Scottish teachers to be balloted about strike action

[ourweeschool]

Feeling strangely worried about this (am a teacher).

I don't know if we have public opinion with us.

I totally support any strike action from teachers. The job they do should be rewarded highly. I could never do it in a million years and you have my respect.

DD started high school this year which really opened my eyes to what teachers do and have to put up with

Does anyone know roughly what the timeline would be for striking if the ballot went that way. Is the talk about a series of one day strikes or ongoing striking. DD has Nat 5s coming up so am worried for her on a purely selfish point of view.

Also a teacher... think a lot of the discomfort we're feeling, as well as the horrible guilt we constantly feel about letting our children down, is due to lack of clear info coming from EIS,. Not entirely EIS' fault but a result of education being THE political hot potato.

I read this morning that any proposed strike action would be in March at the earliest. This should mean that exam pupils have finished their courses and be in a period of revision... My DD is also about to sit Nat 5s and I'm feeling scunnered that she is going to have the same experience with school strikes as I did in the 80s.

On saying that I totally support the teachers' pay claim - the profession is on its knees and we have to do something to protect education for future children.

think a lot of the discomfort we're feeling, as well as the horrible guilt we constantly feel about letting our children down, is due to lack of clear info

Yes, I think that is true, although I'm not sure about organising a strike before it is balloted for?

I think there will definitely be a headline 2 or 3 day strike and who knows what will come after that.

The campaign has changed things for me. I've realised how bad it is. I've had a nice week back (in that no one has thrown any furniture at me, assaulted me either physically or verbally and I've only had two serious behavioural incidents). However, I've worked every night until 9pm, I'm not finished my marking and I still don't feel ready for the next term.

The March timeline is based on the time it would take to organise the ballot and clear any other legal hurdles, as far as I understand.

I really don't know what public opinion is at the moment, teachers have never been popular but it will get much worse if/when the strikes happen. Think it's a storm worth weathering though!

Teacher (secondary) and skint owner of DD3 S5 sitting 5 Highers and DD4 S4 sitting 7 Nat5s.

Will vote yes to strike action as it is the only option left Swinney is not listening. My stomach churns at what my placing an X in box will mean.

If there is a strike it will be called for a time where to maximise impact otherwise it's pointless.

Truth is I can't afford to strike (2 older DDs both in FTE also being supported by DH and I) but I cannot afford not to. DH is also public sector and we are significantly worse off than we were 5 years ago. Years of effective pay cuts compared with rising costs of living mean I have to take the only action I can and strike. We will be in a terrible position if strike action is sustained

It's just as well education is the top priority

I absolutely support the teachers right to strike and hope that someone listens. I also was in school doing exams in the early 80s. At the time I just loved all the extra time off!

We will be in a terrible position if strike action is sustained

:( I am so sorry. I am just grateful our last DC is at school and we've no huge childcare bills.

Dd is doing Primary teaching at uni and is worried as the proposed action will fall on her placement slot. I told her Uni will most likely sort it out.

She does totally understand why they would strike and supports them. But she's been lucky that previous strike action hasn't affected her in the way affected me in the 80's.

John Swinney is an embarrassment. He needs to take his head out of the sand.

It's well overdue. We should have been there a few years ago in my opinion. I will be striking and prepared to do it as long as I can.
I wouldn't want to disadvantage my kids but I suspect that guilt trip will be played out by government and parents. I also need to look after my family and the decimation of salary and the shocking conditions we are working under mean something has to give.

The thing that makes me hesitant for them to strike is after the nursery nurse strike. We were shafted wages wise, went from a 32 hour week to a 35 hour week and didn't get the rise to reflect it. It was a long strike which upset a lot of people.

The thing that makes me hesitant for them to strike is after the nursery nurse strike. We were shafted wages wise, went from a 32 hour week to a 35 hour week and didn't get the rise to reflect it. It was a long strike which upset a lot of people.

I think I remember that- around 2004 ish? I was fairly new to teaching.

I do wish there had been more of a focus on conditions, although surely they can't make it worse I am worried that the answer in future would be 'you got X% of a pay rise, stop moaning".

Yes it was then. Dd was in nursery at the time.

It’s been long overdue. I do have to say that I am slightly worried re timing though. I am a secondary teacher and from now until Easter there is not a minute to lose in order to finish assignments and courses.

As a teacher and someone who was affected by the strikes in the 80s I really don’t want to have to go down this route. However the report on the BBC news yesterday that John Swinney is offering 9% to teachers between Jan 2018 and Apr 2019 irritated me. This way of reporting is designed to make the teachers look unreasonable to the wider public who may just read 9% and wonder what we are all complaining about!

I'm entirely supportive of the teachers but most people have had effective pay cuts year on year. I now (technically) earn less than I did 10 years ago. In addition, my pension has been cut back 3 times and yet I am now more experienced and valuable to the organisation. My DH is a NHS worker who has had his terms and conditions cut over the years too and earns considerable less than a teacher but when he comes home he doesn't have work to do on top. I think most people are experiencing similar issues in terms of pay and so, being offered 9% even if it is over 15/16 months doesn't sound that bad. I'm not saying it's right, and you are absolutely correct to be fighting it, but it may not always be misunderstanding by the general public. they might just be looking at their own 2% and not feeling the issue.

We all want decently paid, motivated teachers in our schools and hopefully you are successful as that also filters out to the rest of society in many ways.

I completely agree that this issue extends beyond education and I guess there is the hope that if everyone fights then It will be better for all. For my pupils and my own children I do not want this to end in strike action. Also the 9% is only for main pay scale teachers due to proposed restructuring, as a PT I would not get this percentage increase.

That's my view Sky, it will hopefully start ripples across everywhere. We need to support each other not try to tear each other down. I was just trying to show that maybe people do understand and just don't have sympathy at what they see is much better than they have. People always see what perks people have without also seeing/experiencing the disadvantages.

I see my friend buying resources for her class out her own pocket! I also see her working on her days off.

The amount of paperwork expected now too is horrendous. Teaching isn't 8.50-3.20. I arrived at work and can never get in the car park as so many teachers are already in.

I support the strike. I have 2 children at school. Lack of teachers is a huge concern in Scotland.

Something needs to be done.

Swinney is out of touch with this one.

His tweet this morning is deceitful and dishonest. His figures don't add up. Last year teachers were supposed to have had a 3% increase. It was 2% from April to Dec then a further 1% from Jan to April , it was only 3 for 1/4 of the year. The latest offer uses the same sort of figure manipulation.

Pay is as many have said a tiny part of the issue. The figures on vacant posts (vacant for substantial periods of time in some cases) are shocking. We run about trying to arrange meaningful cover work over and above being on minimum time ourselves. My DD4 had one Maths teacher and one cover (to keep within legal numbers) delivering to 60+ pupils . SLA numbers were slashed but inclusion agenda is pushed through without the staff to support it. Administration staff slashed so paperwork lands back in the remit of classroom teachers.

In these austerity/pay freeze years we implemented CFE (with no money for resources) we implemented the Nationals (with no money for resources) we implemented SNSA ....

There are times when I cannot help my own DDs with their homework because of the work I've brought home. I have to tutor to supplement my income.

My DH is public sector too so the austerity hit us both. He got 2% and would be breaking the law if he went on strike.

i think the unions/teachers need to be careful not to position this as just being about pay - it is higher than any other public sector pay rise as far as i'm aware but that doesn't address the numbers leaving (and the underlying reasons why), difficulty recruiting or issues like Groovee mentioned where teachers are buying resources out of their own pocket.

Find it hard to be sympathetic to be honest.

I am also public sector - its been hard for us too! I saw an interview with a teacher who said she 'only' got paid £36,000 a year. well done that interviewer who clearly wasn't sympathetic either.

its more than I get paid and with less holidays!

Not an SNP supporter at all and sick of the blame westminster defence all the time.

I do agree we should (all) get pay rises but whatever outcome is achieved will only be for the teachers and not the rest of the public sector workers. I work in schools every day (not a teacher) yet don't get the same holidays or pay and yes I do a lot of catch up work in the evenings and weekends too.

I'm a parent.

I have a child who will be sitting Nat 5s this summer and heading into Highers. It's all a bit like history repeating itself. When I was at the same stage 30 years ago, we went through lots of strike action at school and it was hugely disruptive.

I have to admit that I haven't really been following all of the arguments about teachers' salaries. All I've heard is that they're demanding a 10% rise, which is a huge amount.

Are you on performance related pay?