Teachers on strike

[topshot]

Actually, their pay rises are frozen currently around here, so you have no idea what you are on about

Here they had one not long ago. It is now frozen for this year coming. Still better than that some of the cuts non teaching staff and private sector workers are facing.

SENCO worker recently had her pay dropped by over 7k

 

[Alpherah]

You need to read the posts in this thread, someone has already mentioned teachers pensions are self funding.

As are the vast majority of NHS pensions too.

Seems to me the problem lies with paying out obscene money to the top 2-5% of the public sector, so those at the bottom of the chain have to pick up the bill.

The Conservative mantra, i think thats called.

 

[sparklebox]

Would i be right in assuming that you are quite young? The only reason i ask is that I don't give a crap about pensions at the moment, but that's because i think i'm still too young to fully appreciate them or care about having a pension. However, for these teachers that are 40 or 50 - their pension is everything. The holy grail. And that's why i think they are striking so hard.

I think you might have a mixture of being very new to the job, and so full of enthusiasm and at the same time, quite young so not really thinking about retirement. On the other hand, some teachers have been in the job 30 years and have seen how much everything is changed - they just want their pension and to get out.

Yes I am only 21 and I see your point, it isn't a huge priority of mine at the minute I admit, however I know that in 40+ years it will be. My main issue really is the critique of the teachers x

 

[Delvis]

Here they had one not long ago. It is now frozen for this year coming. Still better than that some of the cuts non teaching staff and private sector workers are facing.

SENCO worker recently had her pay dropped by over 7k

Indeed eh

 

[LOAM]

You need to read the posts in this thread, someone has already mentioned teachers pensions are self funding.

They might be deducting enough now to pay for future payments but it doesn’t work like does it. Deductions now are paying historical pensions, just like my NI payments aren’t being squirreled away awaiting my retirement.

 

[Morba]

Pfft, you obviously must be lying. Don't you know that teachers only do a 26 hour week, are gone from the school car park at 3.45pm and plan their entire days lessons on Monday morning during registration! OH and not forgetting the 4365346 week holidays they have.



Would i be right in assuming that you are quite young? The only reason i ask is that I don't give a crap about pensions at the moment, but that's because i think i'm still too young to fully appreciate them or care about having a pension. However, for these teachers that are 40 or 50 - their pension is everything. The holy grail. And that's why i think they are striking so hard.

I think you might have a mixture of being very new to the job, and so full of enthusiasm and at the same time, quite young so not really thinking about retirement. On the other hand, some teachers have been in the job 30 years and have seen how much everything is changed - they just want their pension and to get out.

I think this is the only thing that I support in this strike. The older ones who have contributed for so long should not be included in this change. The reform should only affect newer people into the profession, not those that are expecting to retire some time soon.

 

[RDM]

I think this is the only thing that I support in this strike. The older ones who have contributed for so long should not be included in this change. The reform should only affect newer people into the profession, not those that are expecting to retire some time soon.

Is the change going to be retrospective or will all accrued benifits remain? The last place I worked at when they closed the final pension scheme all accrued benefits remained.

 

[the_candyman]

On the way to work this morning, I saw a group of college staff on the driveway to the college walking round in circles, chanting etc. Then I saw the security guard to the place giving them abuse to get off the grounds unless they want to work haha. Just another day in the Education sector.

 

[Gaygle]

Not really, my point is clear, teachers think they should be entitled to pay rise and big pensions when us private sector workers are getting cuts left right and centre and getting on with it.

I work in the private sector and i feel entitled to a pay rise every year. I would feel hard done by if i didn't get one. I think i read previously in this thread that teachers haven't received a pay rise for THREE years. Yet they got on with it. Now the government want to not give them pay rises AND slash their pensions.

Not only that but the private sector provides a lot more opportunity for employee's to make big money - something which will never ever be possible in the public sector. Sure the job security isn't as good for the private sector, but the increased opportunity to get a very highly paid job makes up for this.

 

[Biohazard]

They might be deducting enough now to pay for future payments but it doesn’t work like does it. Deductions now are paying historical pensions, just like my NI payments aren’t being squirreled away awaiting my retirement.

And the future payments as you put it are also reducing before these changes.

 

[Alpherah]

Fact of the matter is.
As a people we are greedy.
As a nation and a race we are greedy. Greed is the sole reason behind pretty much everything (good and bad) we have achieved, ever.
Medicine advancements? its not given away for free is it, it's sold back to the NHS/governments at an insane fee.

Teaching isn't exactly desirable as it is, apparently. Whilst picking a university we had tons of government bods telling us ohh, look your grades were awesome, how about becoming a teacher?
We see it all the time, they have too many bad teachers, and not enough good ones.. hell, not enough teachers full stop in some cases.

Squeezing them even more, whilst many see it as being 'fair' considering the squeeze upon themselves, is only going to be to the countries detriment in the long run.

 

[Gaygle]

Here they had one not long ago. It is now frozen for this year coming. Still better than that some of the cuts non teaching staff and private sector workers are facing.

SENCO worker recently had her pay dropped by over 7k

Indeed, a £7k drop is a lot. But were they earning £26k? Probably not, they were probably on quite a lot of their pay was cut by £7k.

And when the country is in a better position and is back on it's feet (fingers crossed!) her pay is likely to increase again. However, once these teacher pension changes are made - that's it - it will never be reversed.

 

[topshot]

I work in the private sector and i feel entitled to a pay rise every year. I would feel hard done by if i didn't get one. I think i read previously in this thread that teachers haven't received a pay rise for THREE years. Yet they got on with it. Now the government want to not give them pay rises AND slash their pensions.

Not only that but the private sector provides a lot more opportunity for employee's to make big money - something which will never ever be possible in the public sector. Sure the job security isn't as good for the private sector, but the increased opportunity to get a very highly paid job makes up for this.

The school down the road from me had a payrise last financial year and this year had it frozen. Compared to the non teachers who had jobs restructured and pay cuts.
The private sector allows for big money? really? the majority of public sector workers are not on big money, nor have job security and they dont all have pensions schemes.

 

[wildman]

Yes he can do that, but WE WANT GOOD PEOPLE TO BE TEACHERS.

Would you rather your child was taught by a well-educated, compassionate and hard-working person or a drop-out sloth?

Thats called industrial blackmail.

Next will be would you rather you parents were cared for in Hospital by mentally retarded doctors, howabout would you rather you buses were driven by schizophrenic crack heads.

Fact if you don't like it leave. This happens in the private sector on a regualr basis. My company pension is currently worth less than we all contributed. If i was to retiure this year I;d be living in a cardboard box under a bridge.

if teachers don't like the re-neg which needs to happen as we are getting to the stage where the old system was / will become unsustainable they cannot be allowed to hold the country to ransom with sentiments such as the above one you have given.

Why do you think the police currently are not allowed to strike, and the deal that is being brokered that will give them this right means removing a lot of their perks and overtime

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8038086/Police-offered-right-to-strike.html

 

[topshot]

Indeed, a £7k drop is a lot. But were they earning £26k? Probably not, they were probably on quite a lot of their pay was cut by £7k.

And when the country is in a better position and is back on it's feet (fingers crossed!) her pay is likely to increase again. However, once these teacher pension changes are made - that's it - it will never be reversed.

you would be suprised, the job restructure and pay cut means she now does more work for a lot less money

 

[PureAppleJuice]

That's what teacher training and reviews are for surely?

Yes, but what I'm saying is that those who shine brilliantly academically, are, well, in some cases, academic, not necessarily marvellous teachers. As I said, I have no idea how this reflect statistically nor do I have anything but anecdotal evidence to back up my statement. But, for example, at college, we had fantastic physics teacher whose brain simply worked on another level, he wasn't a people person, couldn't control the class however I have no doubt about his intellect. Similarly, at university, a well established academic, excellent peer reviews for his journals, but was crap at verbalising his work and subsequently crap at teaching complex topics to an audience who needed gradual introduction to such topics.

 

[Gaygle]

Let's talk about ethics here.. it is fundamentally wrong for teachers to stop teaching children or emergency services to stop responding for reasons of private gain. Private or Public sector workers have an absolute right to complain and raise disputes with their employers, but tax payers should not be held to ransom over their private industrial disputes.

So you think it would be right for teachers and the emergency services to be at the mercy of the Government? You think that a Government minister should be able to cut each and every teachers pensions by £250,000 with the flick of a pen and that teachers should be allowed to do nothing.

I realise the the Police are not allowed to strike but they have their own, unique ways of making life difficult for the Government that have a similar impact as striking.

 

[sparklebox]

I work in the private sector and i feel entitled to a pay rise every year. I would feel hard done by if i didn't get one. I think i read previously in this thread that teachers haven't received a pay rise for THREE years. Yet they got on with it. Now the government want to not give them pay rises AND slash their pensions.

Not only that but the private sector provides a lot more opportunity for employee's to make big money - something which will never ever be possible in the public sector. Sure the job security isn't as good for the private sector, but the increased opportunity to get a very highly paid job makes up for this.

I agree with this. It's a lack of payrise AND pension cuts x

 

[Alpherah]

Fact if you don't like it leavel[/url]

Dont worry, people are, people will and there wont be enough 'recruits' to fill the void, a void which is widening even before all of these pension and pay cuts.

 

[neil3k]

I'd just like to point out even though my missus is in a union which is striking she has gone in today so she doesn't let the kids down./