You don’t have to be a ‘hard-nosed academic powerhouse’ to Google some Macbeth quotes (or what ever it is you’re studying) and make yourself some revision flashcards. Even the lowest ability children I’ve taught would be able to do something productive for one day.

Furthermore, far from being abandoned by their teachers, we’re striking in order to ensure that they have good teachers within the classroom, rather than those people leaving the profession in droves.

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She sits HER exams in 3-4 months. Sure you are fighting for the rights of future children but the harsh reality is there are thousands of children for whom every day at school matters RIGHT NOW. She still has some of the syllabus to cover. Maybe she could just teach herself it today and make some flash cards????

Teachers and schools have a professional responsibility to ensure that those children in years 11 and 13 are not impacted by strikes so close to their exams. Or is it ok to sacrifice them for “the greater good?”

NocturnalClocks · 01/02/2023 13:14

I explained to my YR1 child about the strikes and why teachers are doing it. He says he is really angry with the Government. If he can grasp it then I'm not sure why so many others can't.

I'm not a teacher, just to clarify. I'm a lone parent with a full time job who had to fork out a significant amount on extra childcare today. But nobody has been listening for a very long time so teachers are pulling the only lever they have.

The SEN provision in schools is a disgrace. The lack of proper books and materials is a disgrace. The state of the buildings is a disgrace. Children being taught by non-subject experts shouldn't be allowed.

And yes the endless real-terms paycuts are a disgrace. When inflation was non-existent and everyone was worried about deflation (remember that?) public sector workers were given no real-terms pay increases. If payrises for them did increase inflation, why didn't the Government give them large payrises then to solve their deflation problem? 🤔😆 So they can't have a payrise when inflation is low. Or high. So when can their pay actually be restored to its original value then??

Economists and research have concluded fairly unanimously that inflation isn't caused by payrises anyway: the causality is the opposite. Even Friedman accepted this!

So yes, very inconvenient for me, but I support the teachers. Schools need to be properly funded and teachers' salaries are well overdue a large increase. As are those of many other public sector workers who've been offered even less: in many cases 1% therefore a real-terms paycut of 10%. It's not sustainable.

However, I think the Government will simply ignore the strikes and then scapegoat the strikers for their enormous mismanagement of the economy for the last decade.

Spanglemum · 01/02/2023 13:17

Supporting the strike.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 01/02/2023 13:42

noblegiraffe · 01/02/2023 10:19

My Y11 asked about the strikes and I asked them if they were happy about the state of the school and their teachers and they started talking about how the school was falling apart, how they hadn’t had a proper English teacher since September, loads of supply teachers in other subjects etc etc.

They can see what’s happening to education because they’re living it.

Noblegiraffe - you may know the answer to this…
Are teachers allowed to strike solely over working conditions, or can they only strike over pay demands? Don’t know why, but I’ve got that in my head from somewhere, I possibly misunderstood a PP on another thread.

Original poster

Perfect28 · 01/02/2023 13:47

I'm still yet to hear from someone who disagrees with the strikes (fine, we can all have our own opinion) actually suggest a plausible alternative?

OP posts:

EarthlyNightshade · 01/02/2023 13:51

BookwormButNoTime · 01/02/2023 09:57

Conversation with my 15 year old niece who came to ours this morning as her school is closed and wanted company went something like this. She only found out her school was closed at 8am this morning as teachers refused to tell the head as to whether they were striking or not.

(Obviously not word for word…)

I really don’t understand why teachers are messing me around when my GCSEs are coming up in a few months. I feel like we only just got back to school properly again after covid. My education is a joke to these selfish people. I get that everyone is struggling for money and they would all like a pay rise, but if you have told us you were striking then we could have had a plan as to what I am going to study today. They just don’t care about us. (She then burst into tears).

This is the impact on the children. Whilst I support the strikes, she really does have a point. Teaching is a specialised profession. You wouldn’t have lawyers or accountants just ditching their clients for a day without some sort of handover or notice.

I know strikes are meant to be disruptive, but the futures of these children are being impacted when they really don’t need it. I’m not talking about protecting the future of teaching (funding and working conditions are shocking), but what about the right here right now kids being used as pawns?

Were you able to explain a bit more to her about what the strikes were about?

Also, if you see her a lot, maybe you could warn her about the strikes coming up in March so she can prepare something.

It's so tough on exam year kids, and it sounds as if her school did not handle it as well as they could have. My Y11 is at school today while my Y8 is at home. We knew this last week so were able to prepare.

Slowingdownagain · 01/02/2023 13:54

I do feel sorry for kids. Yet again they are the victim of Government policy.

rumship · 01/02/2023 13:54

Perfect28 · 01/02/2023 13:47

I'm still yet to hear from someone who disagrees with the strikes (fine, we can all have our own opinion) actually suggest a plausible alternative?

By plausible alternative you actually mean one you agree with 😂

Yes typical, here's an alternative get back to bloody work like the rest of us.

noblegiraffe · 01/02/2023 13:56

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 01/02/2023 13:42

Noblegiraffe - you may know the answer to this…
Are teachers allowed to strike solely over working conditions, or can they only strike over pay demands? Don’t know why, but I’ve got that in my head from somewhere, I possibly misunderstood a PP on another thread.

Show quote history

The strike has to be a trade dispute between employees and employer. It can’t be political, so can’t be about funding for SEN kids or similar. The people who are balloted and go on strike have to be directly involved, so private schools can’t join this strike, for example, nor agency supply teachers as their pay isn’t set by the govt.

You can have local strikes about e.g stupid workload policies, unsafe pupil behaviour or bullying management, where all staff in a school walk out.

However, for a strike to be national, it has to be something that affects teachers nationally so that you can ballot nationally. This means you are generally restricted to matters around pay and pensions. Organising a national strike about workload would be pretty difficult given how it varies between teachers and schools.

Original poster

Perfect28 · 01/02/2023 13:57

@rrumship I mean to fix the state of our education system. Or do you deny that there is even a problem?

OP posts:

rumship · 01/02/2023 13:58

Perfect28 · 01/02/2023 13:57

@rrumship I mean to fix the state of our education system. Or do you deny that there is even a problem?

So you fix it by walking out, ohh right.... 🙄

Slowingdownagain · 01/02/2023 13:58

Perfect28 · 01/02/2023 13:57

@rrumship I mean to fix the state of our education system. Or do you deny that there is even a problem?

I thought teachers were striking about pay. Or are you saying that the education system will be fixed with inflationary pay rises?

MrWhippersnapper · 01/02/2023 13:59

Slowingdownagain · 01/02/2023 13:58

I thought teachers were striking about pay. Or are you saying that the education system will be fixed with inflationary pay rises?

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You can only strike about pay and conditions

Original poster

Perfect28 · 01/02/2023 14:00

@rumship why are you refusing to engage?

OP posts:

MrWhippersnapper · 01/02/2023 14:00

rumship · 01/02/2023 13:54

By plausible alternative you actually mean one you agree with 😂

Yes typical, here's an alternative get back to bloody work like the rest of us.

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Furiously shakes copy of Daily Mail in the air

MrWhippersnapper · 01/02/2023 14:01

rumship · 01/02/2023 13:58

So you fix it by walking out, ohh right.... 🙄

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How would you solve the recruitment and retention crisis ?

rumship · 01/02/2023 14:01

Perfect28 · 01/02/2023 14:00

@rumship why are you refusing to engage?

Not sure what you are getting at im at work today (currently on a break) and I am engaging in a meaningful way by not putting others out and doing what i'm paid for.