Teachers Strike

[RicW 67]

This whole pensions argument goes back a lot further than most of yous guys realise. I worked for an insurance company in the late '70s. Yeah, door to door, stop laughing at the back there. We were told that the biggest problem faced by insurance companies was the baby-boomers. After WWII ended a lot of squaddies, sailors and airmen were demobbed. From 1945 on it was nookie nookie nookie all over the gaff. From as early as 1950 it was clear that there was a ticking bomb in the system. There were going to be a LOT of people retiring from 2010 on. Then the baby boomers made things worse by having small families. Growing population of pensioners, shrinking population of workers to pay the tax bill.

 

The insurance companies started quietly increasing costs and reducing payouts for private pensions and company schemes. Meantime, governments of all types bottled out. They had been bribing people to take poorly paid public sector jobs by promising them inflation proof final salary pensions. Hey! Carry on! The next lot will have to pay for it!

 

We are now paying for the cowardice of 60 years of politicians. And people ask me why I'm still an anarchist at 63. Ho f**cking hum.

[shepp 2,285]

This whole pensions argument goes back a lot further than most of yous guys realise. I worked for an insurance company in the late '70s. Yeah, door to door, stop laughing at the back there. We were told that the biggest problem faced by insurance companies was the baby-boomers. After WWII ended a lot of squaddies, sailors and airmen were demobbed. From 1945 on it was nookie nookie nookie all over the gaff. From as early as 1950 it was clear that there was a ticking bomb in the system. There were going to be a LOT of people retiring from 2010 on. Then the baby boomers made things worse by having small families. Growing population of pensioners, shrinking population of workers to pay the tax bill.

 

The insurance companies started quietly increasing costs and reducing payouts for private pensions and company schemes. Meantime, governments of all types bottled out. They had been bribing people to take poorly paid public sector jobs by promising them inflation proof final salary pensions. Hey! Carry on! The next lot will have to pay for it!

 

We are now paying for the cowardice of 60 years of politicians. And people ask me why I'm still an anarchist at 63. Ho f**cking hum.

 

That is a common feature of human nature, a bit ilke how we'll wait till people start to starve on mass before we take steps to limit population growth.

[shepp 2,285]

So where should the shortfall come from, should the tax payer take up the slack or should you put a bit more away each money?

 

 

No it should be taken from the fuckers who caused the problem in the first place....THE BANKERS.....The private sector aint blameless either it was in the 90's I think where a lot of private sector worker took a pension break because of the boom...now the Public Sector are being asked to pick up the tab....Just where would you slash public sector jobs then?

 

That's crap, how the hell is anybody picking up the tab for private sector workforce pension breaks, all that is happening is the person retiring will have a smaller pension or will have to make up the difference themselves.

In complete contrast to the public sector where all shortfalls are funded by the tax payer.

[WILF 47,230]

Right to strike?......when it comes to work it should be a case of crap or get of the pot!........if you dont like the job then get another, and if you cant get another then be f*****g happy with what you have cause theres always someone out there who needs it more than you.

[Aaron Proffitt 142]

Right to strike?......when it comes to work it should be a case of crap or get of the pot!........if you dont like the job then get another, and if you cant get another then be f*****g happy with what you have cause theres always someone out there who needs it more than you.

 

Damn right....welll said

[spanj 11]

Many thanks to Ideation, Undisputed, Tomm Parr and anybody else who's sticking up for the likes of myself and my wife: we're both teachers.

 

To be fair, I'm a supply teacher. Not one of those crap ones who's only doing it because they can't get a job, but one who's been doing it out of choice for a decade and a half. As a result of my choice, I have to admit that I am fortunate in getting thirteen weeks holiday per year. However, the downside of being a supply teacher is that I only get paid for the days I work.

 

Back to my wife: a "proper" teacher. As has been said above, it's not 9 til 3. Most teachers start work by 8 at the very latest, are lucky to grab a few minutes for lunch and work (in school) until at least 5. My wife's rarely home before 6. Then there's all the paper-work which takes up several of her evenings and some of the weekend every week. In addition, she usually goes into school for several days during each "holiday" plus more paper-work at home again.

 

Considering we're post-graduates, our salary is below average for our qualifications...like nurses etc we're in a "caring" industry which means we're exected to do it for enjoyment. Enjoyment which often includes verbal and physical abuse from pupils and parents and f*** all appreciation from a large section of the public. Many of the comments on this thread are examples of this.

 

I love my job. I get to make a genuine, positive impact on people's lives and they regularly thank me for it. Fortunately, that more than makes up for the blind comments of so many and the, comparatively, poor salary which is soon to become worse by making me pay more for longer in order to receive less.

 

Thanks again to those of you who appreciate what I do.

 

I just want to say that teachers such as you've described are few and far between these days. I've had such a negative experience with my kids' primary school, I confess I feel rather jaded. Good teaching should be fully supported and encouraged - but instead bad teaching is protected and perpetuated. Red tape and ridiculous health and safety laws don't help either. And imo the holiday system is barking mad and needs to be revamped. There is NO reason at all for that amount of holidays. If it were reduced to the six weeks in summer with one or two term breaks during the year that would make more sense. And those term breaks should be used for lesson planning and teacher training. The 6 weeks in the summer is ample holiday for anyone, teachers included. If that happened I reckon it would shake out the teachers who only do it for the extensive holidays. You can't deny there are a lot of them like that.

 

I do value public sector workers - but it's hard to feel their pain when everyone else is taking it up the ass as well. The balance is uneven between public and private sectors. It's not as if the average Joe Public can go on strike, is it?

 

 

I get the impression you have feck all idea what the job really involves and are basing your comments on what / how you assume your own children's teachers have it.

 

Most of those week long half term breaks etc, teachers are in school, changing displays, sorting shit out, planning lessons, marking stuff, that all takes time, it's not like at 3.15 they go home and chill, and have all of their holidays to just put their feet up and relax.

 

Most of the folk moaning on here couldn't hack it for a week, let a lone a term.

 

If it's such a piece of piss, how come you ain't all teachers?

 

 

PMSL you been on the voddy ???? Congratulations you've just won the cock of the week award for the daftest statement on THL........ and thats saying something

[spanj 11]

Many thanks to Ideation, Undisputed, Tomm Parr and anybody else who's sticking up for the likes of myself and my wife: we're both teachers.

 

To be fair, I'm a supply teacher. Not one of those crap ones who's only doing it because they can't get a job, but one who's been doing it out of choice for a decade and a half. As a result of my choice, I have to admit that I am fortunate in getting thirteen weeks holiday per year. However, the downside of being a supply teacher is that I only get paid for the days I work.

 

Back to my wife: a "proper" teacher. As has been said above, it's not 9 til 3. Most teachers start work by 8 at the very latest, are lucky to grab a few minutes for lunch and work (in school) until at least 5. My wife's rarely home before 6. Then there's all the paper-work which takes up several of her evenings and some of the weekend every week. In addition, she usually goes into school for several days during each "holiday" plus more paper-work at home again.

 

Considering we're post-graduates, our salary is below average for our qualifications...like nurses etc we're in a "caring" industry which means we're exected to do it for enjoyment. Enjoyment which often includes verbal and physical abuse from pupils and parents and f*** all appreciation from a large section of the public. Many of the comments on this thread are examples of this.

 

I love my job. I get to make a genuine, positive impact on people's lives and they regularly thank me for it. Fortunately, that more than makes up for the blind comments of so many and the, comparatively, poor salary which is soon to become worse by making me pay more for longer in order to receive less.

 

Thanks again to those of you who appreciate what I do.

 

If it's that bad have a career change, I bet you don't though cos it's better than a helluva lot of jobs out there, most in fact.

 

You have experience of teaching then?

 

 

Do you have experience of the private sector ??????

 

I surely do I have worked in both you didn't answer my question

 

 

Actually mate I do...... in the school of life. No pension, no holidays and longer hours than 8 - 530 not that I see many teachers doing any of those hours too often

[twobob 1,497]

Dont know why anybodys botherd ,according to the tory press thousands ignored the strike and went to work anyway.

 

Thats what the tory papers want you to think....the Politicians are spouting the same rubbish about its affecting the children and people who want to work....strange stance to take when they've consigned thousands of kids to the dole and ruined communities. The tory dogma is purely for the rich always has been always will be, wolf in sheeps clothing.

 

Have you noticed the fallback position is its labours fault we have no choice...its bullshit if they fixed the tax laws there would be no national debt. How can it be right that multi billionaire/millionaires pay less tax than the average joe in the street.

 

What a load a simplistic socialist rhetoric, with very little foundation.

 

If Labour were doing such a great job then why were tax laws not changed during there 13 years in government, i will tell you why. Unfortunately, as much as we all hate it in a global economy it is very easy for big business to move to which ever country is the most tax efficient. That is the sad fact of capitalism.

 

The reality is during the Labour years the economy relied very heavily on the banking industry, that's why the Labour whores ignored all the dodgy practices and big bonuses.

Labour had neither the wit nor the will to create a stable balanced economy but instead spent there time, our money and a billions of borrowed money on creating a million public sector jobs (mainly Labour voters) and flooding the country with immigrants (mainly Labour voters).

 

So lets look at what Labour have given us-

 

Mass immigration with people from countries that have very poor work ethic, religious fundamentalism and intollerent prejudiced views.

 

Lied and cheated us out of a referendom and signed us up to the Lisbon Treaty, giving the unelected european parliament even more control over our laws.

 

Expanded the massive underclass, many of which are unemployable.

 

Took away parents and teachers ability to control a youth which has all the rights but no responsiblities.

 

The Hunting Ban.

 

In fact the Labour Party to me have damaged this country irreparably and just on the case of immigration alone I would despcribe most of the Labour politicians as traitors.

Its just the same as the ,s 4 million unemployed,industrial output down 25percent,and maggie twatcher never told lies did she?

[danw 1,748]

I cant' understand why people are criticising how much work a teacher does all I ever wanted to do is be a keeper for better or worse now in theory I could well have studied and been a teacher or what ever with a job that would pay better for less work but I chose my way, I had the chance to be anything but didn't, seems to me that in this country it is far easier to pull down some one who does well than applaud them. The school my kids attend has fantastic teachers and the care and help they have given my boys is beyond reproach if they must strike to get what they where promised then so be it.

[twobob 1,497]

Dont know why anybodys botherd ,according to the tory press thousands ignored the strike and went to work anyway.

 

Thats what the tory papers want you to think....the Politicians are spouting the same rubbish about its affecting the children and people who want to work....strange stance to take when they've consigned thousands of kids to the dole and ruined communities. The tory dogma is purely for the rich always has been always will be, wolf in sheeps clothing.

 

Have you noticed the fallback position is its labours fault we have no choice...its bullshit if they fixed the tax laws there would be no national debt. How can it be right that multi billionaire/millionaires pay less tax than the average joe in the street.

 

What a load a simplistic socialist rhetoric, with very little foundation.

 

If Labour were doing such a great job then why were tax laws not changed during there 13 years in government, i will tell you why. Unfortunately, as much as we all hate it in a global economy it is very easy for big business to move to which ever country is the most tax efficient. That is the sad fact of capitalism.

 

The reality is during the Labour years the economy relied very heavily on the banking industry, that's why the Labour whores ignored all the dodgy practices and big bonuses.

Labour had neither the wit nor the will to create a stable balanced economy but instead spent there time, our money and a billions of borrowed money on creating a million public sector jobs (mainly Labour voters) and flooding the country with immigrants (mainly Labour voters).

 

So lets look at what Labour have given us-

 

Mass immigration with people from countries that have very poor work ethic, religious fundamentalism and intollerent prejudiced views.

 

Lied and cheated us out of a referendom and signed us up to the Lisbon Treaty, giving the unelected european parliament even more control over our laws.

 

Expanded the massive underclass, many of which are unemployable.

 

Took away parents and teachers ability to control a youth which has all the rights but no responsiblities.

 

The Hunting Ban.

 

In fact the Labour Party to me have damaged this country irreparably and just on the case of immigration alone I would despcribe most of the Labour politicians as traitors.

Its just the same as the ,s 4 million unemployed,industrial output down 25percent,and maggie twatcher never told lies did she?

[shepp 2,285]

Dont know why anybodys botherd ,according to the tory press thousands ignored the strike and went to work anyway.

 

Thats what the tory papers want you to think....the Politicians are spouting the same rubbish about its affecting the children and people who want to work....strange stance to take when they've consigned thousands of kids to the dole and ruined communities. The tory dogma is purely for the rich always has been always will be, wolf in sheeps clothing.

 

Have you noticed the fallback position is its labours fault we have no choice...its bullshit if they fixed the tax laws there would be no national debt. How can it be right that multi billionaire/millionaires pay less tax than the average joe in the street.

 

What a load a simplistic socialist rhetoric, with very little foundation.

 

If Labour were doing such a great job then why were tax laws not changed during there 13 years in government, i will tell you why. Unfortunately, as much as we all hate it in a global economy it is very easy for big business to move to which ever country is the most tax efficient. That is the sad fact of capitalism.

 

The reality is during the Labour years the economy relied very heavily on the banking industry, that's why the Labour whores ignored all the dodgy practices and big bonuses.

Labour had neither the wit nor the will to create a stable balanced economy but instead spent there time, our money and a billions of borrowed money on creating a million public sector jobs (mainly Labour voters) and flooding the country with immigrants (mainly Labour voters).

 

So lets look at what Labour have given us-

 

Mass immigration with people from countries that have very poor work ethic, religious fundamentalism and intollerent prejudiced views.

 

Lied and cheated us out of a referendom and signed us up to the Lisbon Treaty, giving the unelected european parliament even more control over our laws.

 

Expanded the massive underclass, many of which are unemployable.

 

Took away parents and teachers ability to control a youth which has all the rights but no responsiblities.

 

The Hunting Ban.

 

In fact the Labour Party to me have damaged this country irreparably and just on the case of immigration alone I would despcribe most of the Labour politicians as traitors.

Its just the same as the ,s 4 million unemployed,industrial output down 25percent,and maggie twatcher never told lies did she?

 

Yep that's what Labour left us with and to achieve that they had to borrow billions.

Some legacy!

[romany52 313]

Tories must be loving it ! divide and conker ! Some capitalist idiots on this thread ! come on the reds!

[Strong Stuff 2,171]

Tories must be loving it ! divide and conker ! Some capitalist idiots on this thread ! come on the reds!

 

I'd say that the idiot was the one who spelt "Conquer" as "Conker" to be honest.

[shepp 2,285]

Tories must be loving it ! divide and conker ! Some capitalist idiots on this thread ! come on the reds!

 

I'd say that the idiot was the one who spelt "Conquer" as "Conker" to be honest.

 

Especially when you take into account he's equipped with a degree.

[romany52 313]

Tories must be loving it ! divide and conker ! Some capitalist idiots on this thread ! come on the reds!

 

I'd say that the idiot was the one who spelt "Conquer" as "Conker" to be honest.

Fair cop mate, but then I'm not a teacher so it doesn't really matter, and if a spelling mistake makes someone an idiot , I guess we're all idiots.