Strikes

Our daughter isn't a teacher but works in a secondary school in a pastoral role. She calls going into work every day as 'going to the hell hole'. And yes, before anyone says it, she is trying to find another job.

I am looking after my granddaughter on school strike days, we've had two already. We're in Scotland.
I am a retired teacher and I support the strikes. No one votes to strike if they have decent pay and conditions. If teachers, nurses, paramedics and firefighters are voting to strike it is because all other avenues of negotiating for decent pay and conditions have been exhausted.

Germanshepherdsmum

We’ve had some on the ‘how do they afford it’ thread, BlueBelle. I also have teachers in my family who have retired early on very good pensions.

Yes, and my bloke retired on a teachers pension. It is indeed a good one. But those pensions don't exist anymore. Huge changes have been made.

The main reason teachers are striking is that the pay rise offered by the government is t going to be fully funded by the government, the shortfall is expected to be found from the schools existing budgets. This means even less funding for teaching assistants, learning support assistants for SEN students, pastoral and admin staff and trips etc. Strikes are needed in this case, the pay rise should be fully funded by the government.

I’m not a teacher but I worked in school support before having my DC (who will be off and at home with me if their teachers strike).

I see we have the old chestnut about public sector workers having gold plated pensions. Many do not stay long enough to fully benefit but the real 'scandal' is the failure of unions representing private sector workers to negotiate better pensions for their members and the unwillingness of managerial staff in the private sector to unionize instead of moaning about public sector pensions which were obtained after negotiation by the relevant unions.

I will certainly pick up any slack that's asked of me regarding GC during these testing times. Their parents are pretty self sufficient but last minute emergencies do sometimes occur.

I support the strikes whether or not I need to help with childcare.

There ard too many myths out there about pensions I think!

Germanshepherdsmum

I will be very unpopular for saying this, but teachers, nurses and other public sector workers may not receive huge salaries but they certainly get good pensions which enable them to retire at 55. It has to be viewed in the round - you can’t have it all ways. An increase in salary of course, but look at the total package compared with people in the private sector.

That are past times.

Not at all true now I’m afraid.

People never, ever strike for no reason.

Anyone could have foretold that this was going to happen.

You can’t squeeze a persons pay to no pay rise or the absolute minimum rise - in effect pay cuts year after year for at least the past ten years - in the name of austerity- then pile huge cost of living rises on them, together with enforcing much worse working conditions and expect no reaction.

People are not robots.

Teachers pensions have been eroded, so this old myth of private sector pensions being lower is based on some past examples. Besides which, there are plenty in the private sector who get decent pensions as well as better salaries throughout their working life. We shouldn’t pit worker against worker, which is what our government is trying to do.

I support the teachers and nurses as well, despite extra childcare.

I support the strikes - this Tory government has tin ears and frankly doesn't care that almost all public sector employees have had their wages eroded badly over the 13 years of Tory rule. Sunak claims wage increases fuel inflation. If that were so he would have introduced wage restraint for private sector employees and directors of companies. Sauce for the goose....

I qualified as a teacher but having taught for 10 years I then joined my husband in starting our own business. It all comes down to what people consider a “good” pension. We worked hard for ourselves for 25 years and built up our own pension to enable us to retire before state pension age. We forfeited holidays along the way and could never strike for more pay. We “cut our cloth to suit our needs” these days.
Some people expect too much , I think everyone should have a go at generating their own income and then they may appreciate the benefits they have.

Granbabies5

I qualified as a teacher but having taught for 10 years I then joined my husband in starting our own business. It all comes down to what people consider a “good” pension. We worked hard for ourselves for 25 years and built up our own pension to enable us to retire before state pension age. We forfeited holidays along the way and could never strike for more pay. We “cut our cloth to suit our needs” these days.
Some people expect too much , I think everyone should have a go at generating their own income and then they may appreciate the benefits they have.

I'm a teacher. I generate my own income. Earn 2/3 of what I used to earn in school, as a teacher/tutor. And I do it for about 1/6 of the work.

Teaching in British state schools is hell. And the hell isn't the students. It's a 40 hour week admin job, plus teaching hours on top.

I love teaching. I'm my best person in front of a class of 15 year olds. But I can't work a 70 hour week and do a good job.