Teachers may go on strike. Chaos for parents. Discuss!

marked · Post by **marked** » Mon May 16, 2011 5:36 pm

mike1880 wrote:
marked wrote:Sorry, it's harsh, but the world has moved on since the dark ages.
It has, thankfully, but only because it was recognised that attitudes like that were outdated. If we applied your approach we'd still be there. We can always go back to the dark ages - after all, much of the world has not succeeded in leaving them - but personally I have no wish to join them there.

Mike

Who recognised this was outdated? Where is the evidence? Businesses or the Labour Party?
Virgin pilots now may go on strike. Well, if they are not happy with their pay, why don't they leave? Why bring the company to its knees?

The way I see it is simple. I have a job. These are the T&Cs and pay. If you want the job you can have it. When you are unhappy with the T&Cs or pay you can leave. If you think you get can a better deal elsewhere, go for it and I will replace you.
If I cannot get someone else, I may well offer better conditions. If I can get someone else, why should I pay more?

What is wrong with this approach? The employee has security of minimum pay, health and safety etc. Thet don't have a right to be employed by a certain company. A company can choose who to employ.

yoyo123 · Post by **yoyo123** » Mon May 16, 2011 6:26 pm

I would not strike and to be honest I don't know many teachers who would. I do , however , support anyone who has chosen to strike. My union asks me , as a supply teacher, not to provide cover for anyone who is striking. A work to rule might be interesting though....

Look for someone's lost book/dinner money/tooth? not on job description...

Mop up overflowing urinal in boy's toilets? not on job description....

Mend zip on a child's new coat because they are crying ...not on job description....

Spend a couple of hours finding extra dressing up clothes for a child whose parents are going through a really bad time and can't provide it..not on job description.....

Bake cakes all over weekend because a class you sometimes work with is having a WW2 day...not on job description.

As was said earlier , it's like a marriage ..give and take.

KS10 · Post by **KS10** » Mon May 16, 2011 8:13 pm

I wish I'd thought of that response, yoyo.

And let's not lend (make that give 9 times out of10) money to children who have lost their Oyster card or forgotten their lunch money.

marked · Post by **marked** » Mon May 16, 2011 9:49 pm

yoyo123 wrote:I would not strike and to be honest I don't know many teachers who would. I do , however , support anyone who has chosen to strike. My union asks me , as a supply teacher, not to provide cover for anyone who is striking. A work to rule might be interesting though....

..not on job description.....

Job descriptions are so last century. An employee should do what is required as the employee is paid. The "job description"
should include any task in running the school.

It is unlawful to do the work of a striking worker (except emergency services) so, a supply teacher cannot do the work of a striking teacher.

yoyo123 · Post by **yoyo123** » Mon May 16, 2011 10:10 pm

I worked with someone ( in the last century

) whose job description included going down to cellar once a month to check for rats...

There is also the throwaway line ..and any other duties that the headteacher may require!

pheasantchick · Post by **pheasantchick** » Mon May 16, 2011 10:33 pm

Why should the employer have his/her business suffer through strike action, because someone doesn't like their pay/conditions.

There should be opportunities for employees to air their complaints, through mediation, tribunals, meetings etc, but I do 't think strikes are necessary the right way forward. They cause too much disruption for rmployees and their customers.

I remember having lots of days off school due to strike action.. I'm sure my education was harmed at the time.

Certainly employees should have means whereby they can challenge their employers terms etc, but are the strikes the best way forward?

ourmaminhavana · Post by **ourmaminhavana** » Mon May 16, 2011 10:35 pm

I don't think anyone's saying that they're the best way forward: more a final resort.

KS10 · Post by **KS10** » Mon May 16, 2011 11:24 pm

I remember having lots of days off school due to strike action.. I'm sure my education was harmed at the time.

In my experience, more time is wasted through having to deal with poor behaviour and unnecessary paperwork.

succeed · Post by **succeed** » Tue May 17, 2011 7:02 am

Agree ks10

Really , as a parent ,I have so say the whole "my child's education will suffer' argument is rather weak- a day or two here or there is hardly detrimental.
However, the teaching union(s), i believe, is/are very weak. Teachers are spread across 5 different unions who can never seem to agree on what is worth striking for etc.So, the likelihood of this strike actually happening , is very low . The poor representation of unions are largely to blame for allowing T &C, and indeed the standards of education, to be changed for the worse over the last decade.Sack the lot of them!

wonderwoman · Post by **wonderwoman** » Sat May 21, 2011 6:55 pm

Well I've come to his a bit late - but it is the changes to employment agreements that is causing a problem. So I have been paying into a pension for decades, and am expected to accept changes to that without making a fuss?

I have been teaching so long now, that I have seen numerous changes. I used to work most evenings and part of the weekend and holidays (I expected that, it was fine). Now I work part-time, I work for an absolute minimum of 2 hours a night, 1 day at the weekend, every day at half term breaks and a large chunk (beginning and end) of the summer holiday.

What really makes me sad is that I rarely get to watch my own children compete in their chosen sports. If I do go I have to take computer and marking with me.

I come from a long line of teachers, it's a fantastic job and a real privilege to work with children. I never expected to get rich, I did expect it to be hard work, but I did think I'd paid to get a decent pension at the end of it.

Sadly I have discouraged my own children from following me into the career - one said, "Do you think I'm completely mad? - there's no way I'd be a teacher."