National teachers' strike set for 26 March

[L00b]

No one is forced to work for their employer, and if they dont like it they are free to leave ,but they should NOT be allowed to strike in an attempt to hold the government to ransom.

I guess Victorian-era miners, textile factory workers and <others> were equally free to leave if they didn't like their lot

 

Far from me the intent of putting words in your mouth, but...The point you should be putting across, is that whilst it's long been perfectly fine for (public/private/middle) workers to use their right to strike as part of an ongoing conflict management-and-resolution procedure for improving their lot, the problem is that it is now being used to try and preserve corporatist advantages which simply cannot be paid for long-term any more.

 

In this day and age of ever more (i) retirees living ever longer and (ii) dependents per tax-generating entity, there's enough money now -

 

for all to keep slightly lesser packages, or

for less to keep the current packages, or

for still less to get better packages.

 

Save for very few exceptions, essentially the same choice faced by private sector employees in the contracting economy of the past 5 years: get less pay/hours and keep the job; make some redundant and keep the same pay/hours for the rest; make a lot redundant and improve the lot for the remaining best.

 

It's not a race to the bottom. It's projecting and matching requirements and resources. There's simply not enough money getting in, and hasn't been for quite a while now, for all in the public sector to get ever better packages.

[Anna B]

Even by Gove's own calculations, teachers work upwards of 60 hours a week, and 40% of teachers leave the profession within the first five years.

 

It has slumped in pay and prestige compared to other professions and is constantly slated in the media and by parents who neither understand the job or could even begin to do it, but expect teachers to babysit their difficult offspring.

 

It is used as a political football and subjected to constant interference and change. It seems to be blamed for all the ills in society and then is expected to single handedly right them. Get it right the politicians take the credit, get it wrong and the teachers are the scapegoats.

 

Strike? I'm just surprised. they don't do it more often.

 

It's about time teachers are properly appreciated for what they do.

[PRESLEY]

So you've been a naughty boy, Elvis?

 

Don't Be Cruel. :hihi:

[Mr Bloom]

Even by Gove's own calculations, teachers work upwards of 60 hours a week, and 40% of teachers leave the profession within the first five years.

 

It has slumped in pay and prestige compared to other professions and is constantly slated in the media and by parents who neither understand the job or could even begin to do it, but expect teachers to babysit their difficult offspring.

 

It is used as a political football and subjected to constant interference and change. It seems to be blamed for all the ills in society and then is expected to single handedly right them. Get it right the politicians take the credit, get it wrong and the teachers are the scapegoats.

 

Strike? I'm just surprised. they don't do it more often.

 

It's about time teachers are properly appreciated for what they do.

 

Very well said. Agree 100%.

[L00b]

Even by Gove's own calculations, teachers work upwards of 60 hours a week, and 40% of teachers leave the profession within the first five years.

 

It has slumped in pay and prestige compared to other professions and is constantly slated in the media and by parents who neither understand the job or could even begin to do it, but expect teachers to babysit their difficult offspring.

As a matter of interest, has anybody checked how newly-qualified teachers fare against trainee doctors and trainee solicitors, as regards pay, working hours and attrition rate in the early years?

 

Of course, I realise that I can't really put "solicitors" and "prestige" in the same sentence without causing bursts of uncontrolled laughter these days, and as regards "slating" by the media, well, the less said the better...

 

I'm not saying you're completely wrong, Anna. Just adding a bit of context

[Mecky]

As a matter of interest, has anybody checked how newly-qualified teachers fare against trainee doctors and trainee solicitors, as regards pay, working hours and attrition rate in the early years?

 

Of course, I realise that I can't really put "solicitors" and "prestige" in the same sentence without causing bursts of uncontrolled laughter these days, and as regards "slating" by the media, well, the less said the better...

 

I'm not saying you're completely wrong, Anna. Just adding a bit of context

 

That's the thing isn't? You can have the best qualification for the job but you're still going to need hands-on experience, no matter what a person's professional field is.

[lily may]

I've worked in all sectors of schools including special and Inclusion Units for many years as a non teaching member of staff. I think the teachers get a good deal. Everyone works harder now for their pay - get over it.

[mattythefish]

Bring in a load of Chinese teachers from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland to teach our kids, they certainly know how to teach the Chinese kids who work harder and do way better than ours, Chinese teachers don't go on strike and have a great work ethic....unlike English and European ones:roll:

[L00b]

That's the thing isn't? You can have the best qualification for the job but you're still going to need hands-on experience, no matter what a person's professional field is.

Spot on. In my field, we see both very frequently:

 

(i) qualified attorneys with the badges, but no relational capacity nor commercial acumen.

 

(ii) trainees with tons of hands-on aptitude and acumen, but unable to pass the exams.

 

Both make for equally-unfulfilled professionals, mid- to long-term. The badged-up guys with no relational just end up with a pile of screaming clients (or no clients, which is just as bad). The trainees that can't qualify, can't get off the treadmill at the easy(-er) money.

 

And I'll gloss over the PhD-badged "4 week wonders" transitioning from labs/shop floors/Uni halls into law (because-they-have-been-told-this-is-a-good-gig-to-get-in-with-loadsah-moneyyy) and finding out pretty sharpish at the coal face that, heck, this gig is a bit of a toughie after all and, well, nah-too-much-for-me

[mancmart]

So yet again Unions are being allowed to cause chaos and massive disruption across the country trying to hold the government to ransom for money as usual. This has to stop . Its time legislation was brought in to ban strikes by public sector workers . The police are not allowed to strike and neither should any other public sector be allowed to. The sooner the law is changed the better. If teachers arnt happy with their pay , then they , like everyone else are free to find another job. No one is forced to work for their employer, and if they dont like it they are free to leave ,but they should NOT be allowed to strike in an attempt to hold the government to ransom.

 

With that attitude we'd all be on slave wages with no chance of improving our lot.

Ban strikes? That is the workers' last option of making a stance against unfair conditions. As I am not a teacher, I am a worker and proud to have done my bit in the 1994 signallers' strike which modernised our job to be in line with that of other rail industry workers, and as a result safety was improved with our pay and conditions.

As for holding governments to ransom, don't they hold us to ransom daily with their new, super duper ideas of how to squeeze us and pit us against each other while they have more holidays and better pay and conditions than all of us (except perhaps a few spoilt footballers!)

 

Is this Sheffield, the same place that brought us the steelworkers and the miners, or am I on the wrong forum?

 

Good luck teachers!!