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Original poster

Teachers - are you voting yes for strike action

681 replies

sandgrounder · 18/05/2011 18:16

Went to NUT meeting at school yesterday re pension reform. Cannot see myself teaching until 68 and who wants their kids taught by oldies not wanting to be there.

OP posts:
Cain · 29/05/2011 19:27

mrz - irrelevant.

Little Tommy had swine flu last year so missed 2 weeks of school in isolation - does that justify a strike to you?

mrz · 29/05/2011 19:30

and is his life ruined because of it?

Donki · 29/05/2011 19:32

Cain
We did march in March

I have written to my (useless) MP

Neither of these seem terribly effective.

What else do you suggest?

Cain · 29/05/2011 19:33

Irrelevant. Again.

Does it justify a strike?

You know it doesn't and you are just coming up with nonsense now.

Nothing you have said gives me cause to question my opposing a strike.

aliceliddell · 29/05/2011 19:33

If they don't go on strike and defend the welfare state & public sector, all our children are in for a rough ride. We've had the demos, got the publicity, won the argument. Now we need to actually take action to stop the condems destroying our education system, pensions, NHS, list goes on...Cain, you say everyone is making sacrifices. Please outline the comparative impact of these sacrifices, eg Child Benefit, on, say, George Osborne and Ms A Teaching Assistant.

Donki · 29/05/2011 19:34

And if we (by some miracle) managed mass marches every holiday/month in London, I imagine that you would be complaining about disruption to traffic and the business life of the City.

mrz · 29/05/2011 19:35

Cain do you realise you keep saying your own argument is irrelevant?

Cain · 29/05/2011 19:35

Donki, I have already offered a suggestion. I'm not your mother sweetheart.

Donki · 29/05/2011 19:38

Cain
No, you aren't
But I had already done what you have suggested.
The only thing we haven't tried is mass action - like a strike.

I really want to find an alternative so that I don't feel I have to vote yes.

Cain · 29/05/2011 19:38

aliceliddellSun 29-May-11 19:33:28

Please outline the comparative impact of these sacrifices, eg Child Benefit, on, say, George Osborne and Ms A Teaching Assistant.

For what purpose?

Cain · 29/05/2011 19:39

mrz, you're not very good at this are you?

mrz · 29/05/2011 19:42

Really Cain? I thought it was you that had to keep resorting to abuse Smile

mrz · 29/05/2011 19:43

although you should be a politician the way you try to deflect questions? You're not George Osborne are you?

Donki · 29/05/2011 19:44

Cain
You see,
For years, the government just spent the surplus in the TPS (and subsidised the tax payer).
Then it went into deficit.
Something needed to be done.
It was reformed. We pay more. We retire later.
The NAO states that the reforms are working.

Now the government wants to change it again. Why?

The main argument against fighting the change seems to be that because many (not all) professionals in the private sector have a crap pension, everyone else should. Why?

I don't want to strike. I work with vulnerable students who struggle with change.

So I want to find an alternative.

I am trying to think of one for myself. But any effective suggestions from those who think we shouldn't strike would be very welcome....

Nobody has yet come up with one... and neither have I. Or I would be shouting from the rooftops.

Cain · 29/05/2011 19:44

You are still doing nothing to convince me that striking is the right thing to do.

You get all pissy when the argument gets heated and run to mnhq, then try to provoke me?

Is that all you've got?

Cain · 29/05/2011 19:47

I'm genuinely sorry Donki, I would like to give you an answer but I can never support teachers striking and nothing on this thread thus far has convinced me to even question my viewpoint on that.

Grockle · 29/05/2011 19:48
Hmm
Donki · 29/05/2011 19:48

But Cain
We don't need to convince you that striking is the right thing to do.
You need to convince us that it isn't. That there is an effective alternative.

I am not the only person who feels backed into a corner with no way out.
We are trying to think of alternatives.

Donki · 29/05/2011 19:49

Cross post

Grockle · 29/05/2011 19:49

No-one's asking for support, we're asking for an alternative.

mrz · 29/05/2011 19:50

Cain no one is trying to convince you why should we? You're not a teacher so convincing you would serve no purpose just as failing to convince you is in your words irrelevant

Cain · 29/05/2011 19:51

So you went on a march in March, what else has been done since then?

mrz · 29/05/2011 19:51

and for your information I have never run to MNHQ ... about this thread or any others

Cain · 29/05/2011 19:53

No that sounds accusatory, I mean as general joe bloggs I have heard very little press coverage about the matter. What has been done other than the one march?

mrz · 29/05/2011 19:54

The following month there was a conference which present teacher's views to the government (Nick Gibb actually)
and the following month the unions balloted members