27% turnout yet they are still going on strike.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19519839

Teachers in England and Wales have voted to go on strike over what they are calling the "erosion" of their pay and working conditions.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said that 82.5% of the members who voted were in favour of walkouts. The turnout was 27%.

They will campaign alongside the other big teachers' union, the NASUWT, to safeguard their profession, they said.

The result raises the threat of disruption to schools later this term.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said her union had been left with no option but to "protect the well-being" of her members.

When is someone going to be brave enough to stand up to the various unions?
 
When we have fair and equitable use of power by the hands of management....

That or hell freezes over
 
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Equitable. Not equatable.

Teachers have a fairly rough time of it. Striking wont change that, but I don't really blame a fraction of them for thinking it's worth a go.
 
Equitable. Not equatable.

Teachers have a fairly rough time of it. Striking wont change that, but I don't really blame a fraction of them for thinking it's worth a go.

So tough that only just over a quarter though it was serious enough to vote?
 
Should just sack all the teachers & burn down all the schools then we could start again with a Program that actually teaches kids to live & work rather than remember **** loads of data that's been read & re read for the last few hundred years.
 
I really do not understand why teachers seem to constantly strike... They're paid well (starting is ~£24k I think?). On top of that, they get a crazy amount of time off (which I think far outweighs the extra hour or two a day planning/marking).

I'm basing all of this on acquaintances who happen to be teachers, so I'd be more than happy for someone more in the know to fill me in!
 
Equitable. Not equatable.

Teachers have a fairly rough time of it. Striking wont change that, but I don't really blame a fraction of them for thinking it's worth a go.

Yeah, above average wages, below average working hours and above average holiday entitlement......sounds pretty rough. :D

As for the vote, it is as valid as any General Election, if the other 73% wanted to dispute the strike action they would have voted against it.
 
Yeah, above average wages, below average working hours and above average holiday entitlement......sounds pretty rough. :D

As for the vote, it is as valid as any General Election, if the other 73% wanted to dispute the strike action they would have voted against it.

True on the second point, its rather pointless discussing.

But i must say this, when your job happens to be one of the most important, it seems quite valid.
 
In truth, it's only the recent graduates I know anything about. Even the ones who still like kids are hating Ofsted inspections and being sent to schools over an hour away from where they live.

Working hours within term times are not below average, though the very long holidays do largely make up for that. Above average wages seems reasonable to me, they can do a lot of good or a lot of harm to society.
 
Yeah, above average wages, below average working hours and above average holiday entitlement......sounds pretty rough. :D

As for the vote, it is as valid as any General Election, if the other 73% wanted to dispute the strike action they would have voted against it.

It isn't just T&C's, they feel like a punch bag for Government... like the rest of the public sector and civil service.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18233883

They set out grievances on a wide range of issues - including pay and pensions - but they focused on their belief that teachers were being subjected to unfair public attacks from government.

Such an undermining of their position made them feel that "there was more stability in the wild west", said Ms Keates.

She said unlike other areas of public service reform, changes in education were characterised by "an almost daily denigration" of professional staff.

I sympathise, this Government is not fit to manage staff in anything other than an abusive and offensive manner.
 
People also forget that practically no one takes up the position of head teacher any more, it isnt worth it, so general teachers are then forced to pick up slack they shouldn't have to, just because being a headteacher is worse pay than a teacher is.
 
It isn't just T&C's, they feel like a punch bag for Government... like the rest of the public sector and civil service.


It is no different in the private sector either, with management protecting their bottom lines and profit growth margins with ever increasing attacks on their work force. It isn't limited to the Public Sector..in fact the public sector are somewhat better off as they are generally better protected both within their terms and conditions and more widespread union membership.

To be honest I get bored listening to the public sector workers bleating on as if they are the only ones feeling the pinch...when in many cases they are better off in terms of wages, job security and working terms and conditions than many comparable private sector employees.

It is pretty hard for everyone at the moment. My wife's firm has actually given everyone what is effectively an IOU for their pay increases and contractual bonuses this year...if they actually get them is debatable.
 
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People also forget that practically no one takes up the position of head teacher any more, it isnt worth it, so general teachers are then forced to pick up slack they shouldn't have to, just because being a headteacher is worse pay than a teacher is.

I know a head teacher of a secondary school, who earns a 6 figure salary, so I would dispute what you have said....also average wages of headteachers even at their lowest are still substantial when compared to average wages and average teaching wages.
 
A friend who graduated from university in June this year just started as a teacher in a relatively local school. She got the job fresh out of uni, starting on £22k with a guaranteed pay rise every year she stays with that school.

Doesn't sound too bad at that end at least!
 
A friend who graduated from university in June this year just started as a teacher in a relatively local school. She got the job fresh out of uni, starting on £22k with a guaranteed pay rise every year she stays with that school.

Doesn't sound too bad at that end at least!

Where I work (IT company) grads start on £27k, and we're considered an average payer.
 
Not all teachers have cushy hours: there is a huge amount of paperwork and lots of staying late. Even the summer holidays are riddled with training days and catch-up. Plus, factor in that they have to pay massive amounts to actually go on holiday compared to any other job out there. Frankly, I wouldn't mind if teachers were paid six figures. Our teachers should be the best of our society. It's the National Curriculum that really needs an extreme home makeover.
 
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To be honest I get bored listening to the public sector workers bleating on as if they are the only ones feeling the pinch...when in many cases they are better off in terms of wages, job security and working terms and conditions than many comparable private sector employees.

I dispute that. A lot of Public Sector workers are low paid. They also tend to be women and the conditions aren't as ideal as people outside the public sector think. These people are being punished disproportionally. Somehow the government thinks that getting rid of loads of these minimum wage cleaners, admin clerks and teaching assistants is going to solve the problem. Instead, because of the demographic of these works it just makes the poor poorer and the worse off areas worse.

Shortsightedness in the extreme.
 
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