Any teachers in the house?

Originally Posted by Tommy H

Just actually reading the thread, watching the news, speaking to people I know that this strike will have little effect.

Why?

Because strikes only work when they have public support. The general public seem to be overwhelmingly against this. The only people who I have seen speak in favour of the strike are teachers or other people striking.

As i said before the biggest union the NASUWT isn't going to strike yet as they want to see what happens with the ongoing negotiations. The other 2 unions however have gone for it early IMO. I will happily go on strike once it all goes tits up but it's a little premature at the moment. I still support the action but feel a combined 3 union strike on the same day would have had a better impact when/if negotiations have failed.

[MisterTommyH]

But the fact that these two have gone now will pee off the public and parents and any public support that does exist will be whittled away when a second strike is called.

Originally Posted by Tommy H

But the fact that these two have gone now will pee off the public and parents and any public support that does exist will be whittled away when a second strike is called.

Very probably, the media is too powerful now. It can easily program the general public to think we are acting illegally and allow changes to the law etc. There will be no support for another strike even if the Govt decide to half our pay and make us work till we are 100.

[Messie]

Please don't believe the edited highlights of whatever news media you watch or read. You can be certain the editors have been at work to show one or another point of view.

Make up your own mind on the basis of your own informed and intelligent ideas plus listening to a varied selection of other opinions

[Biker Biggles]

Remember public opinion is made up of lots of people,including 5 million public sector workers who are all being shafted by a government who hates them in principle,never mind the unions they belong to.I too think today's action was premature,but I don't think that will make a lot of odds in the end.The facts are starting to get out to the public domain now and that will tell eventually.Firstly,these pensions are affordable.Second,the government is desperate to put up the contributions not to pay for the pensions,but to pay for the national debt.There's plenty more,but those two issues alone should be enough to make intelligent people do a double take.
Incidentally,on the issue of those well publicised very generous "gold plated"examples that get the headlines how about a universal cap on public pensions?No one to get more than the national average wage(£30k?)as a pension.That would silence the fat cat pensioner argument.

My only problem with it is that the terms and conditions of our contracts are being changed and we are not even allowed to strike.

Unfortunately, I feel it is just something that we, who get paid from the public purse, have to expect these days until times get a bit better.

With regards to I think it was Daveyrach's comment, do you think our pension just magics from thin air in the public sector or something? Do you realise we all have to pay a pretty bloody big percent a month into it???

[kaivalagi]

All very interesting, I think teachers do a very hard job and get a certain amount of sympathy from me about their situation. For one thing kids can be royal pains in the backside right? Especially teenagers at secondary school! Far worse than any adult out there....dealing with them 5 days a week and I would start losing it I am sure!

But...back to an unanswered question:

Originally Posted by arc123

22K is the starting wage right??

I know a handful of teachers - unless they are lying to me, they all earn a significant amount more than this - one of them above 60k, one of them around 45k all of them above 32k.

Using that as a basis, prospects seem pretty good to me, way above average private industry at the moment.

I found this quite interesting? With 13 weeks of holiday and a salary over 32K, teachers start to lose my sympathetic ear....

What's the salary deal then over the long term? 22K starting? What about after 3-4yrs and say as a head of department? If there is any truth in what arc123 has posted then I think teachers ought to be grateful!

[Messie]

Yes we do MBK. I meant to mention that earlier. These pensions are not gifts. We pay in to them a considerable amount, which is matched up to a point by the public purse. I believe this system of employee pays some, employer pay some, isn't limited to the public sector.

I have sympathy with the Police as their situation is not so different yet their hands are tied in how they can portest against it

[Messie]

Originally Posted by kaivalagi

All very interesting, I think teachers do a very hard job and get a certain amount of sympathy from me about their situation. For one thing kids can be royal pains in the backside right? Especially teenagers at secondary school! Far worse than any adult out there....dealing with them 5 days a week and I would start losing it I am sure!

But...back to an unanswered question:


I found this quite interesting? With 13 weeks of holiday and a salary over 32K, teachers start to lose my sympathetic ear....

What's the salary deal then over the long term? 22K starting? What about after 3-4yrs and say as a head of department? If there is any truth in what arc123 has posted then I think teachers ought to be grateful!

As has been said they are lying. It takes a long time to get above 32K.

And many of us are grateful. We have jobs that generally speaking we enjoy and which can be very rewarding. We have studied and worked hard to get there mind.

We don't you become a teacher?

I've been at it 8 years an i'm on 30k!! thats a lot of getting told to **** off i can tell you! The police are even worse off as they pay even more into their pensions 11% i believe, whereas we pay 6% but they plan to put it up to nearer 10%. Capping them would be fine by me, 30k is enough.