St David's Day Teacher Strike?
Do you remember last November, where many schools across Wales and the UK closed as teachers had a day of strike in protest over controversial pension changes?
However, it seems that was not the end of it, as a protest is planned to be conducted on the first of March, known to us Welsh folk as St David's Day.
Major teaching unions such as NUT and NASUWT were part of the last strike last November, and a follow-up strike on St David's Day could result in up to nine of ten school pupils out of the classroom.
Within the next two weeks, union executives will meet within the next two weeks to receive feedback from members and a new strike date could then emerge. If they are to strike, the unions will need to give seven days' notice of any more stoppages.
Large unions are "standing firm" as many are currently talking with their members as to accepting the Government's deal.
In the last strike, 1,500 of Wales’ 1,776 schools closed, which would probably mean the same would happen if March 1st is the date of the second wave of protests.
Source - Wales Online
3 Comments – Postiwch sylw
eddie secretary
Rhoddwyd sylw 3 mis yn ôl - 1st February 2012 - 15:41pm
Personally i dont Agree with Strikes, Sure Protest the fact that your not getting paid enough, or that you want better Pensions, but you shouldnt Strike, for one thing they are Really Affecting the Young People in schools, especially at this time of year when young people are coming up to their exams, and doing early exams, or Mock exams, its unfair for those children, and to be honest, if a teacher is un happy with the wages they get working at a school, why did they start working as a teacher, i would have thought that you would have to Enjoy being a Teacher to teach a class of young people, With me i have recently finished a PTLLS Course (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector) and i really enjoy training and teaching young people and older people, i have a good feeling of achievement at the end of it if they have absorbed what i have said, and i dont care what money i get paid for teaching because i enjoy it, im not there for the money, sure it helps, but if there is no budget there for me to go in, then i wont charge, i will just turn up and train them, so this is my message to all the teachers and lecturers that are going to Strike
*** GROW UP AND STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT PAY AND PENSIONS, FOR ONE, YOU GET PAID MORE THAT SOMEONE WHO IS LIVING ON THE DOLE AND CANT AFFORD TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES FOR A WEEK, AND FOR A TWO, STOP COMPLAINING BECAUSE IF YOU ENJOYED TEACHING YOU WOULDNT BE WINGEING ABOUT PAY, BECAUSE YOU WOULDNT BE THERE FOR THE MONEY***
Thanx for Reading
Eddie_Secretary
EnterUsernameHere
Rhoddwyd sylw 3 mis yn ôl - 2nd February 2012 - 20:55pm
@eddie secretary
Sometimes, loving your job isn't enough. You (as in people in general) need to bring a wage in to support your family. They aren't winging about it, they are fighting against proposed changes in their pensions, which will effect their life in their last years. They are thinking of their future, which everyone has the right to do.
If it was, say, bankers striking against proposed stoppages of their bonuses, I'd laugh in their face. But they are teachers, people who work almost every day to share knowledge to the younger generation.
Also, surely every job should have a wage higher than what the dole hands out anyway? Surely knowing that you (again, as the collective) could earn more money for working than on the dole, more people will be employed? I know it doesn't work like that irl (not to mention how the economy's like these days), hopefully you (and everyone else) will know what I mean.
I've probably misread what this article is about, and if anyone wants to correct me, feel free to go ahead. =].
eddie secretary
Rhoddwyd sylw 3 mis yn ôl - 2nd February 2012 - 23:45pm
i see your point, but what im going on about really is that I worked for the local authority before i was made redundant, and i paid 6% of my wages each month into my pension scheme, and if i wanted to pay more then i would have, and being that most teachers are paid as Employees of the Local authorities, it is now Mandatory to pay into a Pension unless you decide to Opt Out, its called an Optout Scheme, this has been rolled out across all Local Authorities,
if teachers want to have better pensions they need to pay more in themselves, and not to expect the Local authority to do it, Mainly because they do not have the budget for it.
Yes i also understand that they need to bring a wage home to support their families, yet i know Several teachers that have Brand New Sports cars every couple of years, if they want to have a better pension, Save the money, and buy a Cheaper car,