What to do about the strike?

[pugsandseals]

Teachers come help please!!!

I'm a teacher who works for the county and am due in 4 different schools next Weds to teach lessons which parents have paid for. Official line is that we charge the schools if we are not striking ourselves & they are closed. However, I don't think it is fair that pupils may not get a lesson they have paid for so am trying to liase with the schools so that if they are not open they let me know. 3 out of 4 of these schools have refused to let me know until 9am next Weds morning (when I am due to start teaching at 9am).

If I don't try to go in & they are open, I don't get paid & am in theory in breach of contract if the school is open. I can just see me having to drive around like an idiot to each school! On top of that, I don't even know if DD's school will be shut (nothing said yet).

Are the school really not able to give me any clue as to whether or not they are open before the day? Or are they being deliberately awkward?

Do teachers not have to tell the school in advance if they want to strike?

Teachers are under no obligation to tell anyone if they are striking.

The Heads can ask so they can make a decision about closing the school in advance but teachers don't have to tell them.

Can you not phone the schools or check their websites in the morning rather than driving round them all?

Im not a teacher but i do work in school, ours know that we are off next wends, but no official letter has gone out yet in case it gets called off.

If you go on your local council for the area you are in there should be a list of all schools striking this may help you. They should know by now though if they are striking or not even if it does not go ahead.

I've been watching both the school and the LEA website (even though it is now an Academy)
neither is saying a word.
I suspect a lot of people will wait to see which way the wind is blowing by Monday night.

We had a letter through today saying that the entire school would be closed next Wednesday due to the strike.

I really hope that the schools that you are involved with see sense and tell you what will be happening.

I spoke too soon
it just went up on the website - closed
luckily I work from home so I can leave them asleep that day!

I wish I could Flisspaps - but if all my schools decided not to close and I left home at gone 9am, I wouldn't physically have time to get to them all as they are quite spaced out & I don't have a break all day!

It just makes me so cross that I am trying to help them, yet they tell me they can't even hint at the schools plans for the day. When explaining my problem today, one 'helpful' school secretary answered "If you're disrupted then good as that's the whole point of it. To disrupt as many people as possible!"

Older DCs school has told me it is shut. Younger DCs the Juniors is open but the infants shut. The heads should have some kind of indication from the unions now (as it is a health and safety issue if 2000 pupils come to a site and there are only a handful of adults there).

I understand that teachers are unhappy at the governments proposals (I am in the teachers pensions scheme myself), but I don't think they are going about it the right way!

My school has sent a note home today (or yesterday?) to tell parents that school will be closed entirely next Wednesday, unless the strikes are called off nationally.

Not heard from DD's school.

People still need to be able to plan ahead though! I can hardly take my daughter round all my schools with me can I.

As a teacher I have chosen not to strike, yet I am potentially going to prevented from doing my job. That just doesn't seem fair to me.

Have just emailed DD's headteacher. They are remaining open.

Have just found out that DD's school will definately be open so that's one load off my mind!

cat64 - I do not like the current ideas about the teachers pension scheme, so in that respect I support the teachers (including myself). However, is a democracy I think that there are far better ways to make your point than by striking.

The small print od the situation includes a suggestion that all private school teachers should be taken out of the teachers pension scheme. If the private school teachers can make their point by other means, I am sure those in the state sector could go about things in the same way!

I meant 'in' a democracy!

pugsandseals - conincidently I have also just found out too. DD's school is an independent school and yes, they are also affected but have chosen not to strike.

I work in a school. My union is striking. I had not actually made my decision as wasn't in school when the head made the decision to close the school. So, I will now be striking anyway. I will lose a day's pay.

Yes, it is very annoying, but as others have said, causing inconvenience is the sole reason for striking!

I don't know if my DC will be in school that day yet which will cause all sorts of problems as I have a funeral to go to and have agreed to help with the food.

I agree they're not going about it the right way though - TBH (yes I know teaching can be tough) teacher's T&C are fantastic (even the proposed new ones) and most of the parents they will be inconveniencing and whose DC they will be depriving of education, have already been through this pain in other pension schemes, so very unlikely to win any public support IMO.

Are you peri music staff?
ds1 has piano lessons on Wednesdays and I expect his school will be closed, therefore he won't get his lesson.
But I don't think it reasonable that we should have to pay for that lesson.

Like Hulababy, my union is striking, so I'm out, even though I voted against the strike. So I lose a day's pay.

Rosin must be right surely? It can't possibly be correct that the parents still get charged, even if no lesson takes place. What happens if you're sick?

letmehelp - it is not just teachers who are striking. Support staff are also in striking unions - so teaching assistants, care takers, etc. And also headteachers. TBH though I wouldn't say teacher's T&C are fantastic myself, and for many support staff - well, they definitely aren't!

Also it is not just schools who are striking. Public sector workers in other areas are also striking on this day.

The strike is against the employer (HM Govt); that is the target of the action. The inconvenience to service users is a regrettable by-product, not the aim. It is a fundamental right to withdraw labour, esp. when the employer has changed the t&c of the contract - why should the employees be held to the letter of the contract when the employer is not?

well if they wont tell me when my girls are autistic and every part of our day is planned, they certainly wont tell you :(
Im completely stressed by it all, and know im in for hell of a day. Both schools sent a letter today saying they hope to be open BUT they wont know for sure till wednesday morning.
And Heads are NOT allowed to ask their staff if they are striking!

Roisin in our area schools will be charged if they do not give fair notice of their intention to close. It will then be upto the individual school as to whether they pass this cost onto the parents.
In most circumstances I would imagine that you have already paid for the term and will only get the weeks fee back if you fight the school for it! That is if you are lucky enough to still have a music service provision as many have had their funds completely taken away in recent years. This is a good part of the reason that I am not striking. I feel myself very lucky to still have a job let alone worry about my pension!!!