Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Del Boy on 21 April 2008, 21:53:59

Title: Teachers Strike
Post by: Del Boy on 21 April 2008, 21:53:59
What are your views on this, my son's school maybe shut on thursday because of this strike meaning that he (and probably many others) are going to lose out on a day's valuable education I hope it doesn't shut as he has his SAT's test in 2 weeks  >:(.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1311388,00.html?CMP=KNC-Breaking&HBX_PK=2008_04_01_Teachers_plan_to_strike&HBX_OU=50
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: Richie London on 21 April 2008, 21:59:12
exams are due soon so best get the strikes going again. same old story. train drivers and airports bank holidays.

my kids went back to school today after 2 weeks off, no school tomorrow teacher training day??

richie
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: Del Boy on 21 April 2008, 22:02:33
Yeah my son also went back today, what annoy's me is the fact they do it at a part that is important in every school child's life. As for teacher training days I don't see why they do them.
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: Markie on 21 April 2008, 22:03:48
Controversial Opinion alert.

Strike - Sack `em.

No matter the reason, no matter the industry I have no time for industrial action. And yes i know the teachers no doubt have in their eyes very valid reasons.

But blackmail is no way to get a grievance accross - thats what strike action is.
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 21 April 2008, 22:30:26
about 3 years ago I had a friend who left engineering (software) to be a teacher.....

...he says its the best job going, loads of holidays, fantastic pension and good hours, he reacons its only the disorganised ones that spend all evening marking etc!

Ow yes, hes on better maney than he was writing software!

So my opinion, they can all sod off as they dont know how well off they are!
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: theowletman on 21 April 2008, 22:44:52
Quote
Yeah my son also went back today, what annoy's me is the fact they do it at a part that is important in every school child's life. As for teacher training days I don't see why they do them.
So that they can catch up on the mountains of instructions about what they must teach our kids, they must learn what the elf n safety brigade tell them. Also we couldn't interrupt their 13 weeks holiday by asking them to do something could we ? There are some excellent teachers out there, but equally there are some bad ones who don't even know about personal hygiene and how to take a pride in your appearance, I see one going into a local school and I thought that he was the gardner, turns out he is an english literature teacher.
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: HerefordElite on 22 April 2008, 00:08:45
Quote
about 3 years ago I had a friend who left engineering (software) to be a teacher.....

...he says its the best job going, loads of holidays, fantastic pension and good hours, he reacons its only the disorganised ones that spend all evening marking etc!

Ow yes, hes on better maney than he was writing software!

So my opinion, they can all sod off as they dont know how well off they are!


Know what you mean Mark, my mum's a teacher and was whinging about going back to work after the easter break -try having 20days holiday a year - don't know the meaning of work ;)

as for strikes - these bloody teachers/council workers/nurses etc need to remmember how lucky they are to be in big unions that have the power to ensure decent conditions and pay not like us plebs(well me) >:(
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: geoff on 22 April 2008, 06:49:37
striking that cost rover car company,they were always on strike when leyland had them. striking does not get people anywhere,also look at the petrol strike did it do any good
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: AllyM on 22 April 2008, 08:37:10
Well , i,m one of those " bloody council workers " who work in a school ( janitor ) who has for the last dozen years had below inflation rises of 2% ( when eveything under the sun averages rises of 25% plus , pertol gas electric et.c. )  when teachers have had in one specific year a rise of 20+% , it makes my blood boil when it,s said we need cheap housing for them to get on the property ladder , what chance have the support workers got ??
Mind you , this is supposed to be a democatic country where the working person has the right to strike regardless of the consequenses , but God forbid you upset other people in the process !! >:( >:(
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: HerefordElite on 22 April 2008, 08:43:13
Quote
Well , i,m one of those " bloody council workers " who work in a school ( janitor ) who has for the last dozen years had below inflation rises of 2% ( when eveything under the sun averages rises of 25% plus , pertol gas electric et.c. )  when teachers have had in one specific year a rise of 20+% , it makes my blood boil when it,s said we need cheap housing for them to get on the property ladder , what chance have the support workers got ??
Mind you , this is supposed to be a democatic country where the working person has the right to strike regardless of the consequenses , but God forbid you upset other people in the process !! >:( >:(

Fair comment - i new i'd upset a few ::)

point was what about us workers who don't have a big union and only get a 1% rise - i can't bloody strike i just have to lump it >:(
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 22 April 2008, 08:49:54
I got no pay rise for nearly 5 years.....

Bottom line is that pay is not really related to inflation etc and nobody has an automatic right to a pay rise.

Salaries should be based on the Market rate (as they are in the competitive world) where you pay the minimum required to get the right people in and keep them.

Sadly this is not true in the public sector where for instance a shite teacher gets paid as much as a good teacher.
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: AllyM on 22 April 2008, 09:05:20
The easy answer is to join a larger union , Unison & TGWU covers about every damn job going , the problem arrises in getting management to recognise it , but if you get enough people signed up they might just have too .
If i had,nt had a rise for 5 years i would be either 1.) getting well enough paid that i did,nt bother !! , or 2.) getting a new job !!
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 22 April 2008, 09:19:29
Quote
The easy answer is to join a larger union , Unison & TGWU covers about every damn job going , the problem arrises in getting management to recognise it , but if you get enough people signed up they might just have too .
If i had,nt had a rise for 5 years i would be either 1.) getting well enough paid that i did,nt bother !! , or 2.) getting a new job !!


1) Are we ever paid enough?

2) Easier said than done without moving....

Unions are powerless these days, all they can do is offer advice and try the scare and annoy tactics.

Lets be honest, if public service workers were to get a pay rise then there would be the need to increase taxes to fund it and affect the public service workers out goings anyway.....plus they never consider the pension they are getting as a major benefit in the calc as well.

Still no sympathy, its a dog eat dog world out there.
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: AllyM on 22 April 2008, 09:54:56
" increase taxes to pay for public sector wages " , Christ there can,t be many other ways of screwing us to the wall that they have,nt done already !! . I agree unions are useless these days  and as for more money , well i would like to be able to spend more on my Omega please , or if given enough , fill my tank full of petrol !! ::)
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: ians on 22 April 2008, 10:38:31
but Mark et al,  you don't understand these public sector workers have such stressful jobs that they need to be able to retire at 60 onto cushy final salary pension schemes. Those of us living the high life in the real world should be happy to work for as long as it takes to fund them.

Pay rise sir?  We'll just hike national insurance to pay for it - noone will notice...

 >:(
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 22 April 2008, 10:49:39
Quote
but Mark et al,  you don't understand these public sector workers have such stressful jobs that they need to be able to retire at 60 onto cushy final salary pension schemes. Those of us living the high life in the real world should be happy to work for as long as it takes to fund them.

Pay rise sir?  We'll just hike national insurance to pay for it - noone will notice...
 >:(

Sounds familiar!
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: theowletman on 22 April 2008, 12:13:10
Quote
The easy answer is to join a larger union , Unison & TGWU covers about every damn job going , the problem arrises in getting management to recognise it , but if you get enough people signed up they might just have too .
If i had,nt had a rise for 5 years i would be either 1.) getting well enough paid that i did,nt bother !! , or 2.) getting a new job !!
It is also a major factor in the success of the unions who represent public sector workers that their members contributions keep the labour party going, couldn't be corrupt in any way could it ? Surely not.
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: AllyM on 22 April 2008, 14:22:50
Public sector workers have the option to say if they want their contributions to go to a polital party or not !!
Maybe civil servants ( police , et.c.) have the option to retire on final salaries , but council workers in their " cushy jobs " can,t afford on their £5.81 and hour to retire at 65 ( given the option to stay on working , go part time for 20 hours , or retire ) , maybe people should find out a few truths before they go shouting their mouths off !!! >:( >:(
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: theowletman on 22 April 2008, 15:16:12
Quote
Public sector workers have the option to say if they want their contributions to go to a polital party or not !!
Maybe civil servants ( police , et.c.) have the option to retire on final salaries , but council workers in their " cushy jobs " can,t afford on their £5.81 and hour to retire at 65 ( given the option to stay on working , go part time for 20 hours , or retire ) , maybe people should find out a few truths before they go shouting their mouths off !!! >:( >:(
Steady on AllyM, it was you who mentioned the unions. As a member of the general public I feel I am well placed to make my views known, freedom of speech etc. We all know that not every public sector worker out there earns a small fortune, but what we are moaning about is the massive rise in direct and indirect taxation and the subsequent drop in services we receive in exchange. If all public services were twice as good and we could see some return for all the extra taxation there would be few complaints. But with Council Tax doubling over 10 years we should be receiving the best services in Europe, not the worst, minimal winter road treatment, closing of sheltered homes for the elderly, potholed roads, fortnightly bin collections etc, no wonder we complain.
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: AllyM on 22 April 2008, 16:18:18
Everyone has the right to air their views !! , everyone has the right of an opinion !! , everyone has the right to complain !! , but even council workers are entitled to a decent standard of living !! , at present i am on 14 hour shifts to try and make a decent wage , that,s all wrong !! >:( >:( >:( , and as for teachers , as much as i think they are overpaid , too much holidays , et.c. , i still would,nt do there job !!
Title: Re: Teachers Strike
Post by: JiMbOb789 on 22 April 2008, 17:59:33
my son goes to patchway high school and he's off school thursday