I watched this on Sky News this a.m.
Seems to be three issues
1. Funding of schools, academies and their control. Changes to this.
2. Changes to pensions and time before you get it.
3. Envy from non teachers over their holidays and (perceived) short hours.
I don't understand the issues with item 1 so can't comment.
Item 2 as an older person actually I can understand. Fine if you are 25 and are told you have to work till you are 80. When you are young you think you will live forever. However when you are nearing 60 the thought of working for a few more years than you anticipated and perhaps getting less of a pension is a bit harder to swallow. If people in private sector jobs are envious of folk in public sector jobs and their pensions they could always have swapped sectors when making career decisions! What is the total package on offer ?
Item3 . I have always believed that teachers and children should have longer terms to prepare children for the real world. Changing to that would be tricky and could only be achieved over time. In the meantime that is part of their pay and conditions. A friend who was a teacher moved to a public sector job and was offered £2000 a year to move onto industry standard holidays (i.e. lose his school holidays). Needless to say he declined the cash.
It always amazes me that we sign a Contract with either the Bank, Employers etc which sets out T&C's.
Yet whenever they feel things aren't going their way - we'll change the rules and move the goalposts and each time we lose out.
How would they feel after starting a job, few months/years down the line WE changed the T&C's?
Not going overboard/stupid, but things like:
25 days holiday instead of 23
Retire at 63 instead of 65
Payrise of 4% minimum etc etc
If we went to them with these sort of changes, they'd tell us to p**s off!!
The banks & pension schemes do my head in the most
Author
Topic: Teacher strikes (Read 1705 times)