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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Strikes strikes strikes

167 replies

Rainyrunway · 27/04/2023 06:55

So many people are striking at the moment. We're personally affected and having to change plans or appointments by 3 over the next few days (nurses, teachers and engineers at a theme park!) I'm not making a judgement call here btw just putting a personal perspective. Anyone have any idea how or when they'll all end? Obviously they can't go on forever but it feels like if one group reaches a settlement, another group starts.

OP posts:
Busybody2022 · 27/04/2023 07:43

GreenwichOrTwicks · 27/04/2023 06:59

Radio phone in now on LBC re teachers strikes - parents have really lost patience with teachers and any lingering sympathy for their pay demands seems to have now evaporated.

I can see this. It's definitely tipped at our school. Parents can see we are the only local school that has been closed for every single strike day. The vast majority here have had the odd class closed but not for all of them and definitely not the whole school. It means parents are starting to resent that their kids are taking all of the impact with 6 lost days whilst we can see other kids are completely unaffected or only partially affected. There would be more support if every child was in the same position.

ChestermanBeach · 27/04/2023 07:47

Busybody2022 · 27/04/2023 07:43

I can see this. It's definitely tipped at our school. Parents can see we are the only local school that has been closed for every single strike day. The vast majority here have had the odd class closed but not for all of them and definitely not the whole school. It means parents are starting to resent that their kids are taking all of the impact with 6 lost days whilst we can see other kids are completely unaffected or only partially affected. There would be more support if every child was in the same position.

Show quote history

Your school must be struggling for staff more than others. Even more reason to support the strikes.

Original poster
Rainyrunway · 27/04/2023 07:47

The problem with tax rises is that most people who aren't public sector workers have also seen their wages fall behind inflation.
I would support a rise because schools and the NHS are so bad at the moment it's actually scary. But it is a hard sell for a lot of people. I work in the charity sector, earn £30,000 a year and live in London so really not much to live on. We absolutely haven't had pay rises anywhere near inflation and can barely cover our bills but we would have to take a further pay "cut" in the form of higher taxes and that will be hard. And I am genuinely concerned that it won't end because group after group will think the same. Because most people's pay hasn't kept up. So there'll just be more and more strikes. Much as we don't want to hear it at SOME point as a country we are going to have to accept we're poorer because we ARE. I guess it just depends who accepts it. Will it be companies (hopefully) or workers? Or will we just end up in an inflationary spiral?

OP posts:
Busybody2022 · 27/04/2023 07:54

ChestermanBeach · 27/04/2023 07:47

Your school must be struggling for staff more than others. Even more reason to support the strikes.

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No, it is very well staffed with a low turn over. The head is just doing blanket closures as he refuses to announce it on a class by class or even year group basis so parents don't know who is striking or not. 6 days of blanket closures when for all we know there's only a few striking is causing a lot of resentment.

ChestermanBeach · 27/04/2023 08:01

Busybody2022 · 27/04/2023 07:54

No, it is very well staffed with a low turn over. The head is just doing blanket closures as he refuses to announce it on a class by class or even year group basis so parents don't know who is striking or not. 6 days of blanket closures when for all we know there's only a few striking is causing a lot of resentment.

Show quote history

So all the teachers could be striking then for all the parents know? Or if it is only a few, then that is a problem with the SLT in your school.

For parents to be against strikes as a whole based on this shows them to be a bit dim really.

JustAnotherUsey · 27/04/2023 08:02

Scotland and Wales pay more for their teachers than England do. Scotland pays £10k more for their teachers!! Even central London teachers gets less pay than Scotland! Teachers in England have to strike. Already there aren't enough teachers. If teachers continue to get treated so badly, then less and less will become teachers. (Already not enough people becoming teachers as it is)

This isn't just for teachers. Nurses and doctors are also paid so poorly. I suppose the bankers comment applies to them too? These degree education professionals need to accept they are poor? Or.... They just decide to move to a country that actually appreciates them and pays them what their worth. Won't be long now until this happens!

JustAnotherUsey · 27/04/2023 08:06

For proof... This is with a pay offer being accepted. Currently I am M6 and on £38,810

Strikes strikes strikes
Tallcurves · 27/04/2023 08:19

@Srin

i am in the EU every week and if you think it's like the UK I am afraid to say that's misplaced in the extreme.

liek the red pepper story this week.

no storages in EU atall but uk told it's due to cold weather in Spain.

well apart from Spain has been having record heat this year nationally it is really to do with Brexit as is the shortage of workers as is the huge it to the uk compared to others

its all reletive and the uk is doing worse worse worse.

I am surprised you can't see or feel it.

PatriciaHolm · 27/04/2023 08:33

Rainyrunway · 27/04/2023 06:55

So many people are striking at the moment. We're personally affected and having to change plans or appointments by 3 over the next few days (nurses, teachers and engineers at a theme park!) I'm not making a judgement call here btw just putting a personal perspective. Anyone have any idea how or when they'll all end? Obviously they can't go on forever but it feels like if one group reaches a settlement, another group starts.

The theme park engineer one is off, if that helps...

kirinm · 27/04/2023 08:35

@funtycucker glad to hear it. My friend changed unions so she could strike. I'd imagine she isn't the only one.

funtycucker · 27/04/2023 08:37

kirinm · 27/04/2023 08:35

@funtycucker glad to hear it. My friend changed unions so she could strike. I'd imagine she isn't the only one.

I know of one school that was predominantly NASWUT and over 90% of them changed to NUS recently so will be striking this time

Srin · 27/04/2023 08:42

Tallcurves · 27/04/2023 08:19

@Srin

i am in the EU every week and if you think it's like the UK I am afraid to say that's misplaced in the extreme.

liek the red pepper story this week.

no storages in EU atall but uk told it's due to cold weather in Spain.

well apart from Spain has been having record heat this year nationally it is really to do with Brexit as is the shortage of workers as is the huge it to the uk compared to others

its all reletive and the uk is doing worse worse worse.

I am surprised you can't see or feel it.

I guess we must have been in different countries then! To be fair the strikes, apart from the recent ones in France, are not really reported locally, so I am often not aware until I turn up at the train station or to whatever service I am trying to use. It does seem to be easier to get around them as well e.g. in Italy there often seems to be a more expensive service that is running etc.

Tinkerbyebye · 27/04/2023 08:43

When they realise that strikes are not working. Look at Mick Lynch and his crew, strikes forever it seems, people just work round it,

in my opinion strikes don’t work, employers are happy to stand their ground, the rest of us get annoyed with whoever is striking and sympathy for them soon starts to melt

luckylavender · 27/04/2023 08:48

Rainyrunway · 27/04/2023 06:55

So many people are striking at the moment. We're personally affected and having to change plans or appointments by 3 over the next few days (nurses, teachers and engineers at a theme park!) I'm not making a judgement call here btw just putting a personal perspective. Anyone have any idea how or when they'll all end? Obviously they can't go on forever but it feels like if one group reaches a settlement, another group starts.

Impossible to say. The government needs to step up & negotiate.

Neededanewuserhandle · 27/04/2023 08:48

Rainyrunway · 27/04/2023 07:35

To be clear I also support teachers, my post is not a complaint against them. It's just that I can't see a way out for us as a country. Sure they could reach a settlement with teachers / medics / everyone else (I really hope they do) but won't that just be a signal for the next underpaid group to start their own strikes? And won't inflation just keep shooting up?

This is just swallowing the Tory rhetoric - if this was true why does the need to be poorer only apply to those of us further down the tree?
CEOs have been getting an average of over 20% each year - why can't they accept being poorer - they could surely afford it. Why has MPs pay kept rising (I know it's a theoretically independent body but they are clearly being looked after)?

luckylavender · 27/04/2023 08:48

GreenwichOrTwicks · 27/04/2023 06:59

Radio phone in now on LBC re teachers strikes - parents have really lost patience with teachers and any lingering sympathy for their pay demands seems to have now evaporated.

That's KBC though. Hardly balanced.

Original poster
Rainyrunway · 27/04/2023 08:53

@Neededanewuserhandle I don't disagree with you. I'd be more than happy for the CEOs to take the pain rather than everyone else. But will they? I genuinely can't see an end to it all.

OP posts:
SummerLover01 · 27/04/2023 08:58

When the wretched Tories tell you there's no money left and they can't make better offers on pay just remember:

100bn on HS2....£50bn Liz Truss' budget tax cuts for the rich.....£35bn in tax lost in UK through non-payment, avoidance and fraud....£22bn on the restoration of the Houses of Parliament.....£10bn of spending on PPE written off...... £500m given to France to keep refugees at bay.......the list goes on and on and on

Funny how there's cash for this stuff.

Neededanewuserhandle · 27/04/2023 09:03

GreenwichOrTwicks · 27/04/2023 06:59

Radio phone in now on LBC re teachers strikes - parents have really lost patience with teachers and any lingering sympathy for their pay demands seems to have now evaporated.

Some Tory always posts this on every strike thread - it's wishful thinking and propaganda.

Thebestwaytoscareatory · 27/04/2023 09:06

GreenwichOrTwicks · 27/04/2023 06:59

Radio phone in now on LBC re teachers strikes - parents have really lost patience with teachers and any lingering sympathy for their pay demands seems to have now evaporated.

Imagine being this long into the strike action and still thinking it's all about pay.

Julen7 · 27/04/2023 09:15

Tinkerbyebye · 27/04/2023 08:43

When they realise that strikes are not working. Look at Mick Lynch and his crew, strikes forever it seems, people just work round it,

in my opinion strikes don’t work, employers are happy to stand their ground, the rest of us get annoyed with whoever is striking and sympathy for them soon starts to melt

This ^

TheHandmaiden · 27/04/2023 09:17

You don't pay your teachers, don't complain when your kids are thick as mince.

After all, a proper parent should be able to pay for a private education, right?

Yours the Tory Party

Tallulasdancingshoes · 27/04/2023 09:21

I honestly think a pay offer for teachers could be agreed if it was centrally funded. Expecting schools to find the funds just isn’t going to happen. There is simply just not the money in school budgets. I honestly think most people don’t understand the sort of deficit schools are facing. It’s hundreds of thousands of pounds. Vast sums of money. If people want reasonable class sizes (not more than 30), enough resources, safe and warm buildings, specialist experienced teachers and TA support for those who need it then they really should support the strikes. Teachers aren’t just striking for more pay, they are striking for the future of education.

Sherrystrull · 27/04/2023 09:34

Tallulasdancingshoes · 27/04/2023 09:21

I honestly think a pay offer for teachers could be agreed if it was centrally funded. Expecting schools to find the funds just isn’t going to happen. There is simply just not the money in school budgets. I honestly think most people don’t understand the sort of deficit schools are facing. It’s hundreds of thousands of pounds. Vast sums of money. If people want reasonable class sizes (not more than 30), enough resources, safe and warm buildings, specialist experienced teachers and TA support for those who need it then they really should support the strikes. Teachers aren’t just striking for more pay, they are striking for the future of education.

Hear hear!

IClaudine · 27/04/2023 09:35

SummerLover01 · 27/04/2023 08:58

When the wretched Tories tell you there's no money left and they can't make better offers on pay just remember:

100bn on HS2....£50bn Liz Truss' budget tax cuts for the rich.....£35bn in tax lost in UK through non-payment, avoidance and fraud....£22bn on the restoration of the Houses of Parliament.....£10bn of spending on PPE written off...... £500m given to France to keep refugees at bay.......the list goes on and on and on

Funny how there's cash for this stuff.

Not to mention the £65 bn the Bank of England found down the back of the sofa in order to buy up bonds and prevent pension funds going bust following Kwarteng' mini budget.