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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

for the welfare to be on srike next week at school for 2 days

87 replies

dmo · 11/07/2008 20:46

got a letter home tonight from school to say school will be closed on weds and thurs from 12pm till 1pm as there are no welfare staff to supervise the children. all children must be taken off the school property WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so cross

OP posts:

SaintGeorge · 11/07/2008 22:17

I know you do. That was my point.

Original poster

dmo · 11/07/2008 22:22

haha

OP posts:

RustyBear · 11/07/2008 22:26

"from what I have seen very few admin staff remain beyond 3pm"

Why should they? -they aren't being paid to work beyond 3pm

23balloons · 11/07/2008 22:29

Exactly your pay generally equates to your hours but I think they want to be paid the same as admin staff who work till 5pm

RustyBear · 11/07/2008 22:31

I certainly haven't seen anything that suggests that, where do you get that idea from?

23balloons · 11/07/2008 22:37

I believe they are comparing their pay rates to staff who work 52 weeks/year (incl hols) 9-5. i.e want the same pay but only want to do the hours that suit them and the weeks that suit them. If not why work for the council/in a school why not seek higher paid employment elsewhere?

23balloons · 11/07/2008 22:41

Anyway do not want to get into an argument rubbishing admin staff as that is really not my intention. The ones I have seen have been fab - my whole problem is really with my sons' school being closed for 5 days in the past term (4 due to strikes) when no other school has been.

RustyBear · 11/07/2008 22:42

If they are comparing their pay rates, that is the amount they get per hour; why shouldn't that be the same as those who work all year?

23balloons · 11/07/2008 22:47

because they have a much better deal re: holidays & pension. Surely that should be taken into account as I said myself if I worked longer hours and earned more I would actually be worse off due to childcare costs. While private companies can determine staffs' pay on the basis of profitability and performance, schools are relying on tax/council taxpayers money and don't use performance related pay schemes so why should the tax payers fund short hours, high pay and long holidays?

RustyBear · 11/07/2008 22:47

But I can't see how they can help your children's school being shut if the teachers/support staff there happen to be in the unions that were striking and have decided to strike - in other schools they may have enough non-striking staff to stay open.
I'm assuming you don't think they should shut schools that do have enough staff just to "make it fair"

SaintGeorge · 11/07/2008 22:48

High pay! What high pay?

23balloons · 11/07/2008 22:50

correct I don't think one school in a borough of at least 20 primaries should be closed a week before the 6 week summer holiday and yes I don't think it is fair on the hundreds of families that will be adversely affected by the strike when the teachers are receiving full pay but won't teach the children.

RustyBear · 11/07/2008 22:53

So how do you think they should keep the school open if they don't have the necessary staff?

23balloons · 11/07/2008 22:54

I didn't say there were receiving high pay

1dilemma · 11/07/2008 22:55

pension = deferred salary in many cases

performance related pay = pile of c%^p in a lot of cases (wasn't it the bank on England recently said the same but without the c word on wages in banking sector recently)

Yes is a shame the school is shut when only a few are striking I would have liked them to find a way round it personally I was annoyed when I was only given 1 days notice of my dcs class shutting when rest of school was staying open.

Althought thinking about this is only making me more supportive of Unison!
I think strikes are going to get commoner so I'd get used to it!

cheesesarnie · 11/07/2008 22:57

yabu.my mum is a TA at a secondary school and is on strike also.is she unreasonable?

23balloons · 11/07/2008 23:00

I think they could at least open until lunch time (apparently teachers cover breaks but not lunch). Parents I know who don't work are happy to cover lunch - probably illegal but would do it so their children could attend school. Or open 9-12 1-3 as the opening poster said her school was doing. They do have a charging kids club on site whom I am sure would be happy to cover the lunch break for a fee and as I earlier mentioned they are happy to mention that this will be open for the day at a cost of £25 per child.

mum2ds1 · 11/07/2008 23:03

my sons school is off for the two days and so is fun club (breakfast club and afterschool club) adult social services is off for two days(try explaining it to someone with sen why they cant go to work and why their routine has been quashed)but i agree with it they do deserve more money you may or may not be aware that most people who work in education / local goverment ARE QUALIFIED but still recieve low wages for what they do .
they do the job they do because they love it but come on lets get better recognition for the job they do. be it school crossing, lunch time attendents, dinnerladies, classroom assistants,nneb's, care assistants,job coaches etc......
give them a half decent wage theyve usually got families to support too................ and remember they will be loosing 2 days pay!!!!

RustyBear · 11/07/2008 23:03

If it's illegal for parents to cover lunch, then there will be no insurance, so that's not possible.

fiodyl · 11/07/2008 23:05

'get a different job if the pays bad'

So what would happen if they did all go and do just that?

School would be closed permanently not just for one day.

YABVU

Blandmum · 11/07/2008 23:08

These people deserve every penny they earn, and then some, and then some more.

I have the utmost respect for the support staff that I have worked with over the years and their pay and conditions are basically taking the piss.

A superb science tech is looking to working in a pub at night, as well as her full time job to help her make ends meet.

Good luck to them all

iliketosleep · 11/07/2008 23:09

We haven't had a letter about this but our school was closed last strike. Do you think we will be affected this time too? Does anyone know how I can find out?

cazzybabs · 11/07/2008 23:10

The thing is (and I know I am going to get totally shouted at for this) if poeple get payrises where is the money coming to come from - they will put up taxes so they will lose it in taxes and this is will drive inflation higher and so interest rates will go up and you'll lose out again.

However I don't know what the answer - I suppose we have more dispossible income than most but we can't afford to run a car on a regular basis and we eat frugually. However I do live in a nice house.

23balloons · 11/07/2008 23:11

this is my last post as my computer is going REALLY slow right now.
I do believe they deserve a decent wage - I am actually one of them!
But I think the only way to make a real statement is for all of the unions to join forces and make a united stance. I don't see the point of disrupting one school in x because it will achieve NOTHING.

Do you really think the stikers will get a pay rise when more than half of their colleagues are working while they strike? Its ridiculous but thats just my opinion. If they achieve the pay rise then fabulous but I think it very unlikely.

goodnight

1dilemma · 11/07/2008 23:14

Actually cazzybabs the argument that public sector pay rises drive inflation is a fallacy produced by the gov. to try and keep wages down.
Why don't private sector payrises drive inflation too then if that is the case?
I think people are hoping they will get more in a pay rise than the gov. takes in tax might work for the first few months but new budget in March big shortfall in gov figures so watch this space

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