Do I Have The Right To Be Mad!

[catma]

How do individual teachers feel when they tell their Head they are striking?

 

Well given that the NAHT has voted to strike quite happy I would think!

 

When I think back to the 80s and the industrial action we took re teachers hours and the now accepted directed time and PPA etc I'm glad I took action. But I was pretty hacked off with those who didn't, yet were quite happy to accept the bonuses whilst the rest of us lost pay.

 

You don't have to join in - but why belong to a union if you are not prepared to fight with that union for the things your union stands for. Many of the things we take for granted, the right to paid annual leave for example are the result of union activity in the past.

 

However this is not just teachers, it is every public sector body; unison, gmb etc have all balloted and all ready to walk out and withdraw their labour in protest at the changes being made to the public sector pension system, be that TPS or LGPS. Public sector pay has never been high in relation to private sector pay, but the trade off is your pension. Now we are expected to work longer, pay more for it and get less. Or simply lose jobs as councils cut everythng back to nothing. We've all had pay freezes, in my case 4 years so I will not get a pay rise until 2014 I think. My salary is now running at the actual amount I was earning in 2009 given the rising cost of living etc. I've had enough and so will be withdrawing my labour on 30th.

 

Cx

[Guest]

How do individual teachers feel when they tell their Head they are striking?

 

This is the reason I didn't go on strike last time. At my school there were several teachers from other unions who weren't involved in the strike so obviously they worked. The deputy said she 'couldn't be bothered' to strike but everyone knew it was because she didn't dare tell the head she was striking. That left myself and two other teachers. One would have gone on strike, but was part time and it was her day off anyway. The other wanted to strike but didn't dare be the only one of the established teachers doing it and I certainly wasn't in a position to be the only one striking as it was my first year there on a temporary contract and the head already disliked me. That was the main reason I decided not to strike.

 

If enough teachers strike they tend to close the school for the day and this is really when it becomes easier for teachers to say they are striking. There is power in being one of many, it takes a confident person to be one out on their own going on strike!

 

Also (although this is a generalisation, which doesn't apply to everyone) from speaking with friends in other schools it seems it is much easier for older and/or established teachers to take the decision to strike individually. Younger teachers don't want to rock the boat, particularly when on temporary contracts or if they've only just started at a school.

 

It also depends on the head, some are accommodating and supportive. My last head would have seen it as a terrible betrayal for us to strike and there would have been unspoken reprecussions. I'd be interested to know what she is going to do now her union are striking!