Best liner/ bedding for drop tray

[Chicken Licken]

I agree with Maj BK - the issue is the lack of planning from one school, rather than the bigger pension issue that teachers are striking over. At my school 29 members of staff will be striking, enough to close the school to all but a few selected classes at the start of A2 courses. Non - ATL and NUT members have to turn up as usual, but will not be expected to cover lessons for colleagues who are striking. Parents received all the information on Friday, giving them enough time to plan for their children.

I am in 2 minds over the striking, my union is not taking industrial action until all the options are exhausted. What I absolutely sure about is that I cannot still be teaching aged 68. I have taught now for 14 years, and the prospect of another 30 years at the tempo I currently work at is completely unrealistic. We shall wait and see!!

[beach chick]

That is a bit naughty. My understanding is no teachers of a different union are allowed to cover a striking teacher. Otherwise all schools would just get the rest of the teachers to cover classes or get supply in as you say This defeats the object.

 

fluffychick is exactly right.

I do think new teachers should get new pension rules; to change it for those who signed up in the expectation of one thing is not fair (and yes I know we will all have to work for longer etc). but teachers are for the most part extremely committed to their role, which is not just a job but a vocation, and they go over and above to deliver results in the face of extreme challenges.

 

and I am a (secondary) school governor, and the idea that the 13 of us should step in - erm, I dont think so! we may all be CRB checked; but none of us is qualified to teach; and we all have jobs...

[Willow]

Back in the 80s our school sent certain classes home with no warning and 3 of my classmates took a boat out onto the Solent and one of them was killed

 

Does raise a question about schools duty of care if children have been sent in

 

 

Pensions & pay freezes, afraid in the private sector that has been the norm for a long time. 2 1/2 yrs after the company I worked for went under I still have no info on whether I will ever get *anything* out of the company pension I paid into for over 10 yrs...

[fluffy chick]

I still have no info on whether I will ever get *anything* out of the company pension I paid into for over 10 yrs...

 

Gosh that's awful.

[squiffs]

@Fred:

I wasn't complaining about strike action - as several people have mentioned already, what I'm complaining about is the fact that little to no notice has been given in some cases when other schools have manged to inform parents.

 

I don't understand why there's this 'allying' with 'public sector workers' - I see all workers as workers, paid to do a job, it doesn't matter whether their boss is the taxpayer or a CEO, if there's inequality it isn't acceptable. At the same time, not all 'private sector workers' have had it rosy either - the industry I work in has seen many reputable, large companies go under in the last 12 months, my company suffered huge losses through those companies going into administration, people lose jobs, we've had to lay off any subcontractors, ask staff to take voluntary unpaid weeks off, had a 10% pay cut since 2009 which keeps being extended (we'll never get that 10% back) and we have been trading in a loss for the last few years. Everyone's feeling the pinch. Everyone's having to work longer, everyone's pay is being squeezed and everyone's pensions are shrinking. I seriously doubt by the time I retire I will even HAVE a state pension. So whilst I'm not against the strike action per se, I do take issue with this being acceptable purely because 'public sector workers have it bad' - an attitude I'm not quite so enamoured with. It's sectarian and divisive.

[sjp]

To be fair on the schools NUT and ATL members have been advised by their unions NOT to inform their schools of their intentions on strike action. Teachers will decide on the day. The school will then have to deal with the staff that they have (or don't have). Teachers from other unions (nasuwt mainly) are not allowed to cover for teachers on strike. However the senior management are allowed. So it depends how many teachers in a school are NUT or ATL as the headteacher has to assume all of them are striking if that makes sense.

 

What is interesting is the head teachers union are balloting strike action too, not sure what would happen if the heads all strike Clearly teachers can't do their job, maybe the governors would step in but they are usually pretty busy people too.

 

As a mum and a teacher I can see both sides.

 

I thourght unions have to give 7 days notice of strike action

I'm sure in a bin dispute over winter in this atrea had to cancel 2 days of action because of not following the notice rules

on another point I'm hoping on local school I've got work to do at is on strike as it'll mean I get paid for at least 2 days work this week. I'm laid off till Thursday due to the lack of work

[The Dogmother]

With respect, Fred, the morality of the cause has nothing to do with the lack of basic planning and organisation that Claret's daughter's school is demonstrating. This is one specific school failing to give a clear statement either way about what it is doing, and that's poor.

 

That was my main cause for complaint; while I don't agree with the principle of striking, especially in education where our children need their teachers to be there. I am appalled at the lack of organisation shown by a normally very good school.

[chuckmum6]

My OH is a head, the communication he had from the unions, said he could approach the members on a list given to him by their union and the they should let him know if they are striking a week before.

[Griffin]

Between them, my four daughters attend three different schools. All were sent home with letters last week so we knew where we stood. As it happens, two girls have to go in while the other two have a day off. Their schools are not closing, it's only a few individual classes that are being advised not to go in. The infant school letter explained that the Headteacher had been advised not to arrange supply teachers to cover the classes where the teacher was going to strike.

[bluekarin]

My ED has school, but not necessarily normal lessons. DS has school but only as he is on a geography field trip so isn't too fussed. YD, however, is one of three classes in the whole school who have to go in all day. She is ever so slightly miffed, poor thing

[The Dogmother]

Just had a text from Rosie; it sounds as if the school will close on Thursday.

[Geoid]

@Fred:

I wasn't complaining about strike action - as several people have mentioned already, what I'm complaining about is the fact that little to no notice has been given in some cases when other schools have manged to inform parents.

 

I agree with you, no one seems to know who is going on strike, if there is going to be a strike (talks are ongoing I believe) Its going to affect a lot of people.

[beach chick]

@Fred:

I wasn't complaining about strike action - as several people have mentioned already, what I'm complaining about is the fact that little to no notice has been given in some cases when other schools have manged to inform parents.

 

I agree with you, no one seems to know who is going on strike, if there is going to be a strike (talks are ongoing I believe) Its going to affect a lot of people.

 

I suppose that's the point tho - if you know you are going to be inconvenienced, you take steps to sort it out, thus making the strike less effective/painful. lots of others are striking too - courts of law, port workers etc.

[majorbloodnock]

@Fred:

I wasn't complaining about strike action - as several people have mentioned already, what I'm complaining about is the fact that little to no notice has been given in some cases when other schools have manged to inform parents.

 

I agree with you, no one seems to know who is going on strike, if there is going to be a strike (talks are ongoing I believe) Its going to affect a lot of people.

 

I suppose that's the point tho - if you know you are going to be inconvenienced, you take steps to sort it out, thus making the strike less effective/painful. lots of others are striking too - courts of law, port workers etc.

 

Really? I was always under the impression that strikes were about employees making the employer's life difficult, not the customer's life. In fact, annoy the customer too much and you lose whatever moral high ground and support you have. Admittedly, it's difficult to avoid incidental inconvenience in most strike action, but most customers will recognise when they're being treated badly.

 

In Claret's case, the shoddy treatment has nothing to do with the strike's aims. Plenty of schools have co-ordinated the fall-out so parents and children know what's going on, so those who have failed to do so are guilty of simple bad management. I understand that some schools will not get a clear answer until late. However, in that case that school's head and board of governors need to live up to their responsibility and make a decision based on what they can rely on. Uncertainty helps no-one.

[Chucky Mama]

Our school is closed to all bar 2 year groups. Rather sad as it is the Year 6 induction day and we have Italian students visiting the school.

[ClaireG]

I had a letter on Friday to say D's pupil referral unit will be closed on Thursday. Have also had a letter and email from A's school to say they are open but pupils may not have their normal lessons.

[BeckyBoo]

Why can't they strike on an inset day? We've had notice of inset days since the beginning of the school year and I've taken leave to cover them. Luckily my three are all at one school and there's no disruption there, but I would seriously object to having to take a precious days leave merely to cover for industrial action.

 

We keep being told - "inset days aren't days off you know" - so strike on an inset day then? Or maybe part of the idea IS to inconvenience the customer so that they will put pressure on the government to capitulate?

 

BeckyBoo

[squiffs]

Why can't they strike on an inset day? We've had notice of inset days since the beginning of the school year and I've taken leave to cover them. Luckily my three are all at one school and there's no disruption there, but I would seriously object to having to take a precious days leave merely to cover for industrial action.

 

We keep being told - "inset days aren't days off you know" - so strike on an inset day then? Or maybe part of the idea IS to inconvenience the customer so that they will put pressure on the government to capitulate?

 

BeckyBoo

The problem is inset days are 'teacher training days' - so we're still being short changed/inconvenienced, just not in a totally apparent way.

 

I completely suspect the idea is to produce a a reaction from the public, there's no way a one day strike would otherwise have any effect.

[The Dogmother]

BeckyBoo

I completely suspect the idea is to produce a a reaction from the public, there's no way a one day strike would otherwise have any effect.

 

I totally agree.

 

On the subject of inset days, I once had a letter from R's primary school saying along the lines of 'as this is such a long term we have decided to have an inset day on...'. Some of us parents understood that inset days were planned and set at the beginning of the school year and protested.

[fluffy chick]

To be fair on the schools NUT and ATL members have been advised by their unions NOT to inform their schools of their intentions on strike action. Teachers will decide on the day. The school will then have to deal with the staff that they have (or don't have). Teachers from other unions (nasuwt mainly) are not allowed to cover for teachers on strike. However the senior management are allowed. So it depends how many teachers in a school are NUT or ATL as the headteacher has to assume all of them are striking if that makes sense.

 

What is interesting is the head teachers union are balloting strike action too, not sure what would happen if the heads all strike Clearly teachers can't do their job, maybe the governors would step in but they are usually pretty busy people too.

 

As a mum and a teacher I can see both sides.

 

I thourght unions have to give 7 days notice of strike action

 

 

They do and the unions gave much more notice than this. The individual members don't need to give any notice though.

[fluffy chick]

My OH is a head, the communication he had from the unions, said he could approach the members on a list given to him by their union and the they should let him know if they are striking a week before.

 

 

This was totally different in our school. Our head has been informed of who the members of the NUT and ATL are and that is it. He has not asked members individually of their intentions and the members were told to expect not to be asked.

 

It's a shame really as most parents want a decent deal for teachers, so the best teachers stay teachers. But the way some schools have dealt with it have got parents' backs up. I know what it's like to be left in the lurch with child care so I can sympathise.

[Alis girls]

Well its costing me money - ES has badgered me into taking him to Brent X for new jeans. If he were at school I wouldnt have to venture out to find it full of kids who should be at school

[The Dogmother]

Golly! Not Brent Cross... I used to work there in the hols when I was a student - vile place even then!

[bellekatz]

My OH is a head, the communication he had from the unions, said he could approach the members on a list given to him by their union and the they should let him know if they are striking a week before.

 

This was totally different in our school. Our head has been informed of who the members of the NUT and ATL are and that is it. He has not asked members individually of their intentions and the members were told to expect not to be asked.

 

Ha, I'm not even in a teaching union but am in Unison and I had to fill in a declaration of what I was doing:

a) striking

b) wanting to work but not crosing a picket line

c) working as normal

 

Our union advice was to cross a picket line if there was one but not take on any additional duties like teaching roles etc that we wouldnt normally do. Our school has decided to close to children be we will still be going in.

[PurpleTree]

We had a letter home last week to say the whole school's closed - nursery, infants & juniors. We've also got Inset Days on Friday and Monday, so this is their last day until Tuesday. We're taking advantage and going away for a long weekend in Barmouth