[Closed] That strike next week ,thursday

seems just council workers going out[s],bit of disruption[/s] for some summertime rays

FTFY.

I think one day strikes are fairly pointless. If you are in dispute you shouldn't return to work until a settlement has been negotiated. Otherwise they are just a mild inconvenience like a royal wedding.

It's quite ridiculous imo going back to work the next day when everything is exactly the same as it was before.

I think one day strikes are fairly pointless. If you are in dispute you shouldn't return to work until a settlement has been negotiated. Otherwise they are just a mild inconvenience like a royal wedding.

Or a poncey road race in Yorkshire 😈

Only jokin.....................or am I 😆

utterly pointless.. no one cares less , including most of those on strike, i worked for one public servant who was on strike recently she didnt understand it but said the day off was useful for housework without the kids..

if you want to make a point show you mean it by going off till issue resolved if not your wasting only your own time.

Should the striking teachers take this advice?

The govt are screwing public services for all their worth - changing funding, working conditions and pension conditions without accountability. In the education sector almost all schools are looking at massive holes in their budgets - about £500,000 short next year in the school I work in, and even more in others. One local school is having to make 16 staff redundant next year.

Striking, even one day strikes, do make an impact. As it shows them we aren't taking it lying down. I'll be marching and making my voice heard. Now have a think - do you want a country where all state enterprise had been run in to the ground and then eventually fragmented and privatised (probably sold some of the Tory's rich mates)? Because that's what the current government are trying yo do.

it shows them we aren't taking it lying down

So you're not taking it lying down, so what ? You're still going to take it aren't you ? Even if you do moan and whinge about it.

And that's the only thing this government wants to know, ie, that even if you do inconvenience people for one day when it's all over you'll still accept their demands.

Even just the [i]threat[/i] of indefinite industrial action would have stopped this government from shafting you, if that threat was credible. But they know that you don't feel strongly enough to manage anything more than a pretty pointless one day stoppage. So they will win - that's an absolute certainty.

Don't delude yourself into believing that they will rush back to the negotiating table because you took a day off which their mates who own the press will very conveniently use to vilify you.

Pita again for us. Mrs ws has had to have a day off due to schools being shut. The only thing it seems to achieve at school, is kick up the usual bullshit arguments in the playground of "its fine for the schools to close but what when I want to take little Johnny to alton towers etc"

IMHO, Home ownership has killed off the ability to strike. Massive mortgage payments mean that people can't afford to give up a couple of weeks or months pay and unlike rent arrears in social housing, there's very little negotiating with a bank.

It was the best stroke that Thatcher ever pulled in undermining the power of the unions.

So you're not taking it lying down, so what ? You're still going to take it aren't you ? Even if you do moan and whinge about it.

And that's the only thing this government wants to know, ie, that even if you do inconvenience people for one day when it's all over you'll still accept their demands.

Even just the threat of indefinite industrial action would have stopped this government from shafting you, if that threat was credible. But they know that you don't feel strongly enough to manage anything more than a pretty pointless one day stoppage. So they will win - that's an absolute certainty.

Don't delude yourself into believing that they will rush back to the negotiating table because you took a day off which their mates who own the press will very conveniently use to vilify you.

To a certain extent you are right - though I think you are being overly cynical. A big part of the problem is that most people in the public sector, i.e. Teachers, nurses, firemen, etc. are usually in their job because they want to help people. Yes, it's a wage too, but at the end of the day most of us are in it because we have a 'calling' (sounds cliched, but probably true). So the catch 22 I that if we were to go on indefinite strike we would be hurting those we are out to help - and the govt know this. However, this strike on Thursday shows that more of the unions are beginning to work together. If this continues, I foresee a few 1 or 2 day general strikes in the near future.

A big part of the problem is that most people in the public sector, i.e. Teachers, nurses, firemen, etc. are usually in their job because they want to help people. Yes, it's a wage too, but at the end of the day most of us are in it because we have a 'calling' (sounds cliched, but probably true). So the catch 22 I that if we were to go on indefinite strike we would be hurting those we are out to help - and the govt know this

You're right, it'd be difficult to get and maintain any public support if it's the public that are going to feel the impact the most.
You'd be better off looking at ways to frustrate the admin of the services on a large scale.

Its not a General strike but a strike day off by various small groups fragmneted and with no real power, now if it was the power workers or bus drivers/train drivers, uk plc would grind to a very slow halt.

Weird, London underground power workers, those that control the current are now on strike for 8 days.Not much about that on the tabloid press/media, but reporte on Russia Today

Obviously people on this thread fail to appreciate the indirect effects of a strike. Teacher may not walk out and not come back but the effects on other peoples lives may convince them not to vote for those fanning the flames. Obviously this is a bit too subtle for some on here.

Its not a General strike but a strike day off by various small groups fragmneted and with no real power, now if it was the power workers or bus drivers/train drivers, uk plc would grind to a very slow halt.

I didn't say it was a general strike. However, I'd say that about a million public sector workers striking from the FBU, PCS, NUT, Unison, GMB and Unite, is more than a few 'small groups.'

the effects on other peoples lives may convince them not to vote for those fanning the flames

Problem you have there is the likelihood that those affected wont see it as a government issue but one of the teachers deciding to screw with parents daily lives.
I'm not a parent of school kids these days but I wouldn't have particularly seen your POV when I was.

But you are not everyone, clearly the blinkered will not see.

clearly the blinkered will not see.

Well, if those that don't see it your way are blinkered 🙄

Perhaps you should try to do something that's within their vision?
As I said earlier, frustrate the admin, not the end user.

Lots of people wont see it my way, lots of people wont see it your way, lots of people will see it in other ways. Luckily there are many people.

Perhaps you should try to do something that's within their vision?

I am, I'm going to work.

I'm naturally right leaning and anti-strikes, and I accept it will achieve nothing other than to register a protest, but I will be striking on Thursday.

I've 11 years service in the civil service, so didn't have the gold plated early retirement deals that many of my colleagues have lost. Always paid private sector levels of pension contributions, so don't start that on me, and they have been going up out of my frozen salary the last few years as well.

I'm on the front line of the botched welfare reforms that were started to try and repair the damage done by the botched welfare reforms of the last bunch of incompetents. We have delivered our part with diminishing staff and budgets. And I've done it on less than the average wage, with no pay rise for 4-5 years now, when the cost of living has gone up 15-20% (?) in that time.

Just had enough of doing "their" bidding, and getting nothing back in return. I need a pay rise, I believe I've earned it, just as most people in work in this country deserve one. I want to register my own protest, and a protest for all the AOs and AAs lower down the pay system than me who have it even tougher.

They are going to struggle to keep this so-called recovery going if the 1 in 6 of the working population who are in the public sector get no payrise again this year.

Only 10 teachers striking at my local school.

Power in numbers...

Its only the NUT striking.

The unions should unite and strike together at the same time.

Give will be laughing his head off on Thursday.

Gove!

Which shows qhat a massive **** he is.

Only the NUT striking of the teachers unions, but quite a few schools closing as a lot of admin and TA staff are members of other striking unions.

Whilst I am left leaning, I'm not a massive fan of striking, feeling that negotiation and discourse should be the way forward. However, this govt, and Gove in particular have shown that they are unwilling to do that. As MoreCash... says above, the public sector are being screwed for all they're worth in the current 'recovery'.

I became a teacher 6 years ago, so had one year with a pay rise and my wages have been frozen since then. I have moved up the main pay scale, but that will stop next year when I reach M6, and the introduction of performance related pay - i.e. an excuse for employers not to give you a raise, as they are skint due to budget cuts. My pension contributions have also gone up, but my final pension pot will decrease. How is any of this fair?
Teaching pays ok, but it's not a route to untold riches! Considering the stress we are under to obtain results, and the constant changes to the curriculum, is it any wonder that 2 out of 5 leave the profession within 5 years?

AJANTOM i made the jump to upper pay scale this year. Next year your teaching has to be judged outstanding by the person managing the budget!!!

I know, it's worrying me! Especially as my wife and I have just adopted a little girl, and I'll be the only earner next year.

Striking is essentially terrorism, holding the country at ransom so they get their own way!

No, not really now is it. Most people will be carrying on as normal with it having no or very little effect on them.

I became a teacher 6 years ago, so had one year with a pay rise and my wages have been frozen since then. I have moved up the main pay scale, but that will stop next year when I reach M6

Surely if you've gone up the pay scale over the past 6 years, then your take home pay has actually gone up, therefore you've had a pay rise? Or am I missing something?

bloody terrorists going on strike. They should be banned from ever holding public office or something.

[img] [/img]

Gove, Edmonds and Yosser Hughes in the same pic!

😉

I think one day strikes are fairly pointless. If you are in dispute you shouldn't return to work until a settlement has been negotiated.

One-day strikes definitely have their place, you don't want to go nuclear at the first stage in a dispute.

Whether they will have any effect on this insane government is another matter.

I gave myself a payrise. I got off my backside and got a better paid job.

How awesome am I?

[i]I gave myself a payrise. I got off my backside and got a better paid job.[/i]

At the moment a lot of the strikers wages are worth 15% less than they were 5 years ago because of a succession of below inflation wage rises.

They don't want more, just not less.

They don't want more, just not less.

And therein lies the aspirations of the public sector.

[i]therein lies the aspirations of the public sector. [/i]

yep, but at least you get treated at a public sector hospital and your kids can be educated in a public sector school. All by worthless people with low aspirations.

And therein lies the aspirations of the public sector

Meet me in the ward sluice, 07:00 sharp, tomorrow morning.

I have plans for you. 😈

There is one area of the state paid that's had a good pay rise - MP's got 11% this year.

How awesome am I?

Personally I think you come across a complete tosser. What is wrong with the public sector expecting to maintain the same standard of living when they're expected to maintain the same or in many cases higher standard of work?

I agree with edward2000. What this country needs is more people prepared to **** off and leave their colleagues/customers/clients in the shit to earn a few quid more.

Do these public servants still get paid during strike days? If not, why don't I get a tax refund for the amount of money I've given the government to employ them on my behalf? 😐

I think one day strikes are fairly pointless. If you are in dispute you shouldn't return to work until a settlement has been negotiated.

If you were on more-or-less minimum wage, how many days pay would you be prepared to go without?

Do these public servants still get paid during strike days? If not, why don't I get a tax refund for the amount of money I've given the government to employ them on my behalf?

You can do better than that mate. You're losing your edge mate.

[i]You can do better than that mate. You're losing your edge mate. [/i]

this.

The TdF spoiler yesterday was a far better effort.

Mr Fappit

No, strikers don't get paid for a strike day. It's a breach of contract of employment etc.

If they do get any pay, it'll be from the union, for which they pay their membership for.

So your andrex can remain on the roll for now.

That's a relief.

[i]That's a relief. [/i]

I'm sure it was.

One local school is having to make 16 staff redundant next year.

Yes, same situation in mrs rkk01's school - although from my private industry perspective I'd have to say a very legally dubious position...?

So, LEA has to cut budget. "Salami slicing" approach, 10% say off each school (i.e. cuts in each councillor's ward, not all concentrated in one area) means that every school has to reduce budget by the same proportion - irrespective of what the school roll is doing!

So mrs rkk01's school is rapidly expanding, whereas other schools in the county have falling rolls. So mrs rkk01's school has to make "redundancies". These aren't redundancies. The role is still there, the need & demand are still there, just not the funding.

Mis-management of the highest order

[i] irrespective of what the school roll is doing[/i]

In our LEA the funding is done on a per-pupil basis which avoids these sorts of issues. Also, the LEA will direct students to schools with spaces rather than allow those that are full to create extra spaces. It's a city LEA though so distances between schools aren't that great.

I see this approach as a good example of how a non-academy based system works well.

I'll be honest I don't particularly agree with the strike this time.

With my employer they are taking 1 hour a week off everyone which will save about £1.6 million. For me this means approx a £720 reduction in my earnings. The unions kicked up a fuss but there was no industrial action.

This time the employer wants to give a 1% pay increase, which is pretty negligible tbh but after taking 1 hour off us, I can't see them giving us anymore than this so I think this particular strike is a bit pointless really. I'd have preferred to strike againt loosing 1 hr if anything.

I think we need more strike action from the public sector. This government are obsessed with maximising inequality and pushing all public sector (and many private sector) employees lower and lower. I don't want to live in a country divided by a massive wealth gap with a large impoverished underclass.

I think we need more strike action from the public sector. This government are obsessed with maximising inequality and pushing all public sector (and many private sector) employees lower and lower. I don't want to live in a country divided by a massive wealth gap with a large impoverished underclass.

Whilst many would agree regarding the "wealth gap", the danger is that strike action strengthens the electorates resolve to vote for right leaning politicians...

I think we need more strike action from the public sector.

I think we need a public sector that can grind and help in times of adversity and pull their weight, rather than refusing to accept change.

I think we need more strike action from the public sector.

I think we need a public sector that can grind and help in times of adversity and pull their weight, rather than refusing to accept change.

I think this strike is probably pretty pointless, like most strikes these days you hear comments like "minimising disruption". WTF? Disruption is the point. You have to make it big enough and long enough to matter. We did a series of one days earlier this year, miraculously they were actually succesful but it's a crap way of doing things.

I see David Cameron wants to bring in rules to introduce a minimum threshold of votes before a vote is considered valid. I wonder if it'll be more than 36% of all votes cast, or 23.5% of all eligible voters...

WTF? Disruption is the point.

The point is to show the organisation you're dealing with that you are serious, it's a shot across the bows.

I think we need a public sector that can grind and help in times of adversity and pull their weight, rather than refusing to accept change

I am a Community Nurse working with severely learning disabled adults, many of whom have physical and mental health problems as well. Due to changes to benefits, the reduction in funding for agencies they normally rely on to get them through and cuts to the number of staff who are provided to support them my role is getting harder and harder.

I feel physically sick at times when at work as the avenues of support for these people slowly dry up. I can't sleep at night when I have particularly difficult situations to address (sexual abuse, children in need, criminal activities). Somwtimes I can't sleep at night just worrying about someone, what I might try next to help them and where I might look for further support.

In addition to the stress of the job I have had a 3 year pay freeze and now have a non-consolidated 1% pay rise for 2 years (this means the rise will be rescinded following the 2 years to return me to 2013 rate of pay), my pension contributions have been increased and my mileage expenses for running a car for work have reduced by around £80 per month in the past 2 years. I am not yet destitute by any means but how much grind, exactly, would you like from me and how much extra weight would you like me to pull before you're happy?

And therein lies the aspirations of the public sector.

If I had the aspirations of the private sector I'd clock watch all day, waste time on here, walk out bang on lunch hour to the pub and then return late to spend the rest of the afternoon killing time doing crappy afternoon pranks.

Instead I go up to 9 hours without so much of a cup of tea, spend all day looking after the sick and the injured before finishing 2+ hours late most nights after maybe having a 30m break out 15 hours out of the house. That's not to mention studying in my own time, attending courses to increase my medical skills and try to fit in management dealings amongst all that.

All that for losing cash each year. I could of course walk out and get another job but they'd lose a Paramedic with 25 years experience who still enjoys their work and takes great interest in his job. It'll take 3+ years to replace me and who does that effect? Yup joe public.

help in times of adversity

This isn't really a time of real adversity though. We are running a small deficit which is easily affordable and as the economy expands and tax take rises, will naturally decrease. It is merely being used as an excuse to pursue a political agenda of increasing inequality, which is a tenet of Tory / Neocon belief framework (the rich must rule over the underclass). The ultimate irony is the more they squeeze the masses, the further they push any recovery away....

Edward2000 if I had your values I could teach for more pay, same pension, better facilities and longer holidays in the private sector.

As I said before, today won't achieve anything, except lose me a days pay, a days pensionable service, and piss off my boss and non-striking colleagues - think 3 out of 10 of us are out today.

I know - as I'm in it - that there are efficiencies and savings that can and should be made in the public sector. That doesn't necessarily mean that those who are delivering the service on the front line should be paid peanuts to do it, when senior managers and MPs are seeing worthwhile increases for their part in this delivering.

One per cent of £40k is probably worth having, for the vast majority of us earning below the average wage, already on the top of our paybands, it means you get nothing. And the increase in the tax threshold is swallowed up by our increased pension contributions, let alone the rise in the cost of living.

refusing to accept change

The change currently being foisted upon the NHS is, in a word, idiotic. It's actually making it harder to deliver safe levels of care.

As for "grind" - I suspect you have [i]very[/i] little grasp of the daily pressures faced by the likes of dangerousbeans and his/her colleagues.

Footflaps - what paper do you read? That' an interesting take on what's going on.

AA, c'mon in the waters lovely!

Why do we believe that we all deserve pay rises when our productivity is declining??

Back to normal tomorrow

AA, c'mon in the waters lovely!

No thanks I love making a difference, its a shame the utter **** Gove is hell bent on destroying the state education system.

You can still make a difference and without political Fwits getting in the way!!! Perfect. If only everyone could be so lucky!! 😉

Not to the people I want to make a difference to. When I get a state school kid into oxford to do medicine I have done something I couldnt do in the private sector. Thats worth more than money.

Seems to have been as pointless as the british football team, lots of bluster and no action.

Today we had one set of gates on each entry to the local park locked,why nobody seemed to know, and public toilets locked, libraries where closed, but then the local council where going to close them anyway,bins and refuse collection privatised,so they worked, and some schools that where not academies where closed.
and never saw a fire engine on a run all day.

Well you could - but noble sentiments nonetheless. I bet said pupil read around the syllabus though!

Why would it make a difference if it was an academy or not?

You dont need to read around the syllabus to get an A* its a major flaw. You do need to read around it for uni interviews though.

Because in academies the staff are controlled by those that pay them, cause a fuss and your out damm quick, a head master and his deputy went out the door last year from our local academy, and if your read the papers quite a few get the push quite often.If they dont follow the company line theyre out.

Funny I've worked in two and dont see that.

Obviously following the comapny line then

Or you havent a clue what you are on about. I've been out on strike at both before and am not exactly known for keeping my views under wraps.