Who’s striking this / next week?

Yep. Feel a bit conflicted about it. I've got long COVID and my employer has been very understanding, and I am grateful for it.

On the other hand, I've got a direct report who desperately needs a pay rise to support her family, and can't afford to lose several days pay, so isn't striking. And she's glad that I am, even though I don't have kids so don't have such financial pressure.

But I feel guilty that it means she'll be working harder to pick up the slack while her boss is on strike!

But as I said elsewhere, in the last 3 years we've had 0%, 1% and 2.5% and it's really starting to bite for a lot of people here. So as a union member I'll do what I can. Never voted in favour of strike action before, but it felt essential this year.

On the other hand, I’ve got a direct report who desperately needs a pay rise to support her family, and can’t afford to lose several days pay, so isn’t striking. And she’s glad that I am, even though I don’t have kids so don’t have such financial pressure.

But I feel guilty that it means she’ll be working harder to pick up the slack while her boss is on strike!

This was my approach when the PCS ballot took place. I wasn't wanting to strike for more money for me, it was for all my lower paid colleagues.

Surprisingly, HMRC didn't quite reach the 50% threshold, though 86% of those who did vote voted to strike

Much as my student son will get disrupted, we both wish you well

Teacher. Scotland. Tomorrow. Last night's desparate, deluded and derisory offer was greeted with utter contempt by myself and my colleagues. It has stirred up a hornet's nest of anger.

my CS department didn't reach the PCS threshold to strike either, maybe as we were offered 12% over 3 years beforehand that the other unions excepted. We've had under 2% over the last 10 years at least and this one though better than most wasn't as straight forward  as it sounds, meaning losing holiday and sick days and redundancy terms. I believe we are going to receive 2% now though. Good luck to all those striking, I believe PCS have a strike fund meaning all those on strike will not lose any money. Not entirely sure how it all works though

Where is the money coming from folks ? I work in HE, have done for a long time in Finance. Had bugger all pay rises in the time, but the money isn't there for big pay rises. Our pensions cost near on 23% or more on top of our salaries.

PS I'm fairly senior, and can't afford to lose wages.

The department were I work has wasted 3bn on one project alone in the last decade and still owes around 2bn on it. The product was supposed to be delivered 2019 I think, which it hasn't, and the trials show it's not fit for purpose.

One of many where money is wasted, I know it is not as straight forward as that but I see money wasted every week, not on heating though!

Part-time postie, I’m agency so when no post turns up tomorrow/Friday I don’t get paid even though I’m not striking - unless my colleague who was working today might have left something over for me to do. The trouble will be Saturday when it all arrives at once as it might not all fit in the delivery van and we have no storage.

I believe PCS have a strike fund meaning all those on strike will not lose any money. Not entirely sure how it all works though

Never paid me when I've been on strike before?

Mrs_oab isn't striking - and has already been called a scab.

Our view is that there isn't any more money. I know on railways, from R4 interviews yesterday, that the feeling is the strikes are harming the future of the railways and therefore how many jobs are available in future. Scottish health secretary said that he could give a larger payrise - but job numbers would be cut to afford the remaining people's rises. Teachers in Scotland are turning down 6.25%/5% such seems 'reasonable'.

We're a nation about to bury ourselves in a recession, who have accepted cheap credit, house price growth and a rising standard of living for a long time. Maybe life is going to not be that way for a while.

And still my biggest concern is the poorest - and a pay rise doesn't solve the issue of excessive housing and energy costs for them.

Where is the money coming from folks ? I work in HE, have done for a long time in Finance. Had bugger all pay rises in the time, but the money isn’t there for big pay rises. Our pensions cost near on 23% or more on top of our salaries.

How do you mean about the 23%? If it's employer contributions, mine is less than half that.

But yes you're right, tuition fees have been fixed for years so they're being eaten away by inflation too. I know income is tight.

But stil, something has to give. Our department is rapidly losing talent to better paying roles in private sector, and if it hadn't been for my long COVID I'd have gone too. (I am grateful for the support, and I'll be sticking around for a bit because I feel I owe them one).

This is costing us in skills and experience, which will end up harming the institutions as well as the staff.

So yeah, it's not easy. But it's not easy when your wages decrease by 10% in real terms over 3 or 4 years either.

For those about to strike, I salute you.
Without an effective opposition it is for the people to represent themselves.
Fight the power brothers.

Our view is that there isn’t any more money.

There's always more money, when it's deemed necessary.

Never paid me when I’ve been on strike before?

apparently 50p a month from every membership payment

https://www.pcs.org.uk/campaigns/pcs-pay-campaign/i-cant-afford-go-strike-will-pcs-support-me

@doris5000 our schemes contribute 23%, or there abouts, Local Govt, USS or the TPS, all massive (University).

We've massive vacancies, can't attract staff, really struggling. Can't get Finance colleagues either as the pay is crap. I knew this 15 years ago when taking the role - I've not caught back up. Pension and holidays is my benefit, not the pay, which I'm £20-£30k lower over 15 years.. I'm mid 50's though.

We'll probably get 5% for next year as a pay rise ! Strike or not.

Our view is that there isn’t any more money.

There’s always more money, when it’s deemed necessary.

Indeed. Too much money has been siphoned off by the wealthy one way or another for far too long. Scottish teacher, so working from home tomorrow whilst EIS strike, then we’re off, SSTA, in a couple of weeks time. I’m ready to strike for as long and often as necessary. Teacher’s pay has apparently dropped by ~25% since 2008, so by my reckoning we need a pay rise of the order of ~ 33%. It’s not just about earning enough to live on. We are chronically understaffed, you just cannot get maths (and other subjects) teachers, people can earn much more, in better conditions elsewhere.
Teachers are not unique, there are many others who have good reason to strike for better pay and conditions. Hopefully the majority of us can stay united and support each other through this.
Give me a 33% pay rise and then link my future pay increases to MP’s pay, so that I don’t have to go begging again.

Never read so much crap in all my life. If your not happy with the pay you receive then find another job offering better pay. Plenty of jobs out there, just requires a bit of effort.

^^Yawn... You related to Sir John Williams by any chance?

Yeah, they just need to imagine themselves into better paid jobs eh? Then who fills the roles in these jobs and accept the same conditions/pay... if they are lucky?

Anyway, good luck to those taking strike action, it takes balls at the best of times and these aren't the best of times.

 If your not happy with the pay you receive then find another job offering better pay. Plenty of jobs out there, just requires a bit of effort.

Thanks for the career advice, wondered where I've been going wrong all my life...

Never read so much crap in all my life.

take a read back of your own post, might trump it

In the case if HE, where does the money come from ? From the increased taxes that come from (a) all the Stealth taxes dumped on low and middle income earners in the past decade, and (b) by educating the yoof of today and tomorrow properly, they drive the economy upwards, they pay far more  tax than if doing a non skilled job , and hey presto the economy improves for everyone.

The medium and long term solution to the ****ed unproductive UK economy to educate the masses much much better than has happened this century.

But instead British short sighted short termism rules, and we continue the downwards slide as a has-been country.

If the Victorians had taken this short termist approach we'd have ****all now. No railways. No sewers. No running water. Few water reservoirs.  Etc etc etc.

(Of course all the income from nationally owned oil, gas, water, electricity generation, has been piiiiised away and given to Tory cronies.

37 BILLION on track and trace.  BILLION. FFS. BILLION. Imagine how much better education could be with 37 BILLION.

The 'can't afford it' lie pushed by the nazi press for the tories is just bollox.  They just want more people downtrodden unempowered and fearful for their jobs so the race to the bottom can continue for the benefit of the few.

Solidarity to all striking.

Fairly sure the money is there should anyone have the political will to find it.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/nov/15/wealthy-drinking-dry-lvmh-champagne-luxury

The day of the postie have been marked for years, nobody wants to admit it.

For eg
Postie
Works 40 hr week
Average pay £23000 ish
Plenty of exercise
You’re own boss when walking the streets
Along with a few other positives I’m sure.

Now compare that to the delivery person
Works between 8 to 10 hours a day
7 days a week
Extremely stressful driving all the time
No holiday pay if self employed
No perks if they become unwell
Far less pay than a postie

It’s plainly obvious that Royal Mail aren’t up to the job anymore, there are numerous delivery companies that are far better run the RM.
And completely obvious though again no one wants to see it is that who posts letters these days most companies are paperless billing.
That amazing invention of emails stopped hand written letters in its tracks.

I’d say being a postie right now is a pretty good place to be cos they won’t be around for much longer. For the odd letter you may send/receive guess who’ll be delivering it - not a postman but a delivery person !

That my friends is how it is, if you really want to help a postie get sending letters by the thousands.

Free market apparently

For those about to strike, I salute you.

100%

All public sectors strike or just HE?

I have not been following news for a while so not sure which are on strike.

For me there are a couple of issues here

1) Public sector strikes do not have the leverage that private sector does as you are not hitting shareholder profits. Its shows the depth of feeling but that is all.

2) In Scotland there is no more money. the scots government budget is effectively fixed. half of it IIRC goes on health and education takes a huge chunk of whats left, An increase in wages / costs in one area means cuts in another and wages are a large part of the overall budget. Its different from the english because the scots government simply cannot raise more money whereas in England the government could put more money in and chooses not to. In Scotland there is not that choice

Its intensely frustrating to watch the public sector be cut cut and cut and that wages have slipped so much

But for those of you striking in Scotland- I ask where do you want the cuts to fall to fund your pay rise?

Our share of the defence budget or national infrastructure like HS2 that impacts Barnett would be a start.

SSTA, supporting colleague who are crossing the EIS line today( schools are shut) then out on 7th.

Our share of the defence budget or national infrastructure like HS2 that impacts Barnett would be a start.

but in practice that cannot be done can it?

Again tome this is an arguement for independence

Yes.

Striking tomorrow - nursing staff in Western Australia. Govt won't budge on anything more than 3% (essentially $60 a fortnight less tax!) So a pretty raw deal after the last couple of years Covid. Inflation rate currently 7.4%

Mass rally to Parliament House tomorrow and the govt have just said there will be "consequences" for any transport company that takes nurses to the rally! (We're thinking fines). We have coaches booked from various hospitals across WA but there's some serious pressure on them to not help us out. Our union is questioning the legalities of such threats.

So perhaps avoid getting hit by a car or severing and appendage tomorrow. Saturday should be cool though.

I'm self employed, so not striking, but I fully support those that are, even though my buisness will be effected.

Teachers in Scotland are turning down 6.25%/5% such seems ‘reasonable’.

We’re a nation about to bury ourselves in a recession, who have accepted cheap credit, house price growth and a rising standard of living for a long time. Maybe life is going to not be that way for a while.

I might have agreed with this sentiment had teachers and all other striking sectors had something like fair payrises over the last decade, but they are already so far behind decent pay in real terms, something needs to be done.

Public sector should be being offered a pensioner style triple lock for a few years to catch up. That might also go some way to solving the various recruitment issues.

Among my colleagues, and what I've heard from nurses, it's not about the money. No one really expects to get 10%, 5% would be nice.

It's the failure to attract and retain sufficient staff to keep the services, in whichever field functioning at a safe and effective level. Across the public services. Its a reaction to the wider impact of 12 years of cuts.

So we can give 10.5% on pensions 9.7% is deemed the rise in living wage.

Yet nurses and teacher and other public sector works get offered 2-6%

It wouldn't be "so" galling to be told.there is no money If they weren't using it to attempt to buy votes.

The private sector merry-go-round is going hard - so there will be payrises there* - thanks to the free market and negotiations but that isn't there in nursing/ teaching the wage is the wage for you grade where ever you go .

Which means more price rises coming which means more squeeze on public sector workers .,.....

It’s plainly obvious that Royal Mail aren’t up to the job anymore, there are numerous delivery companies that are far better run the RM.

And completely obvious though again no one wants to see it is that who posts letters these days most companies are paperless billing.

That amazing invention of emails stopped hand written letters in its tracks.

There a re some companies that are run well, and other (evri?) which are shockingly poor in comparison. None of RM competition have the government restrictions that royal mail have. Judging by the turnover of drivers in my area for all the other delivery firms (who I see daily) none are great companies to work for.

Letters have been in decline for 15years - everyone knows this, RM know this. The government still doesn't want them to  modernize this part of the buisness and won't let them (see recent news reports of Saturday letter delivery).

RM is the only service in the UK where you can send an item (letter) to anywhere in the UK for 68p!!!!

They also made over 700million in profits last year, were predicted to do similar this year..... But, it seems  won't invest in the staff, and rather give away large bonuses.

Whilst I'm delighted my colleagues on minimum wage will be getting a decent raise, it's a bit galling that they will soon catch up those just above them getting 2% or whatever.

The fact that the government thinks the minimum wage is acceptable for it's own staff is shocking in itself.

I'm a child of the 80's strikes I was "educated" through tha and because of that I'm anti strikes.

I'm leaving the house in 20minutes to walk to my place of employment and stand on the picket line.
Education needs people who are motivated for our kids and part of that is an attractive pay pensions package. A lot of schools already short staffed and it's getting worse.
We accepted a low ball offer last year with the proviso we'd being going high this. Negotiation offers for '22 were submitted in fed COSLA came back with very low offer just before the deadline. Ironically if they'd started in march with the current offer we'd probably have taken it.
Since then cost of living has shot up for everyone. Layers of gov happy to spend billions on projects that will ease the life of a few (crossrail/new Thames crossing/HS2/pensions triple lock) but not invest in the future generations.

Oh it's not just the EIS who are striking. The main reason a lot of schools are shut is the headteacher union is striking too. That fact seems to have slipped beneath the headlines

Never read so much crap in all my life. If your not happy with the pay you receive then find another job offering better pay. Plenty of jobs out there, just requires a bit of effort.

Our view is that there isn’t any more money.

Perhaps in a particular industry or area. There's plenty of money generally. There just is no trickle-down effect, 'Nationalised the debts, privatised the profits', etc.

Among my colleagues, and what I’ve heard from nurses, it’s not about the money. No one really expects to get 10%, 5% would be nice.

It’s the failure to attract and retain sufficient staff to keep the services, in whichever field functioning at a safe and effective level. Across the public services. Its a reaction to the wider impact of 12 years of cuts.

100% - via family members in the NHS

For those about to strike, I salute you.
Without an effective opposition it is for the people to represent themselves.
Fight the power brothers.

And this.

Public sector should be being offered a pensioner style triple lock for a few years to catch up. That might also go some way to solving the various recruitment issues.

Except when I speak to people in public sector, particularly teachers, the real issues seem to be around excessive hours, lack of sheer numbers of staff, and no money for resources and growing issues of child mental health, poor behaviour, pressure from parents. A bigger payrise does not solve these problems.

Arguably a significant payrise = fewer on the front line.

(I'm speaking from the Scottish context where I do think genuinely we're out of money)

A bigger payrise does not solve these problems.

It doesn't create positions ....

How ever locally at least - they can't get folk to apply for existing open positions or even fill pgde

Partly because of what you speak of but also largely because of the remuneration for the hours and stress required for that cash.*

So arguably not giving them the pay rise doesn't improve the alternative view on the situation either

* The powers know this - you just have to look at the latest offer.... Headline rise on probationers......- and you can see who's been suckered by the headline and hasn't read the full release

“Not enough money”? You do realise that the Tories are laughing at you?

https://twitter.com/jolyonmaugham/status/1595495464148865027?s=46&t=_LdXRiLjPhDex_RCHghBjw

Private sector worker bee here, but fully support those striking - roles like teaching are so important for our society as a whole and should be protected and nurtured. If we can't attract people to those roles then something is wrong and the generations to come will suffer for it.

With that said, I also agree with the comments about where will the money come from? Budgets are being cut left right and centre so if Peter gets a pay rise, Paul might lose his job. Of course it is almost certain that Paul will be in a key (non-managerial) role that will lead to further deterioration in public services.

The department were I work has wasted 3bn on one project alone in the last decade and still owes around 2bn on it. The product was supposed to be delivered 2019 I think, which it hasn’t, and the trials show it’s not fit for purpose.

One of many where money is wasted, I know it is not as straight forward as that but I see money wasted every week, not on heating though!

This is what drives me mad. So much money squandered by mis-management and policy led decision making. Is anybody ever held accountable for this kind of thing? If it was private sector you'd be fired. Our services are being cut, our taxes are going up, rampant inflation is eroding our savings and living standards will drop for the foreseeable future, yet we spunk billions on white elephant projects. It's going to take our children and grandchildren decades to dig us out of this hole.

Nahh pauls job is vacant cos he left for better pay else where and can’t be filled as the pay offer is so crap. Money can always be found if there is the political will to find it anyway

Money can always be found if there is the political will to find it anyway

Disagree and think that that thinking is partly why we are where we are. Political will to find money generally means borrowing more. We need to be borrowing less and living within our means.

We need to be borrowing less

Do we? Why?

Never read so much crap in all my life. If your not happy with the pay you receive then find another job offering better pay. Plenty of jobs out there, just requires a bit of effort.

Then who will work as a nurse, Teacher, bus driver etc?

I'm unlikely to strike, as like you say I can easily get a job up the road doing the same thing, if I'm unable to negotiate a decent package.
Although if there wasn't such a high demand for my trade I might think differently.

What does a teacher, nurse or whatever do? Leave the profession? Work in the private sector?
I fully support those that feel the need to strike.
Watching politicians clapping the front line workers during lockdown always made me angry, knowing they'd be the same people voting down pay rises.

Do we? Why?

I don't want to get into a conversation about how national debt should be considered differently to household debt, I'm aware of your thoughts on this and disagree. I do think a small defecit is OK but I'm violently opposed to the thought that we can just borrow and spend endlessly.

I don’t want to get into a conversation about how national debt should be considered differently to household debt, I’m aware of your thoughts on this and disagree.

That they are different is simply a fact.

Anyway, let's try and imagine a teacher receiving a £5k pay rise. What do you suppose they do with it?

Budgets are fixed, no additional money for public sector pay rises, I get that. Couldn't the SNP just shift some funds from their independence war chest over to the public sector? 🙂

As for striking, I fully support it. The teaching profession isn't what it once was, the things teachers have to deal with these days blows my mind, partly due to failing social services - at least make it financially beneficial for them to stay in the profession.

Another (Scottish) HE person here. I think we've had "days of inaction" most of the 25 odd years that I've worked here and I can't recall any of them achieving anything. I could possibly be persuaded to get behind a "proper" strike. Walk out and don't come back until demands are met type of thing. But currently it just seems to be a small number of staff who volunteer to lose a days pay every now and then to show they are unhappy (and then catch up on most of the work they missed later anyway). Laudable but rather pointless.

I've also heard a few colleagues this time make the point that increasing salary probably just means fewer staff so your demand for more money is somebody else's lost job (and an increased workload). Not sure I agree with it, but it's definitely a sentiment that is being expressed and may be a result of the university doing a better job of explaining to staff how the finances work.

Finally, post covid, there is a lot more hybrid working. There will be a few staff who will go in to teach today, but I suspect an awful lot will just choose to work from home, making the current action even less effective than all those other ones.

Up in Scotland here, I fully support anyone fighting for better pay and conditions.

Sick to death of train strikes but you know what? That means it's working. How many people moaning have sent a letter to their MP or MSP to press for a resolution? Precious few I bet.

There is a lot that could be getting done at a national level but just isn't. This is unacceptable. But as usual it would just be seen as handouts for those too lazy to actually work for a living.

What does a teacher, nurse or whatever do? Leave the profession?

My wife works in ICU. They cannot get, nor retain staff. People are leaving in large numbers to do all sorts. When the pay is so poor, there are increasing numbers of options of other jobs that will pay near enough the same. You may lose the satisfaction of working in an area where you’ve invested years of time and effort, but job satisfaction is not what it was. Staffing levels are such that you cannot do your job to a satisfactory level. Moved from pillar to post to cover lack of staff in other areas. Stress through the roof. Staff unable to use equipment because they do not have the training, but unable to go for training because of a lack of staff.

So, they are leaving to work in M&S, or set themselves up as dog walkers etc!

I for one, do not ask for much, I live a frugal life. I’m not earning millions, then doing adverts for gambling companies or singing for oligarchs etc - which never appears to get a bad press. However, when you have to forgo even seasonal fruit, look twice at a loaf of bread and sit working from home in a room at 12degC something is amiss.

The arguments about rail strikes reducing demand only work if you don't consider rail travel a public service. If we invested in it properly and took control back then we'd see no end of benefit. As it stands, sure it looks like it's going to continue to decay and let everyone down.

I do think a small defecit is OK but I’m violently opposed to the thought that we can just borrow and spend endlessly.

12 years in and that's yet to start working, in fact all the strikes are revealing a country falling apart at the seams. Investment in people and infrastructure pays back in the long-term .

I don’t want to get into a conversation about how national debt should be considered differently to household debt, I’m aware of your thoughts on this and disagree.

I deduce that you have been printing your own money at home. Might want to keep that quiet 🙂

You need to pay people properly for a couple of reasons
1. If you wait for trickle down you'll be waiting forever as it doesn't happen. But if you pay people, they spend it. Poor people more so , to be blunt.
2. You have a mixed economy of private and public spending. They're on a continuum, and both rely on each other. That's why it's a filthy bad idea to see the public sector 'taking my money'. If you don't pay them, then the service disappears. Ultimately you'll get rubbish public services, rubbish roads, bad infrastructure and so on and so on.

Then you'll have crappy productivity and choked growth. Which is where the UK is at. Fixing this is beyond tax cuts and shrinking the state.
BTW, for every public sector waste of money I'll find you a private sector one.

Anyway, let’s try and imagine a teacher receiving a £5k pay rise. What do you suppose they do with it?

This is a really good point and one that is often overlooked.

Give a payrise to someone on £27k and the vast majority of it will make its way to the likes of British Gas, Tesco, and BP. It goes into the economy. And gets taxed. It's not as if it all gets squirreled away in the Cayman Islands.

I'm fascinated by this post as striking has never been in my sphere of reality. I've only ever had one 'proper' job and have done my own thing ever since.

Good luck with the striking, nobody get's what they want so hope the increase is acceptable.

What @rsl1 said is pretty much spot on. I see a country where the short term political decisions are now coming home to roost, cracks appearing everywhere in every single area (public and private). This country is plainly getting worse.... always money for wars, always money for Westminster, always money for foreign aid etc etc. I do believe that we need to strip UK economics back to the bone and start again. Westminster needs completely reinventing. Teachers and nurses are critical to this country and should be paid a good wage for what they do.

The rail system is an utter joke compared to most of Europe, but that's where privatisation gets you. I was looking at getting the train home for Christmas... Surrey to Manchester - £180 each way.....i'll drive.

I’m speaking from the Scottish context where I do think genuinely we’re out of money

At the risk of derailing the thread your government does have the power to raise taxes...

Yes but if I remember correctly the tax raising powers are limited and that does affect the Barnett formula. So increase tax for no impact.
Approx 2/3 of taxes raised in Scotland go to Westminster, so raising tax increases Westminster income, reduces Barnett payment and has no effect on public spending in Scotland AND various public service funding is linked to Westminster spending in those areas

Scotland's public sector pay-rises should be funded from Westminster same as English ones, (should be). Balls to all this fixed budget nonsense, that's just a convenient excuse not to pay people properly.

I think public sector pay should come from central gov (holyrood) they are scaled and fixed there's little sense in the unions negotiating with COSLA and it's various political party affiliations.
It shouldn't be too hard to have a spreadsheet with staffing needs/levels and central gov pay on that basis.

My wife works in ICU. They cannot get, nor retain staff.

Mrs Pondo is leaving teaching as we speak - applied online for an admin job outside education this week and, no word of a lie, she's had 30+ calls from education recruitment agencies who've found her CV and are desperate for geography teachers (even though her personal statement says that she's leaving education).

Mrs Pondo is leaving teaching as we speak – applied online for an admin job outside education this week and, no word of a lie, she’s had 30+ calls from education recruitment agencies who’ve found her CV and are desperate for geography teachers (even though her personal statement says that she’s leaving education).

I wish her well and hope she finds whatever she does next, better for her.

Political will to find money generally means borrowing more. We need to be borrowing less and living within our means.

If you applied that logic to the banking crisis or covid we'd all be foraging for berries and rustling sheep. Providing decent enough wages that our critical public services don't collapse is just as important as ensuring the banks stay afloat or preventing widespread economic collapse. If we allow public services to collapse many people will die, and the economy will be massively impacted from parents having to stay at home to look after their kids. Longer term the lack of education and training of the younger generation will result in a downward spiral of decay, social division and political upheaval. I think I'd rather we paid people a bit more thanks.

I don’t want to get into a conversation about how national debt should be considered differently to household debt, I’m aware of your thoughts on this and disagree.

Just because you disagree doesn't mean you're right. If you want to be wilfully ignorant about how money and govt finances work that's your look out but don't expect the rest of us to shup up about it.

I do think a small defecit is OK but I’m violently opposed to the thought that we can just borrow and spend endlessly.

So you're opposed to the concept of money then? Because that's all that money is, a never ending cycle between issuing debt and repaying it.

Scotland’s public sector pay-rises should be funded from Westminster same as English ones, (should be).

Yep, as Scotland doesn't have its own central bank or currency.

What @rsl1 said is pretty much spot on. I see a country where the short term political decisions are now coming home to roost, cracks appearing everywhere in every single area (public and private).

Absolutely this - we need a political party to have the balls to say it how it is, and rack of the need to invest properly in the strategic line term national needs in the short to medium term - funded by rates and borrowing - in order to produce long term benefits.

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I took the bus into Edinburgh today and went to the EIS rally at Holyrood. I am not militant, or massively political. I have never taken strike action, or attended a union meeting before, let alone a rally.
I do think the Scottish Government have a fight on their hands as I think they simply do not grasp the strength of feeling of the teaching workforce.
I know that many will think that teachers have it easy, but my response to that is that the truth is you have no idea of the challenges faced. If you think you can consider post pandemic schooling in the 21st century through the lens of you own experiences of schooling at some time in the past, all you are doing is showing how far out of touch with reality you actually are.
The pressures are massive and come from all directions. The expectations are huge and the fingers of blame are already pre-pointes in expectation.
Poverty. Social Media. Unmet pupil AND PARENT Mental Health needs. Interrupted schooling. Digital learning. The apparent collapse of Social Work's ability (NB. not desire) to be able to respond. Across the board reductions in Local Authority provision, and the corresponding overwhelming demand place on third sector organisations.

In response: we make referrals, wash and iron school uniforms, collect and distribute secondhand non-school clothing, provide toothpaste and toothbrushes as well as soap and sanitary products. We deliver food parcels to sobbing mothers who cannot feed their children. We charge Chromebooks and phones for families without power. We open our PE showers before school so kids can get clean. We provide breakfast.
Not every day, but certainly every week we deal with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. It is just a matter of time. None of this is actual "teaching".
Those of you who went to school in the pre-smartphone era have not experienced the impact of the pressure and fallout of 24/7 Social media. It is easy to pin the blame on parents, but they didn't grow up with it either, and cannot, from experience, give advice to their children.
I have an 11 yo kid who has been on the waiting list for CAMHS for a QUARTER of his life! He still jaunt been seen and is waiting for an assessment for ASD, ADHD Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. He lives in an unfunded care placement with his Gran who is left high and dry and beyond the end of her tether, but heaven forbid he loses her.
School is the one place where (mostly) 1000 kids from across the community attend every day. We relentlessly but sensitively chase up the ones who are missing. We have less than 7 hours each day to deliver all the quality learning that we can, and to try to make sure everything is right for every kid.

I know that many will think that teachers have it easy

Only if you're on mind altering drugs or full of alcohol! I remember how I was 45 years ago, there's not enough money or bikes that would induce me to teach!

@TroutWrestler
I knew like pretty much everything else in the UK that schools and staff are under huge pressure but your post still shocked me to be honest.

No way I could cope with what you do, not a chance.

I wish you the best of luck in every conceivable way.

Troutwrestler - what are you going to cut to fund the payrise? Thats the scots government dilemma. their ability to raise taxes will not cover a decent public sector payrise as it is very limited and they have no ability to raise money otherwise.

I am totally sympathetic to the need for the payrise AND an increase in staffing but its jut beyond the ability of the scots government to increase the budget

Trout wrestler has it. That's an average day for us too.
Add in the pupils who use sexualised language to intimidate younger female teachers. The daily assaults. We've had a ruptured spleen cracked ribs and bruised faces from punches to staff.
I was explaining to a south African ex security forces guy turned Preacher about teaching these kids and he handed me a tissue as there were tears running down my face.
Staff are leaving in droves.
I'm still buying stuff for pupils, yogurts in the morning, pens and pencils, tissues and Friday treats. Theres a "character" who smokes out the back door but always has an apple because we spent a year butting heads but everyday I offered him my apple. (Not sure his are legally obtained).
I'm not striking about the money I'm striking about not being treated like a dick by our lord's and masters.

But I have a pupil from an area in the bottom 5% for poverty who is hopefully going to do medicine at Edinburgh.

Fell free to ignore I've had a couple of large wines

I have nowt but admiration for teachers. I have some amongst my friends. all either part time or retired early now because of the pressures

what are you going to cut to fund the payrise?

How about a few DMBInS consultations?
Good money after bad on the Cairngorm funicular.
The community empowerment bill or whatever its called that's used as a Nimbys charter and sees every attempt to invest in my local area canned after the usual suspects protest against it.

Yes, the government needs money to pay the bills but without money flowing around the economy nobody is going to be better off. More money equals less poverty equals happier society equals less pressure on those who shouldn't have to be doing others work. It's not a complete fix but its a start.

Trout and 100th must both work in my school judging by their descriptions. Add in the probationers doing a weekend job to pay their rent and you have a fairly accurate depiction of what Scottish schools are like now. I’m an ex plasterer into teaching late, I did a wee job skimming a room for a friends daughter last week and it was nice to remember what it was like to enjoy work and feel I had accomplished something.

Good luck to those on strike, I am still wrestling with my decision on how to vote

a_a I have never taken industrial action before. I suggested to classes ways they could be productive and a few have tests so they could revise but I set no work as I was withdrawing my labour.

Teaching in Scotland is not paid for holidays although it is spread over the 12months. This was done deliberately to make striking more costly to those taking action both in the pay packet and pension pot. Knowing that we still walked out the that's how strongly we feel let down. This negotiation for pay should have been settled 6 months ago but COSLA consistently play a game of brinkmanship, looks like the bluff has been called.

I’m not striking about the money

This is the bit the unions don't get. Most teachers I speak to are more worried about conditions than pay but pay is easier for the unions to target so that's what they do.