Is there any point in striking when school just carries on as normal?

[MummyInTheNecropolis]

About a third of the teachers in my school are on strike today. On previous strike days the classes of those teachers were closed, but now the head has decided they’re not doing that anymore. So today the whole school is open as usual, with support staff covering our classes. I just feel like I might as well have gone in rather than sacrifice a days pay for something which is having no impact on anybody, and will largely go unnoticed. Is anyone else in this position? If further strikes are planned, would you continue to strike in this situation? I’m just not sure there’s much point anymore 😞

Support staff should not be covering your classes if that is not part of their normal duties.

Do you have a rep in school? They need to speak to your head about this, and remind them of the NAHT (assuming primary?) advice etc to heads. You also need to speak to support staff and remind them they can refuse to cover/refuse to cross the picket line and so on. Do you currently picket your school?

If you don't have a rep in school and don't have the confidence to approach your head directly, then contact your local branch, and they can send in an officer to speak to the head and negotiate on your behalf.

The other thing is to try and encourage other teachers to join the strike. It would be very embarrassing for the head if they said the school would be open, and then had to send students home because now 2 or 3 more teachers were striking and cover hadn't been arranged. If you can create some uncertainty, it makes it harder for the head to plan.

Would other teachers be open to coming to a meeting if your local branch sent in someone to talk to them etc?

I can understand why this is super frustrating, but I don't think the answer is to give up, the answer is to fight more strongly!

You can also have an impact by joining actions in your local area, and engaging with parents etc.

This is shocking behaviour on the part of the head. Get in touch with the union rep for your area. Someone should be speaking to the head and making things clear to him. Hopefully when the other unions join there should be a bigger impact. Your colleagues should be refusing to cover. In my school, other teachers and TAs are not covering striking colleagues.

I also agree that teachers should not be helping the head to plan. In my school SLT have asked staff to let them know if they are striking. Teachers should resist engaging with this tbh if they want the strike to have more impact.

Our head has asked all teachers if they are striking in advance - and has every time (reasoning being to let parents know!).

They also asked support staff to cover today!

wineandsushine. They should not be asking staff to cover. They are undermining the strike. It seems like primary schools are particularly likely to do this.

Our head tried this. The NEU rep put him right!

How do you find out about having an NEU rep?

In theory you should have a union noticeboard in school.
If not, you should be able to find out the name of your rep from the NEU directly.
And if there isn't one, you could do your rep training.

Yes, I will continue to strike. It is a long time until retirement. I am striking for better conditions now and for all who embark on this career pathway in the future.

So am I, but if they just get someone to cover me and carry on as normal then what impact am I having?

We are part of a big academy chain, there is massive pressure from above to keep the school open at all costs. No union rep in school, and a lot of pressure on teachers not to strike which I have resisted so far.

@MummyInTheNecropolis genuinely - do your rep training. It's so so important to have reps.