Strikes

[rachhere]

Universities are striking as well, and those disputes have been going on for quite some time. 

 

Reasons for striking are so complex, but its hard to bring together the numbers needed to vote for strike action unless there's deep rooted concern, and from my experience and observation at the heart of the majority of strike action isn't so much a concern about wages, but about protecting the future of the sector in which they are working. 

[Charl91]

I'm a teacher, and will be striking. 

 

I didn't strike previously (around 2015/2016) but definitely will be this time around. 

 

I used to take to heart all the comments about "lazy teachers". However, I've long since accepted they're from people that, sadly, have been failed by the education system. So maybe in a roundabout way it's penance that teachers deserve. 

[David Hankey]

All these strikes are an orchestrated effort by the trade unions designed to bring this Government down.

 

You can bet those trade union leaders are not losing a day's pay every time they call "everyone out"!!

[TJQuik]

Imagine looking at the kinds of jobs minimum wage workers have to do and being such a heartless twat that you think they shouldn't have financial security. Even doing that would be barely scratching the surface of what's wrong with this economic system, so to not even support that... I think even Atilla the hun would find you unpleasant

[foxile5]

26 minutes ago, David Hankey said:

All these strikes are an orchestrated effort by the trade unions designed to bring this Government down.

 

You can bet those trade union leaders are not losing a day's pay every time they call "everyone out"!!

The trade unions 'designed to bring this government down' actually precede this government and existed long before it.

 

Some excellent designing gone into that by the trade unionists.

 

'Alright lads. In sixty years we'll need to bring down a government through asking for fair pay'.

 

Christ alive.

[EnderbyFox]

1 hour ago, David Hankey said:

All these strikes are an orchestrated effort by the trade unions designed to bring this Government down.

 

You can bet those trade union leaders are not losing a day's pay every time they call "everyone out"!!

The leaders of the RMT donate their salary on strike days to the Dispute Hardship Fund which assists the most financially vulnerable members.

 

They do a lot more for the working class than this greedy, heartless government you claim they want to bring down. 

[Parafox]

1 hour ago, David Hankey said:

All these strikes are an orchestrated effort by the trade unions designed to bring this Government down.

 

You can bet those trade union leaders are not losing a day's pay every time they call "everyone out"!!

One THE most ignorant, deluded and outdated Tory posts ever on GC.

 

Take a look at yourself. You even manage to post crap on the matchday forum so why am I surprised?

Edited 17 January 2023 by Parafox

[LCFCJohn]

4 hours ago, rachhere said:

Universities are striking as well, and those disputes have been going on for quite some time. 

 

Reasons for striking are so complex, but its hard to bring together the numbers needed to vote for strike action unless there's deep rooted concern, and from my experience and observation at the heart of the majority of strike action isn't so much a concern about wages, but about protecting the future of the sector in which they are working. 

I work for a University, started last Easter and had multiple pay rises so think it takes the piss a bit compared to some of the others. 
 

Although I believe it is more related to pensions which is the part I agree with as people should choose there contributions. Some other issues involved as well but the pay is definitely not a problem!
 

On wider strikes, I agree people should not be left to struggle and the real time pay cuts through lack of rises is concerning. It is a difficult balance though and I don’t think it’s as simple as just giving everyone what they want as it isn’t how an economy works…

[HighPeakFox]

2 hours ago, David Hankey said:

All these strikes are an orchestrated effort by the trade unions designed to bring this Government down.

 

You can bet those trade union leaders are not losing a day's pay every time they call "everyone out"!!

With absolutely no respect whatsoever, this point of view is utterly despicable and utterly desperate. 

[Corky]

I like how "bringing this Government down" is typed as a negative.

[FoxesDeb]

Got to love a good Daily Mail reader bingo thread 

[Bordersfox]

2 hours ago, Charl91 said:

I'm a teacher, and will be striking. 

 

I didn't strike previously (around 2015/2016) but definitely will be this time around. 

 

I used to take to heart all the comments about "lazy teachers". However, I've long since accepted they're from people that, sadly, have been failed by the education system. So maybe in a roundabout way it's penance that teachers deserve. 

Absolutely not a penance you deserve.  

 

The old 'look at the holidays they get' trope winds me right up and I'm not a teacher.  A complete lack of understanding of what being a teacher involves, the stresses and the pressure.  

 

A society that rewards people who gamble the money of others with obscene bonuses but penny pinches over those who, quite literally, are the caretakers of our future and our sick and in need is a sick, sick society.

 

I support you and many others do as well.  Solidarity 👊

[foxile5]

45 minutes ago, Bordersfox said:

Absolutely not a penance you deserve.  

 

The old 'look at the holidays they get' trope winds me right up and I'm not a teacher.  A complete lack of understanding of what being a teacher involves, the stresses and the pressure.  

 

A society that rewards people who gamble the money of others with obscene bonuses but penny pinches over those who, quite literally, are the caretakers of our future and our sick and in need is a sick, sick society.

 

I support you and many others do as well.  Solidarity 👊

The holidays thing is disingenuous but hard to explain to the public. They see that teachers don't work in the summer.

 

However, teachers are not paid for time off beyond the statutory amount. Teachers have the regulation amount of PAID holiday that is unselectable. The rest is unpaid and the salary is paid pro-rata. 

[Vlad the Fox]

Schools are heading for a crisis if things aren’t sorted soon. More and more teachers are becoming disillusioned and leaving the job. 
 

Also something that’s never mentioned anywhere but pre-schools are struggling too. The minimum wage has been increasing over a number of years yet the fees they can charge stay the same. While the cost of wages increases by hundreds for pre-schools, there’s no extra coming in and especially for smaller settings staff are contributing in buying equipment and resources more and more and they’re having to raise money for themselves more and more or tap parents up. Staff were also working through Covid and often brought the virus into their own homes as parents would still send kids with Covid symptoms. 

[rachhere]

2 hours ago, LCFCJohn said:

I work for a University, started last Easter and had multiple pay rises so think it takes the piss a bit compared to some of the others. 
 

Although I believe it is more related to pensions which is the part I agree with as people should choose there contributions. Some other issues involved as well but the pay is definitely not a problem!
 

On wider strikes, I agree people should not be left to struggle and the real time pay cuts through lack of rises is concerning. It is a difficult balance though and I don’t think it’s as simple as just giving everyone what they want as it isn’t how an economy works…

I can definitely see that there is greater need in other sectors, but it doesn’t mean it should be a race to the bottom. there are deep rooted issues in HE

- Insecure contacts (I worked at my uni for 12 years before I got a permanent contact)

- underplaying the time it takes to do casualised work, meaning that staff are working less than minimum wage

- Excessive workload (my workload calculation for the last two years has been 120% of full time - and that seems fairly consistent at least where I work)

- Devaluing of the pension scheme, meaning that people are losing a lot of value on their pension schemes and it’s less favourable moving forward (good pensions was always the compromise for people who could have earned more in the private sector)

- Marketisation of higher education which is leading to a poorer experience for students and putting many historically poorer universities at risk financially 

 

 

Edited 17 January 2023 by rachhere

[somebum]

Co ordinated chaos

[Col city fan]

Never known the country to be in this level of mess. Health waiting times and staffing levels are fooked, teachers leaving in droves, tons of strikes planned or taking place at the moment.

This is far and away the worst administration I’ve ever known. From appointing a PM for a few weeks, to now having an accountant in charge.

The writing has been on the wall for years. This isn’t only about covid. In health and social care, for example, the staff shortages have been a problem for a very long time.

It’s no surprise to me whatsoever. Moral standards have declined, people’s level of expectation and being able to exercise their rights has gone through the roof, and we just can’t afford it. The NHS is probably the best example. It was formulated in 1947 based on the principle of ‘social insurance’ ie people got out what they paid in. There are now so many people taking from the NHS who have never paid anything into it, that it just can’t cope. Demand massively outweighs supply. It’ll not change now I don’t think. Unless it’s hit with even more billions it’ll have to be privatised even more. 

[LCFCJohn]

21 minutes ago, rachhere said:

I can definitely see that there is greater need in other sectors, but it doesn’t mean it should be a race to the bottom. there are deep rooted issues in HE

- Insecure contacts (I worked at my uni for 12 years before I got a permanent contact)

- underplaying the time it takes to do casualised work, meaning that staff are working less than minimum wage

- Excessive workload (my workload calculation for the last two years has been 120% of full time - and that seems fairly consistent at least where I work)

- Devaluing of the pension scheme, meaning that people are losing a lot of value on their pension schemes and it’s less favourable moving forward (good pensions was always the compromise for people who could have earned more in the private sector)

- Marketisation of higher education which is leading to a poorer experience for students and putting many historically poorer universities at risk financially 

 

 

Yeah that summaries the other issues out was referring to, you are more knowledgeable than me on it. I know that the pensions are a massive issue.

 

I guess I just see it as an overall positive sector compared to others and cannot complain in the slightest at my experience. The University is clearly trying their best to keep up with cost of living and inflation in terms of the pay issue at least.

 

I take more issue in the general lack of organisation across the institution if anything, like processes and procedures that could be done more efficiently or have department more cohesive. That is a bigger issue for me personally than anything the strikes are about. 

[rachhere]

11 minutes ago, LCFCJohn said:

Yeah that summaries the other issues out was referring to, you are more knowledgeable than me on it. I know that the pensions are a massive issue.

 

I guess I just see it as an overall positive sector compared to others and cannot complain in the slightest at my experience. The University is clearly trying their best to keep up with cost of living and inflation in terms of the pay issue at least.

 

I take more issue in the general lack of organisation across the institution if anything, like processes and procedures that could be done more efficiently or have department more cohesive. That is a bigger issue for me personally than anything the strikes are about. 

Don’t start me on university systems! The amount of expenses I haven’t claimed back because I just can’t face our not fit for purpose finance systems..! 
 

I think it really depends on role and what type of university you work in. I work in a research intensive uni and the expectations on staff to tick all the different boxes (high quality teaching, research, impact from research, winning of grants, taking on strategic roles to name a few) is a lot. I am fortunate that I think I deal with it better than most, but it’s difficult seeing colleagues really struggling with their mental health as a result of it all. 

Edited 17 January 2023 by rachhere

[Zear0]

1 hour ago, rachhere said:

Don’t start me on university systems! The amount of expenses I haven’t claimed back because I just can’t face our not fit for purpose finance systems..! 
 

I think it really depends on role and what type of university you work in. I work in a research intensive uni and the expectations on staff to tick all the different boxes (high quality teaching, research, impact from research, winning of grants, taking on strategic roles to name a few) is a lot. I am fortunate that I think I deal with it better than most, but it’s difficult seeing colleagues really struggling with their mental health as a result of it all. 

So I picked a good time to move into the sector then..?

[rachhere]

12 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

So I picked a good time to move into the sector then..?

Ha! Still couldn’t see myself doing anything else.  

[ozleicester]

6 hours ago, somebum said:

Co ordinated chaos

Yep, but you can vote them out at the next General election

[LCFCJohn]

7 hours ago, rachhere said:

Don’t start me on university systems! The amount of expenses I haven’t claimed back because I just can’t face our not fit for purpose finance systems..! 
 

I think it really depends on role and what type of university you work in. I work in a research intensive uni and the expectations on staff to tick all the different boxes (high quality teaching, research, impact from research, winning of grants, taking on strategic roles to name a few) is a lot. I am fortunate that I think I deal with it better than most, but it’s difficult seeing colleagues really struggling with their mental health as a result of it all. 

I always refer to it as the United States of organisations, one organisation but every department doing its own thing like each state!

 

Ours are good at increasing staff numbers, bigger teams to spread workload to avoid that so I don’t have those issues.

 

I just think it’s a world away from what I did before which was social housing. That was a miserable environment and despite increasing workload and depend, staff numbers were reduced due to external financial factors but it was shocking. And no meaningful pay rises. So now being in the HE sector is such a better experience!

[Jon the Hat]

7 hours ago, Col city fan said:

Never known the country to be in this level of mess. Health waiting times and staffing levels are fooked, teachers leaving in droves, tons of strikes planned or taking place at the moment.

This is far and away the worst administration I’ve ever known. From appointing a PM for a few weeks, to now having an accountant in charge.

The writing has been on the wall for years. This isn’t only about covid. In health and social care, for example, the staff shortages have been a problem for a very long time.

It’s no surprise to me whatsoever. Moral standards have declined, people’s level of expectation and being able to exercise their rights has gone through the roof, and we just can’t afford it. The NHS is probably the best example. It was formulated in 1947 based on the principle of ‘social insurance’ ie people got out what they paid in. There are now so many people taking from the NHS who have never paid anything into it, that it just can’t cope. Demand massively outweighs supply. It’ll not change now I don’t think. Unless it’s hit with even more billions it’ll have to be privatised even more. 

Rishi Sunak is not and has never been an accountant.

 

The NHS has so many problems it is hard to even grasp how to fix it.  The problem facing the govt right now is that is they given everyone a huge payrise, they have even less money to employ more people to fill the gaps, and to try and improve.

[CosbehFox]

12 hours ago, David Hankey said:

All these strikes are an orchestrated effort by the trade unions designed to bring this Government down.

 

You can bet those trade union leaders are not losing a day's pay every time they call "everyone out"!!

People kind of forgot that every strike trade unions announce is subject to a ballot from its members…..