Teachers Strike

[Smudge]

I have such an easy job, which is why I'm still planning lessons at gone midnight!

Do it at the pub, you'd be done by 7

[Guest ttfn]

It is precisely because 'real world economics' apply to me that I have withdrawn my labour.

This will probably infuriate you even more but we are currently paid for 195 days (190 teaching) and a total of 1265 hours. Last week, in the non real world' I worked an additional 20 hours unpaid, the week before I worked 35 additional hours. I could have walked out of the theatre early leaving the students unsupervised, cancelled the football match, left the books unmarked, not planned every lesson, cancelled meetings with parents, not liaised with external agencies because the 'real world economics' meant I was providing my time for free but, because I'm a soppy sod, I didn't.

Just for the record, you could work 20 hours a week extra per week, every week of the year and still average only 47 hours a week, normalised for 5 weeks' holiday.

I don't think I know anybody who DOESN'T average 47 hours a week all-in in my line of work. It's hardly back-breaking stuff.

[Strokes]

Just for the record, you could work 20 hours a week extra per week, every week of the year and still average only 47 hours a week, normalised for 5 weeks' holiday.

I don't think I know anybody who DOESN'T average 47 hours a week all-in in my line of work. It's hardly back-breaking stuff.

One of my friends who is a teacher, was moaning because she has to pay premium rate for any holidays abroad (because she cant holiday term time). Unbelievable

[lcfc81]

Just for the record, you could work 20 hours a week extra per week, every week of the year and still average only 47 hours a week, normalised for 5 weeks' holiday.

I don't think I know anybody who DOESN'T average 47 hours a week all-in in my line of work. It's hardly back-breaking stuff.

I don't see anyone lining up to take a pop at you and your job though? or asiming they know about the conditions or current reforms taking place within it, with (what appears) to be little research on the matter. also i am sure you would have something to say if you felt you were being treated unfairly?

This thread is a perfect examples of why teachers went on strike, because for a day (informed or uniformed) people spoke about education and their opinions on the conditions, that has dwindled away then stopped because it doesn't effect anyone now. Hopefully people have been made aware that the teaching profession is becoming unhappy.

Just out of interest why would anyone 'normalise' their working hours when they have joined a profession that has a contract that has fixed holidays written into (as everyone was aware and open to pursue) do mp's normalise their contracts for the huge holidays they get?

[lcfc81]

One of my friends who is a teacher, was moaning because she has to pay premium rate for any holidays abroad (because she cant holiday term time). Unbelievable

Your friend is a real person with real financial constraints and responsibilities. She clearly feels her 'constraints' are having an effect on her ability to access holidays, quite a reasonable think to talk to her friend about.

The same applies to any job, when my friend talks to me about his bad back due to years of building I don't think 'unbelievable' didn't he know every builder gets this! Or my mate who is a travelling sales man who complains of the hours he spends in the car etc.

it is something that is real to her and an experience she is going to share in conversation to a friend surely?

[Guest ttfn]

I don't see anyone lining up to take a pop at you and your job though? or asiming they know about the conditions or current reforms taking place within it, with (what appears) to be little research on the matter. also i am sure you would have something to say if you felt you were being treated unfairly?

This thread is a perfect examples of why teachers went on strike, because for a day (informed or uniformed) people spoke about education and their opinions on the conditions, that has dwindled away then stopped because it doesn't effect anyone now. Hopefully people have been made aware that the teaching profession is becoming unhappy.

Just out of interest why would anyone 'normalise' their working hours when they have joined a profession that has a contract that has fixed holidays written into (as everyone was aware and open to pursue) do mp's normalise their contracts for the huge holidays they get?

I mean, I was normalising it to make it sound like you did more work than you do, because presumably you're not doing your extra 20 hours a week in your holidays.

So actually it would be more like 45 hours a week average if you don't want to normalise:

Look, I sympathise with anybody who doesn't get what they signed up for. Moving the goalposts as regards pensions etc is not really on in theory, nor are wholesale changes to the industry without adequate consultation with those who are on the frontline.

But the fact of the matter is this. Public sector or private sector, there is no money. It's all well-and-good banging on about raising standards, pay and conditions across the board and I'd love to see that, I really would. But there is no money. This is as much a public sector problem as a private sector problem.

[lcfc81]

I mean, I was normalising it to make it sound like you did more work than you do, because presumably you're not doing your extra 20 hours a week in your holidays.

So actually it would be more like 45 hours a week average if you don't want to normalise:

Look, I sympathise with anybody who doesn't get what they signed up for. Moving the goalposts as regards pensions etc is not really on in theory, nor are wholesale changes to the industry without adequate consultation with those who are on the frontline.

But the fact of the matter is this. Public sector or private sector, there is no money. It's all well-and-good banging on about raising standards, pay and conditions across the board and I'd love to see that, I really would. But there is no money. This is as much a public sector problem as a private sector problem.

To be fair I agree about the money, things are tough and we all have to tough it out together.

[BoneDog]

There is plenty of money. The problem is that it is being syphoned into a few hands and used on lots of dodgy schemes.

 

The people whose hands the money is being syphoned to are not toughing anything out - they're literally laughing all the way to the bank with taxpayers money.

[Matt]

Got into abit of an argument with some teachers (That I know) last night, unintentionally, basically they were asking me what hours I do I said 50 - 60 hours on average, sometimes less, sometime more, usually more, in recent weeks i've even done a couple of 70 hour weeks, anyway there response was 'Huh, welcome to teachers hours', my response was 'Yeah shame I don't get your money though', they didn't like that. Truth hurts?

 

Get the fuck on with it, they knew what salary and incentives were there, they knew what the job entailed, and it was their career choice, don't moan about it, if they don't like it get out. Life's full of choice, life's full of opinion's, only individual's can change things to make them happy.

[Guest ttfn]

Got into abit of an argument with some teachers (That I know) last night, unintentionally, basically they were asking me what hours I do I said 50 - 60 hours on average, sometimes less, sometime more, usually more, in recent weeks i've even done a couple of 70 hour weeks, anyway there response was 'Huh, welcome to teachers hours', my response was 'Yeah shame I don't get your money though', they didn't like that. Truth hurts?

Get the fuck on with it, they knew what salary and incentives were there, they knew what the job entailed, and it was their career choice, don't moan about it, if they don't like it get out. Life's full of choice, life's full of opinion's, only individual's can change things to make them happy.

Life seems to be full of apostrophes too...

[Matt]

Life seems to be full of apostrophes too...

 

What can I say, poor teaching at school when I was there.

[sdb]

The annoying thing about public sector workers including teachers is that they seem to think that they deserve to keep their pay/pensions etc at the expense of everybody working in the private sector.

 

I'd take 20k a year if that meant I got the amount of holiday they do... what is it? Like 12 weeks a year?

 

do it then...

 

you'd be surprised how much you work during those 'holidays'

[leicsmac]

Got into abit of an argument with some teachers (That I know) last night, unintentionally, basically they were asking me what hours I do I said 50 - 60 hours on average, sometimes less, sometime more, usually more, in recent weeks i've even done a couple of 70 hour weeks, anyway there response was 'Huh, welcome to teachers hours', my response was 'Yeah shame I don't get your money though', they didn't like that. Truth hurts?

Get the fuck on with it, they knew what salary and incentives were there, they knew what the job entailed, and it was their career choice, don't moan about it, if they don't like it get out. Life's full of choice, life's full of opinion's, only individual's can change things to make them happy.

I would say they're making a choice by getting aggravated by politicians screwing with something they know little about, wouldn't you?

Moving the goalposts regarding pensions isn't even the real issue - that's happening everywhere, sign of the times, though I know I'd be annoyed if the incentives for taking the job that I saw when I started were being taken away . The issue is the wholesale changes being implemented for no good reason.

I honestly don't get the 'oh my job is suffering so you need to bend over too' argument. The mainstream media have done a magnificent job of turning public and private sector workers against each other.

[sdb]

Got into abit of an argument with some teachers (That I know) last night, unintentionally, basically they were asking me what hours I do I said 50 - 60 hours on average, sometimes less, sometime more, usually more, in recent weeks i've even done a couple of 70 hour weeks, anyway there response was 'Huh, welcome to teachers hours', my response was 'Yeah shame I don't get your money though', they didn't like that. Truth hurts?

 

Get the fuck on with it, they knew what salary and incentives were there, they knew what the job entailed, and it was their career choice, don't moan about it, if they don't like it get out. Life's full of choice, life's full of opinion's, only individual's can change things to make them happy.

 

 

That's the whole point of the strikes!! The goal posts keep getting moved so all the stuff we 'knew' about the profession is now being changed or taken away. 

 

Do people read threads before contributing?

[Charl91]

Got into abit of an argument with some teachers (That I know) last night, unintentionally, basically they were asking me what hours I do I said 50 - 60 hours on average, sometimes less, sometime more, usually more, in recent weeks i've even done a couple of 70 hour weeks, anyway there response was 'Huh, welcome to teachers hours', my response was 'Yeah shame I don't get your money though', they didn't like that. Truth hurts?

 

Get the fuck on with it, they knew what salary and incentives were there, they knew what the job entailed, and it was their career choice, don't moan about it, if they don't like it get out. Life's full of choice, life's full of opinion's, only individual's can change things to make them happy.

 

You do realise they're all being changed, right? 

[Matt]

Still a fairly decent salary there for them, a great starting salary that for sure.

 

I'm not exactly 100% sure on how the pension changes effect them but if i'm honest i'm gonna be ****ed over because I had no pay rise last year, not had one this year apparently the workplace pension thing is coming in for alot of companies next year so that will be classed as my payrise next year, so in reality it's going to be atleast 4 years since i've had a payrise, then I highly doubt there will be a state pension when I come to retire, luckly I payed into a saving account and made my own little saving/pension that day I start work at 16. Look, everyone's fucked over, simple as that really, not saying it's right.

[leicsmac]

Still a fairly decent salary there for them, a great starting salary that for sure.

 

I'm not exactly 100% sure on how the pension changes effect them but if i'm honest i'm gonna be ****ed over because I had no pay rise last year, not had one this year apparently the workplace pension thing is coming in for alot of companies next year so that will be classed as my payrise next year, so in reality it's going to be atleast 4 years since i've had a payrise, then I highly doubt there will be a state pension when I come to retire, luckly I payed into a saving account and made my own little saving/pension that day I start work at 16. Look, everyone's fucked over, simple as that really, not saying it's right.

 

Ain't that the damn truth. 

 

And therein is the massive root problem - lots and lots of ordinary people, private and public sector, getting fvcked over through no fault of their own. But unable to stand up and present a united front because of the divisions created by mass media and simple difference of opinion.

[Rincewind]

Ain't that the damn truth. 

 

And therein is the massive root problem - lots and lots of ordinary people, private and public sector, getting fvcked over through no fault of their own. But unable to stand up and present a united front because of the divisions created by mass media and simple difference of opinion.

I've been saying this for a long time.

[sdb]

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/sep/30/michael-gove-destruction-of-school-democracy

 

This is a great read at summing up exactly what a nobhead Gove is. I've never known someone so out of their depth in a job, including Junior Lewis as a football player. 

[Tielemans63]

Ain't that the damn truth.

And therein is the massive root problem - lots and lots of ordinary people, private and public sector, getting fvcked over through no fault of their own. But unable to stand up and present a united front because of the divisions created by mass media and simple difference of opinion.

Great post. Couldn't agree more. A convenient deflection away from the greedy feckless ***** who got us into this mess and who are relatively unaffected.

[Tielemans63]

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/sep/30/michael-gove-destruction-of-school-democracy

This is a great read at summing up exactly what a nobhead Gove is. I've never known someone so out of their depth in a job, including Junior Lewis as a football player.

This is why I hate the ****er - he's done so much damage during his time in office. He has a vision of what he wants education to look like and the fact that's it's totally unworkable hasn't stopped him from continuing on his path of destruction.

Cameron is just as culpable for giving him the position and then allowing him to make such a terrible job of it.

[katieakita]

As always many on here have no clue what they are not about. The wife is a headteacher i run a Post Office, well we have HMG trying to shut us down left,right and centre, we can't strike we can't get union representation and deal with plenty of crap but couldn't do her job and everything that goes with it. As for 12 weeks holidays i would like to know when. The country has not been messed up by greedy teachers, doctors, nurses, Police Officers, Firefighters or Council workers. Look towards the banking sector and remember the likes of Fred Goodwin he had a £10 million pension pot that he was entitled to because it was in his contract. Banks have paid billions in bonus payments because it was in contracts, thats ok but others moan about contract and working condition changes they are called greedy, lazy etc etc.

 

As for last week she did not strike and has struck one day in her life and hated it, as for pensions she is paying in plenty and would be surprised if it isn't worth a decent sum when we get to retirement age.My occupation sees many get plenty of state benefits having put in nothing but then they are a different matter.   

[Tielemans63]

What I find equally, if not more annoying is that this was a golden opportunity for Labour and Stephen Twigg (wouldn't blame you if you have to Google him!) in particular to put their flag in the ground and say "this is what we would do".

Instead they've done nothing and said nothing which is just typical of the Labour party right now. Their whole strategy seems to be to keep pretty quiet hope that the British people are so fed up of the coalition that they gain power by default. Whatever happened to proper politicians?

[Haydos]

Got into abit of an argument with some teachers (That I know) last night, unintentionally, basically they were asking me what hours I do I said 50 - 60 hours on average, sometimes less, sometime more, usually more, in recent weeks i've even done a couple of 70 hour weeks, anyway there response was 'Huh, welcome to teachers hours', my response was 'Yeah shame I don't get your money though', they didn't like that. Truth hurts?

 

Get the fuck on with it, they knew what salary and incentives were there, they knew what the job entailed, and it was their career choice, don't moan about it, if they don't like it get out. Life's full of choice, life's full of opinion's, only individual's can change things to make them happy.

 

What do you do where you work 60+ hours a week and don't earn a decent whack on it? Even on min wage with overtime pay you must be earning £20,000+ before tax...

[Strokes]

What do you do where you work 60+ hours a week and don't earn a decent whack on it? Even on min wage with overtime pay you must be earning £20,000+ before tax...

Could be on a salary, I had a job about six years ago if you looked at the pay packet per hours worked was below min wage on occasions. We did get nice Xmas bonuses and perks and it wasn't all that often but it can easily happen.