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School Strikes 26th March - Invoicing the LEA

432 replies

Bexinder · 21/03/2014 11:47

Just wanted to share what I'm doing, and I wonder if we can get some sort of campaign going. Lots of UK schools are closed due to teacher's industrial action next Wednesday 26th March. Given that we parents have absolutely no leeway when it comes to taking children out of school during term time and will be hit with heavy fines per child if we do without permission, I'm invoicing my local education authority for failing to provide education on this day. They haven't asked MY permission to allow the school to close.....Now I'm not expecting them to pay this at all, but I am wanting to cause a stink. They can close the school over the pay and pensions row, but I can't take my children out of school for a funeral.
Sorry - rant over... if anyone wants to copy the invoice, let me know and I'll post it. Thanks!

OP posts:
somedizzywhore1804 · 21/03/2014 14:46

Whilst I understand your frustrations this is just about the dimmest thing I've read this week. You're going to end up looking daft and embarrassing yourself. Please don't do this.

scottishmummy · 21/03/2014 14:53

Strike in England and Wales not scotland

rocketeer · 21/03/2014 14:56

You are spectacularly missing the point. Gove implemented the unauthorised absence rule so shouldn't you be supporting the teacher's strike in the hope that this is one of the things that can be changed?

ApplySomePressure · 21/03/2014 15:18

Seems the OP has scarpered....

wooldonor · 21/03/2014 15:27

I'm fed up with seeing this sort of post on facebook, usually agreed with by lots of hun type posts.

The two things are totally unrelated and if the Sun really have agreed to run a story they will also make themselves look silly as this was covered by other papers at the time of the last strike.

This is the first of several that comes up on a search

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10372784/Letter-from-parent-demanding-60-fine-over-teachers-strike-goes-viral.html

Isthatwhatdemonsdo · 21/03/2014 15:33

Jesus Wept! I've heard it all now!

chicaguapa · 21/03/2014 15:36

why shouldn't parents make a stand when they can close schools at a whim over something that has nothing to do with my children's day to day education?

What makes you think that the reason(s) for the strikes has nothing to do with your children's day to day education? Confused

scottishmummy · 21/03/2014 15:51

It's not a whim,it's legitimate greviance.and point of strike is to cause inconvenience
I support any worker right to strike

softtoyqueen · 21/03/2014 17:28

I hate the heavy handed approach to unauthorised absences and do not agree with them.

But I support the teachers in the strike because they are striking because they are against certain issues in the government's education policy - and so am I. (and I am also grateful we get a day off to boot).

mrz · 21/03/2014 17:29

Just to be clear supply teachers or other staff can not be used to cover a striking teacher's class

PatriciaHolm · 21/03/2014 17:38

Oh dear. This is so going to be accompanied by a sadface photo, isn't it, probably with a side serving of resolute children looking aghast at having to take a day off.

You know the article will also include your age (probably wrong), employment (ditto), and house price, don't you OP?

Loon.

Galena · 21/03/2014 17:51

mrz This disagrees with you.

mrz · 21/03/2014 18:16

I'm afraid the information in there is completely wrong Galena

Here's the guidance from my union who are not striking

Reporting for work
Firstly, and most importantly, you must make yourself available for work as usual. If the head/principal decides to close the school/college, you should ask what s/he wants you to do e.g. work from home or from an alternative venue. Alternatively, if your school/college remains open you must inform the head/principal that you are available for work and ask what s/he wants you to do e.g. come into your usual workplace, work from a different location or work from home.

Covering for striking colleagues
When colleagues are taking industrial action but ATL has not balloted, you should work as normally as circumstances permit but you should not undermine your colleagues' action. This advice also applies to supply teachers. Members who are under pressure to cover for striking colleagues should contact their ATL rep or branch secretary for further advice and support.

In the case of maintained schools, you should be aware of the provision in the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document that all directions of heads are subject to the requirement of reasonableness: if an instruction is clearly unreasonable, it can legitimately be refused.

ATL would normally consider it unreasonable for you to be asked to:

<strong>take over the work of colleagues engaged in industrial action,</strong> other than in exceptional circumstances such as genuine emergency
<strong>undertake a teaching load greater than usual or to accept additional responsibilities or duties as a result of colleagues taking industrial action</strong>
<strong>agree to the amalgamation of groups of pupils or students or to the division of one group between others as a result of colleagues taking industrial action.</strong>

The rarely cover contractual provision should not apply in relation to strike action. *Teachers should not be required to cover for absences which are know or which can be foreseen, and in the case of strike action the NUT will have written to tell schools the date of action and that they are asking their members to take action in line with statutory requirements.

NASUWT guidance

Where members of another TUC-affiliated trade union are involved in industrial action, NASUWT members should:

make clear to the headteacher/principal that they will be reporting for work as normal;

make clear that they will not accept any variation to their contracted duties and/or undertake the timetabled or other responsibilities of those engaged in action, including taking into their timetabled lessons pupils from classes of teachers who are involved in strike.

Where a school/college remains partially open and certain classes/year groups are sent home, NASUWT members should not agree to timetable variations to accommodate classes or pupils who would normally have been taken by those taking action. The NASUWT would need to establish with the headteacher/principal that members who are working with their normal classes will be able to access all of the necessary services to ensure the health, safety and welfare of themselves and the pupils.

MerlinFromCamelot · 21/03/2014 18:19

DD1, secondary school has announced all Y9s to stay at home. All other years are in.

DD2, primary, business as normal. School getting a supply in to cover DD class. So seems supply teachers can be used if the school decides to do so.

Galena · 21/03/2014 18:31

Ah, but I wonder which is law and which is advice. I think a HT is LEGALLY allowed to ask you to cover but cannot force you, but since the advice from all unions is that you shouldn't cover striking colleagues, they don't bother to ask as they know most teachers will say no.

LindyHemming · 21/03/2014 18:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrz · 21/03/2014 19:25

Galena it is unlawful for agencies to supply teachers to replace those undertaking official industrial action if the agency is aware of the action (Regulation 7, “Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations 2003).

ipadquietly · 21/03/2014 19:28

Angry As regards my 'good pension'. I am just about to retire after 20 years' full time+ service, working bloody hard. My pension is £2000 more than the state pension at under £10K per year.

Bloody Tory press.

Merefin · 21/03/2014 19:29

OP The Sun may say that are backing this, but they will make you look like a chump, sure as anything.

And YYYY to everything everyone else has said. Teachers need our support....it's Gove who has ramped up the thing with term time absence.

Jinsei · 21/03/2014 19:39

What a foolish and ill-informed OP!

I hate the new rules in absences during term time, I think it should be left entirely up to the head teacher's discretion if parents want to take kids out - ours has always made sensible decisions previously.

However, this has nothing at all to do with the teachers' strike, and it's pointless trying to make a connection. The teachers are legally entitled to strike, and as a parent, I support them. I want the best people to be attracted into teaching, with terms and conditions that are appropriate for what they do. Yes, it might be inconvenient if I have to take the day off work when the teachers are on strike, but schools are not run for my convenience - schools are not about childcare but about the education of our kids. And decent terms and conditions for teachers are a huge part of that.

The only common factor between these two policies is that idiot Michael Gove. If you want to make a stand, write and ask him to stop ripping apart our education system. Otherwise you're wasting your time.

Abbierhodes · 21/03/2014 19:45

Oh my god, you are a complete and utter dickhead.

chicaguapa · 21/03/2014 19:47

Can you invoice the government instead? Because if Gove stopped dicking around and actually met with the unions to discuss it, there wouldn't be a strike. So the buck stops with him, ultimately.

He's in charge of the education sector. Yet he's failing to ensure your DC can go to school next Wednesday and be educated. He knows the schools will be closed, he knows it can be avoided by his actions, yet he doesn't give a shit.

Don't blame the LEA ffs! What have they got to do with it?

Leggingsandtrainersnonono · 21/03/2014 19:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ipadquietly · 21/03/2014 19:49

Also, OP, teaching is actually a JOB, not a hobby, and teachers are entitled strike to show their disagreement with profound changes to their pay and conditions.

AlpacaLypse · 21/03/2014 19:53

Going off at a tangent... could the NUT please arrange their next strike for a Monday or a Friday please? Preferably with a nice sunny weekend attached? Then at least I could take them to the seaside with a tent.

I imagine the reason they keep choosing Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for industrial action is to avoid being accused of only wanting a long weekend - but at least some of us parents would appreciate the chance to have one as well! Smile

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