Teachers demand 10% pay rise in the middle of a recession

[Biscuit]

To get 5% they need to ask for 10%! It's the way the f***ing politicians work.. I think the teachers deserve it in all honesty. They've been under paid for years! Next sort the nurses out please Gordon!!

 

[itszamora]

I've got a lot more time for teachers than the thread starter clearly has, but this does seem a misjudgment.

All the anecdotal evidence I have is that already teaching is attracting good people from other jobs/careers, relatively it is more attractive today for certainly people like journalists, so the pay and prospects can't be that bad.

Even taking into account that there could be historical shortfalls that need to be made up, you just aren't going to get 10 per cent at the moment.

It will lose teachers support from reasonable people, and provide ammunition for unreasonable people who don't appreciate what a good and diffcult job they do (most of them, anyway).

Oi! I've got a lot of time for teachers, but not the NUT's demands in this particular case. As you rightly say I think it will lose them a lot of support.

 

[Brixtaan]

You can't put a price on educating our children, teachers are badly paid,the cost of living is rising stupidly and teachers are not responsible for the recession.Save your bile for the bankers and Crash Gordon.

 

[itszamora]

You can't put a price on educating our children, teachers are badly paid,the cost of living is rising stupidly and teachers are not responsible for the recession.Save your bile for the bankers and Crash Gordon.

That's the thing, I really dispute the 'fact' that teachers are so badly paid. Yes you can get more doing other things, but you can get a lot less doing others. And during the biggest recession in 80 years I hardly think it's tactful for one of their unions to threaten strike action unless they're given a ten per cent pay rise given that they're already getting a bigger rise than many and are not in any danger of losing their jobs from said recession.

 

[TrickyOne]

I think it's blatantly obvious that the gov. wont pay 10% but in the olden days this was called bartering! I would expect the next union calling for big rises will be the nursing union, as we all know the gov. won't voluntarily award inflation busting wages unless it's to themselves! Up the revolution!!!

 

[sully]

In the current market, a secure job should be more than enough to keep teachers happy. Their union is letting them down badly here.

For most of us, the threat of pay CUTS or redundancy is what we have to face in the short-term future, so anyone with a secure job looking for any sort of rise is unlikely to get any sympathy.

My last pay rise was nearly 2 years ago. Teachers and other public sector workers (or at least their unions) seem to think that annual pay rises should be the norm. If only!

 

[Brixtaan]

That's the thing, I really dispute the 'fact' that teachers are so badly paid. Yes you can get more doing other things, but you can get a lot less doing others. And during the biggest recession in 80 years I hardly think it's tactful for one of their unions to threaten strike action unless they're given a ten per cent pay rise given that they're already getting a bigger rise than many and are not in any danger of losing their jobs from said recession.

I'm not sure about the comparison to other professions (it's unfair and irrelevant) but the teachers i have ever come across work as hard if not harder than MOST other professions and live in houses certainly no bigger than other professions so that tells me all i need to know.The money in teachers pockets is worth far less than the 10% they're asking for because the bankers and Brown have screwed things up beyond all belief.Don't take it out on teachers!

 

[itszamora]

I'm not sure about the comparison to other professions (it's unfair and irrelevant) but the teachers i have ever come across work as hard if not harder than MOST other professions and live in houses certainly no bigger than other professions so that tells me all i need to know.The money in teachers pockets is worth far less than the 10% they're asking for because the bankers and Brown have screwed things up beyond all belief.Don't take it out on teachers!

Why is the comparison to other professions unfair and irrelevant? I'm not disuputing that teachers do a very important job and many work very hard, but if they're deserving of a rise then so is everyone else that works hard. And that ain't gonna happen like you say thanks to our good pals Gordon Brown and Sir Fred Goodwin.

 

[Curious Orange]

I'm not sure about the comparison to other professions (it's unfair and irrelevant) but the teachers i have ever come across work as hard if not harder than MOST other professions and live in houses certainly no bigger than other professions so that tells me all i need to know.The money in teachers pockets is worth far less than the 10% they're asking for because the bankers and Brown have screwed things up beyond all belief.Don't take it out on teachers!

Having read the thread I don't think that the consensus is 'taking it out' on teachers, just that the NUT making a 10% claim is stupid given that teachers are already well paid and will be getting a rise in line with inflation anyway, that is more than the vast majority of people in this country will be getting.

 

[BigGully]

That's the thing, I really dispute the 'fact' that teachers are so badly paid. Yes you can get more doing other things, but you can get a lot less doing others. And during the biggest recession in 80 years I hardly think it's tactful for one of their unions to threaten strike action unless they're given a ten per cent pay rise given that they're already getting a bigger rise than many and are not in any danger of losing their jobs from said recession.

Of course during time's of recession, their guaranteed salary and pensions do look far more attractive than at times of growth when some unskilled builders and others demand up to £200.00 per day, at this time teacher's rightly feel undervalued and under rewarded.

I just think you have chosen a time when you as others are not so well off as you once were.

Its a shame, but maybe when you and some others were enjoying lucrative contracts and lots of well paid jobs you might of banged the drum for the teachers on little more than £20,000 per annum whilst filling your boots.

10% deserved probably, but deliverable no chance !

 

[The Optimist]

The problem with teachers' pay (if you believe there is one) is that the unions didn't push hard enough for pay rises when times were good, so now they are trying to make up for what they see as years of unsatisfactory pay rises by asking for 10% in a recession. If they had fought for 10% five years ago they may well have got it (or close) and retained a good deal of public support. I think a lot of people don't understand the demands of teaching but I think a lot of teachers don't understand what it's like to live without job security.

 

[itszamora]

Of course during time's of recession, their guaranteed salary and pensions do look far more attractive than at times of growth when some unskilled builders and others demand up to £200.00 per day, at this time teacher's rightly feel undervalued and under rewarded.

I just think you have chosen a time when you as others are not so well off as you once were.

Its a shame, but maybe when you and some others were enjoying lucrative contracts and lots of well paid jobs you might of banged the drum for the teachers on little more than £20,000 per annum whilst filling your boots.

10% deserved probably, but deliverable no chance !

Seeing as I only graduated last year I've never experienced the good times working... I can assure you I wish I was in a situation where I could consider striking for a 10% rise rather than wondering how long I will actually be in work for! And I know I'm by no means alone in this.

 

[matildaseagull]

As a teacher, I'm not too displeased with my pay (although more money's always welcome), but I do think the 10% demand is ridiculous. I've been teaching for ages and have now reached the dizzy heights of trainee headteacher, so the money's not too bad, but the pressure's quite huge sometimes. I've often thought that the unions should being doing more to improve conditions and lessen workload. You do get fed up with being a political football as well. And yes, the holidays are great, but I do find myself spending more and more of them in school. But I'm thankful to have a job - especially one where I'm not always stuck in a office or glued to the end of a phone.

 

[trueblue]

I used to live with a teacher and there's no doubt she worked REALLY hard during term times and that the holidays are slightly shorter than they appear to people outside of the profession.

However, she was the first to admit she did still get lots of holiday time compared to other jobs and, at 28, was already earning 33k a year.

That doesn't seem a bad deal to me in a very secure job. When teachers' quote the salary figures, they ought to take into account the hidden benefits like the extra holiday too.

True, it's possible to earn much higher amounts working in other private sector professions. But those jobs aren't usually 'for life', and long hours, lack of union rights, and short holidays just go with the territory for most people. If the teachers really feel so hard done by, perhaps they should just try to find a different job?

 

[BigGully]

Seeing as I only graduated last year I've never experienced the good times working... I can assure you I wish I was in a situation where I could consider striking for a 10% rise rather than wondering how long I will actually be in work for! And I know I'm by no means alone in this.

Well become a teacher then, you seem to have the academic ability to become one.

But be warned, it aint all holiday's or 9.00am starts and 3.30pm finish, far from it.

I am NOT a teacher by the way and I accept that the public sector can feel pretty secure at the moment, but you aint gonna make your fortune.

During times of growth the wages are considerably lower than in any other comparative profession and that is why its conveniently called a vocation rather than a career.

I notice that vocation's seem to be primarily professions that employ women, funny that !!

It really means thats you are underpaid for your work and qualifications, whilst the predominatly male world of banking etc. has always seen itself as a profession and paid itself accordingly, funny that too eh !!

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

You can't put a price on educating our children, teachers are badly paid,the cost of living is rising stupidly and teachers are not responsible for the recession.Save your bile for the bankers and Crash Gordon.

You are wrong about the "cost of living rising stupidly" see National Statistics Online

Yes, a year ago and several years leading up to that but RPI is now at (or around) zero % - some prices are actually going down.

I've not been able to find work for 6 months (thank goodness I had some savings) and so a 10% increase is a dream for me, I'd be happy with a job. I took some time off over last summer to deliver Chance-2-Shine (bringing cricket back to state schools). Frankly, the kids in Yr7 & Yr8 offer a total lack of respect for their teachers and I would not wish to do that regularly.

Do primary school teachers get paid the same as secondary as, from my experience, the jobs are very different.

 

[BigGully]

I used to live with a teacher and there's no doubt she worked REALLY hard during term times and that the holidays are slightly shorter than they appear to people outside of the profession.

However, she was the first to admit she did still get lots of holiday time compared to other jobs and, at 28, was already earning 33k a year.

That doesn't seem a bad deal to me in a very secure job. When teachers' quote the salary figures, they ought to take into account the hidden benefits like the extra holiday too.

True, it's possible to earn much higher amounts working in other private sector professions. But those jobs aren't usually 'for life', and long hours, lack of union rights, and short holidays just go with the territory for most people. If the teachers really feel so hard done by, perhaps they should just try to find a different job?

But the holidays are already factored into their salary.

I accept that at the moment it is a secure job with a wage that many would enjoy.

But that doesn't tell the whole story.

If you go to University to become a teacher and pass your 4 year degree, then you would hope that you might expect a salary 'somewhere' in line as if you went into the private sector.

Seem's reasonable to me.

But for over 15 years now my mate who is a jobbing builder ( albeit a good one ) has been raking in a significantly higher wage than my Son's primary school teacher, who is on less than £25,000 per annum.

10% seem's appropriate to me, yet definately not going to happen.

 

[Skint Gull]

But for over 15 years now my mate who is a jobbing builder ( albeit a good one ) has been raking in a significantly higher wage than my Son's primary school teacher, who is on less than £25,000 per annum.

Yes but your mate (or certainly hundreds of thousands like him) will currently be out of work, will have nowhere near the pension accruing that a teacher has and excluding Christmas has probably taken the same amount of holiday in those past 15 years combined that the teacher had just last year!

I don't think many people are debating the 10% rise, most people accept they do work hard and probably should get paid a little better. The issue is the timing of it.

You are never going to get public support by demanding a huge pay rise at a time when millions are out of work and even more are taking pay cuts. The fact that none of the teachers on here agree with the demand I think says all that needs to be said about what the NUT have done.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Teachers deserve a decent salary.

 

[BigGully]

Yes but your mate (or certainly hundreds of thousands like him) will currently be out of work, will have nowhere near the pension accruing that a teacher has and excluding Christmas has probably taken the same amount of holiday in those past 15 years combined that the teacher had just last year!

I don't think many people are debating the 10% rise, most people accept they do work hard and probably should get paid a little better. The issue is the timing of it.

You are never going to get public support by demanding a huge pay rise at a time when millions are out of work and even more are taking pay cuts. The fact that none of the teachers on here agree with the demand I think says all that needs to be said about what the NUT have done.

I don't begrudge my mate a penny, but for 15 years he has been on at least double the salary of a teacher.

Dare I say it, it is also difficult for a teacher to do cash jobs too !!!

But you can't wait every 10-15 years to tell the world how lucky the teachers may be today, whilst staying quiet during 15 years of continued growth and opportunity in the private sector.

Good luck to anyone that makes a few bob, but to somehow disqualify our teachers from also wishing to earn a wage comparative to their qualification and worth is unfair.