Teachers Strike

[Southover Street Seagull]

None of my friends earn that much some ten years after finishing uni. Those are incredible wages. In fact I think they're paid too much, if that's the case.

That sounds like the 'politics of envy' that the right wing harp on about when describing left wing aspirations in making society fairer.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Just because you get a poor wage doesn't mean someone else who has worked hard like yourself and studied should get a poor wage too. Why can't we have a society where people like doctors, engineers, nurses, teachers and you who study hard and get degrees be paid very well instead of bankers and their like?

And this arrogance always riles me ..... a degree doesn't make you worth more money. It has never ceased to amaze me when I've been interviewing how many fresh out of Uni students think their degree somehow entitles them to a job.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

I have no issue with £40k just as long as it's after a reasonable length of service and the teacher would hold some sort of responsibility such as Head of Maths. As it happens teachers can and do earn £40k.

Why don't we pay teachers who are responsible for the future of this country high wages? If teachers were paid high wages then surely that wouldd attract the best and brightest talent to educate the children of this country and long term that benefits the UK as a whole.

 

[supaseagull]

6th year teachers get 32k. Plus the time studying, 10yrs from when it all started it reaches 32k...

Who is going to still be teaching at 67 with that money

sorry but that's poppycock.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Why don't we pay teachers who are responsible for the future of this country high wages? If teachers were paid high wages then surely that wouldd attract the best and brightest talent to educate the children of this country and long term that benefits the UK as a whole.

Is there any evidence that the quality of teaching is directly related to the salaries paid ?

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

Chuff me they don't know they're born. I've been working as a scientist for ten years after doing a degree and a masters at top universities and am just getting close to that level! Plenty of graduates are lucky to get £15k.

Thats exactly what i was thinking. I'm starting to wonder why i'm a scientist.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Try stopping an employer doing this ! Your only real recourse ( unless you're in a heavily unionised industry ) is to resign and take them to court for constructive dismissal ( which will cost you a grand thanks to the Tory government ).

And you are opposing teachers who are actually doing this today by withdrawing their labour? Oh the irony.

 

[Philzo-93]

and the VERY generous pensions...........

and inset days - thats another week off

You're an idiot, they work inset days

 

[Westdene Seagull]

And you are opposing teachers who are actually doing this today by withdrawing their labour? Oh the irony.

Sigh .... no, I'm opposing strike action. It will achieve diddly squat. Given teachers are meant to be intelligent you'd think they could come up with ideas to bring the system itself to a halt without affecting pupils. They are too union led and unions know one thing - strike, strike, strike ( pity Oscar doesn't understand this ! ).

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

And this arrogance always riles me ..... a degree doesn't make you worth more money. It has never ceased to amaze me when I've been interviewing how many fresh out of Uni students think their degree somehow entitles them to a job.

Arrogance? Why is it arrogant to hope for a society that rewards people who study hard, gain a degree level of education and do some of THE most important jobs in society? I say this as someone who hasn't got a degree, left school at 17 and is still working for the same company.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Is there any evidence that the quality of teaching is directly related to the salaries paid ?

I don't know but is there any evidence to support average pay improves the quality of teaching?

 

[wardy wonder land]

You're an idiot, they work inset days

soooo, ok dullard, are they doing the job they are paid to do ? i.e. teach

 

[wellquickwoody]

£18k pay when training.

Average wage in the South East, including TLR is £32000.

18k in training......yes please.

Average of 32k with twelve weeks off per year.....yes please.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Arrogance? Why is it arrogant to hope for a society that rewards people who study hard, gain a degree level of education and do some of THE most important jobs in society? I say this as someone who hasn't got a degree, left school at 17 and is still working for the same company.

The problem I have is with the attitude of degree holders when they are starting off in employment. They should start at the bottom as everyone does. Work your way up with hard work and perseverance. There still appears to be an attitude of the "fast track to manager" as there was in banking in the late 80's and early 90's. That attitude has put the country on it's knees. Some careers require the extra study - science, medicine, vets, law etc but there's far too many people taking degrees across a ridiculous set of subjects thinking it entitles them to some special treatment when it comes to the job market.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Bloody Militants the lot if them . It's cost me a fortune today in Pier rides , donuts, babybchinos , and Tinkerbell/Spider-Man magazines.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Sigh .... no, I'm opposing strike action. It will achieve diddly squat. Given teachers are meant to be intelligent you'd think they could come up with ideas to bring the system itself to a halt without affecting pupils. They are too union led and unions know one thing - strike, strike, strike ( pity Oscar doesn't understand this ! ).

Utter, utter rubbish. Unions have a done a tremendous amount of positive work for the benefit of this country and population as a whole which is very well summed up in this article:

http://www.fleetstreetfox.com/2011/11/what-have-unions-ever-done-for-us.html

Yet amid the scaremongering about how the country will grind to a halt is the oft-held belief that the union movement is bad for business and bad for people.

Except without that same union movement we would not have:
Two-day weekends
Eight-hour working days
Maternity leave
Retirement ages
Occupational health and safety
Workplace pensions
Paid holidays
Equality laws
The right not to be sacked because you got married, had a baby, or became ill (strange how they're seen as similar things)
Pay increases
The minimum wage
Collective bargaining
The right for the working classes to organise themselves
A standard of living above that of 1850s Britain
Oh, and children would still be going up chimneys.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Utter, utter rubbish. Unions have a done a tremendous amount of positive work for the benefit of this country and population as a whole which is very well summed up in this article:

http://www.fleetstreetfox.com/2011/11/what-have-unions-ever-done-for-us.html

Yet amid the scaremongering about how the country will grind to a halt is the oft-held belief that the union movement is bad for business and bad for people.

Except without that same union movement we would not have:
Two-day weekends
Eight-hour working days
Maternity leave
Retirement ages
Occupational health and safety
Workplace pensions
Paid holidays
Equality laws
The right not to be sacked because you got married, had a baby, or became ill (strange how they're seen as similar things)
Pay increases
The minimum wage
Collective bargaining
The right for the working classes to organise themselves
A standard of living above that of 1850s Britain
Oh, and children would still be going up chimneys.

OK, what actions have the NUT and its members taken in relation to the current issue ? Work to rule - no, boycott of paperwork - no, boycott of after school work - no, they went straight to .... strike.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

The problem I have is with the attitude of degree holders when they are starting off in employment. They should start at the bottom as everyone does. Work your way up with hard work and perseverance. There still appears to be an attitude of the "fast track to manager" as there was in banking in the late 80's and early 90's. That attitude has put the country on it's knees. Some careers require the extra study - science, medicine, vets, law etc but there's far too many people taking degrees across a ridiculous set of subjects thinking it entitles them to some special treatment when it comes to the job market.

I agree with you on this totally. My point was about they way we reward people in our society who do extremely important jobs and study to a degree level to qualify for the said jobs. I personally think doctors, engineers, nurses, teachers and scientists are paid too little when compared to the people who work in the city who have degrees.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

OK, what actions have the NUT and its members taken in relation to the current issue ? Work to rule - no, boycott of paperwork - no, boycott of after school work - no, they went straight to .... strike.

They have been trying to negotiate with the government, but it seems only civil servants are allowed to talk to them:

http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/20986

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

At 1:20 on this video and you may see someone you recognise saying that: 'we must stand up to the bullying and stand for our rights'. The rest is worth watching too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHZC_R49vZI