Secondary teachers strike

[tocahairchop]

Any other secondary teachers in Scotland who are not keen on strike action? I get the motives behind it but not at all up for striking at this point due to disruption and the fact that times are tough for everyone. Feel like I have to justify myself to non teachers by saying 'I don't agree with striking' as it's not going to be met favourably by the public in the same way as other sectors striking over pay.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63669886

Seems like no new pay offer was even made after this meeting..

Under stable, of course. But you should be more angry that the govt and cosla don’t seem to want to engage in any conversations re pay offers. The last one was rejected 3 months ago.

Teachers can’t be told not to ask for a pay rise because of the impact of a pandemic on time in school.

Great...back for one day after Christmas hols then off...exactly the disruption I'm talking about!

Teaching in Scotland is struggling to recruit and retain suitable qualified and effective teachers. The stresses and workload are high and the working week is long with most teachers working long hours at home on top of the school day itself. In Scotland teachers are degree educated professionals. Pay is typically less than would be expected in other graduate professions. If excellent teachers can’t be attracted to the profession this will have a negative impact on the young people who will be receiving a lesser education.

Many teachers are struggling financially despite earning reasonable wages. They are worn out, stressed and deserve a Pat that reflects their qualifications, work and the real time pay cut over a large number of years.

No teacher wants to withdraw their services but this is something that can be avoided with a better pay deal.

Asn staff funding in schools should not come from teaching budgets. They are vital and should also be factored in the education budget- to be paid fairly and employed in appropriate numbers. However the two arguments are not interlinked!

It's great to see some posts on the thread that are supportive of teachers, the OP's posts were depressing me - yes of course it will be disruptive, if it's not disruptive it will have no impact! We've been back in school full-time for a full year since covid lockdowns, that's a long time for pupils to get used to being back Which is not to say there has been no long term impact from covid but I don't think a few days at home for strikes will make it worse.
This may be a controversial view but sometimes I think some teachers are doing this as the "second" career in a family and don't feel they deserve a decent professional salary that is enough for a person to live on.

I certainly don't mean to have that effect @Whitestick 😂 One of my dds missed 3 days due to storms last winter and then a further 6 due to staffing issues (covid) so I don't think I'm over egging it too much.

Not sure whether to be offended or not by the second career comment...maybe you're right. Not going to apologise for that though!

Our council has announced that all schools will be closed on Thursday. I know that virtually all teachers at our school are in the EIS so what's happening to any who aren't?

If other unions decide to strike later with, say only 2 members in a school, will the EUS members' classes have to go into school?

It's a slap in the face. They won't even sit down and discuss a better offer. Fuck 'em. I'm sorry to be disrupting learning but clearly nothing else is going to have any effect. All this hyperbole post-pandemic about the great job we do but we don't deserve even half the rate of inflation? Feck 'em.

I believe SSTA (and other union) members will be expected to work, albeit with no pupils. When the SSTA go out schools will likely be open, but teachers should not cover for striking colleagues. I suppose in primary that might mean a whole class being sent (or likely kept) home. No idea how it'll work in secondary.

SSTA strike won't affect primaries though (it's a secondary teacher union). Don't know about the NASUWT.

But there is no ‘funding by the government’ it has to come out of a budget somewhere -which budget do you want it to come out of?

I don't know. Maybe the independence campaign budget? Maybe the gender recognition act promotional budget? The flinging money to your buddies in the feck up the ferries industry budget? The gallivanting to the USA or elsewhere at the drop of a hat budget? The giving 24 year olds in full time paid employment a free bus pass budget?

There would appear to be money out there.

I just lol’d at this! So true!

The ssta have confirmed strike action. It’s likely the NASUWT will have to sign in and then perhaps wfh or just do development work in school. Obviously the issue is not knowing who is part of what Union. Also, people can just join eis the day before if they want to join the strike. There would obviously be childcare issues if teachers children’s schools were closed too.

The SSTA can't be on strike next Thursday though it's too soon

SSTA strike is first week in December sometime

I am in SSTA in a school that is (by a small margin) SSTA majority. I will be expected in next week. The LA have said we are closed to pupils. What will happen on the 5th is very interesting as we are a bit of an outlier with our majority SSTA. Could end up with 2 days of significant impact.

Some places are going for working from home, some for working in the building.

What 24yr olds in full time employment get a free bus pass?

Thought it was under 25s. Change the number to 20 then.

So you'd remove a bus pass from a 20yr old in full time employment (probably low paid because I don't know many 20yr olds earning good money) to give a pay rise to professionals earning £28-£42k a year?

I believe everyone should be paid fairly for the work they do. Inflation/cost of living has hit everyone but I don't think that argument is going to help the cause.

5% was a good offer. It would be amazing to get more but I just don't think that's realistic right now.

Yes. Yes, that's exactly what I said. I'm going to take the bus pass off the poor 20 year old and put that money straight in my own pocket. Excellent understanding demonstrated there.

How is a pay cut of around 6% a "good offer"?

When we expect so little, we get less.

It's race to the bottom mentality. 'Well <insert profession here> are also poorly paid' as though we should just accept our lot and be grateful.

I'm happy to support anyone else taking industrial action to improve their lot. Remind me what MPs earn again...?