WoAH what a heated discussion!!! Been following for a while.

I voted no and am not striking, its been a difficult decision for me (like many others) because I do agree we should all stick together, however there were too many other compelling factors and so I (along with most of my school) have decided not to strike. I am not a scab (or anything else some may choose to call me), my decision has been made with the children and schools best interest in mind.

Dot
xxx

My update is ....
The three of us in the union have decided to strike next week!
We all had a long chat over a bottle last night and decided that we would want the unions support if we needed them so we should do it when they need us.
Decision told to head today and she said we had done the right thing as she would if it was her union!

For our school it was fairly easy decision. All the support staff are in the same union and we're supported by the HT. One of the things that made it easy for us was the fact that next week isn't our last week and we will see our Y6 leavers go. To have missed out on that after seeing them through 7 years of their school life would have been extremely hard. Plus our annual summer event is being held on the Friday. All in all we've been very lucky. The only time the school will be really and truly inconvenienced is at lunch times. We're hoping it will be a fine day. Last time we were on strike a group of parents took the children onto the village green for a picnic lunch. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

If the strike should continue into the next school year I'm not sure what will happen. It's one thing inconveniencing the rest of the staff and the parents but the children are another thing.

My daughter and her partner both work for the local council so for them this strike will be very hard, with both loosing 2 days pay. If either had chosen to go into work I would have understood. We all have to make choices. Thank goodness at least we live in a country were we can make those choices.

Now for my moment of honesty. I might not be in school for those 2 days but I'm taking the opportunity of catching up on some paperwork and working on some ideas for next year. The jobs still have to be done so it's either then or during the summer break.

I'm not judging anyone catbells and wouldnt call anyone or put pressure on them but when you have someone that complains at least once a week about how much she earns and she is on double what i earn and i spend most of my time putting things right that she has done on a daily basis then this is what annoys me! Sorry if I have upset you or anyone else with my comments that wasnt my intention

One of the good things about this forum is that we can say what we think without upsetting anyone. We're all adult enough to know that nothing we say should be taken personally.


I for one know that sometimes it's hard to write what I actually mean and find that what I've written can be taken two ways.

I have on more than one occasion thought I should add this to my siggy.

I'm hereby apologising in advance for any statement I might make that might upset anyone.

Here here Tiki me 2

its obviously on my mind because i dreamt about crossing picket lines last night!

i wish our school had the support of the Head. I wish she would support her staff full stop.

i know that deep down i'm in 2 minds about this strike. though it probably doesnt come across as that.

I'm not normally a selfish kind of person and i know that as i've already said i would want the support of the union should i ever need it and therefore its a 2 way thing and they need my support now.

But i honestly cant see the point of it when i dont think the Government will give in. Making a point yes - but then only if enough ppl strike. and then if there are more strikes planned for the Autumn - we stand to lose a fair bit of money.

and in our household at the moment there is always more month than money left. not because we are extravagant but because OH was mde redundant again 3 years ago and had to take a job which paid 1/2 a K less a month.

nothing is ever black and white.

i suppose i'm cross because it isnt... - not with you ppl.

Catbells x

To be honest I think a work to rule might be more effective and get more notice. At the moment we are doing a lot of extra hours for which we are not paid. We are told there is no money, but still asked to go in early or work late. We do it because we want to support both teachers and children but it is wearing a little thin and if we all stuck to our paid hours then things would start to fall apart very quickly.

As some previous posts have stated we live in a democracy, true, does that give me the option to opt-out of any legislation I do not agree with or find a little finacially awkward, no it doesn't, I have to abide by the wishes of that majority, however small it maybe. As for people who break the strike not being scabs, try telling my neighbours that. I live in a pit village in the north of England, a pit that stood solid for over a year during the miners strike. My father lost his job as a certain women tried to destroy the working classes, just as Gordon continues Tony's attacks. Strike breakers are scabs.

ok they are

then strike breakers are scabs, we are all entitled to our opinion

by the way, what if i have already finished work?

dancing queen, if you mean you are on holiday then you can still be on strike, just inform Payroll or if you wish you could donate some of your two days pay to the strike fund to help others. If you mean you have left education then just support us in thoughts. Refering back to scabs I wonder how many people have actually been in a trade dispute and actually realise its significance. This maybe very simplistic but I feel that there is a geographical devide between those that have and have not. Industrial disputes are part of the fabric of the areas where heavy industry used to exist. It is part of our upbringing, in the blood and therefore not taken lightly and therefore not treated flipantly. this dispute is not about you or me, it is not about the children it is stand against those who are attacking our way of life.

yep i mean i have finished work today as have all support staff on termly contracts

and although i am from the affluent south i still have family heavily involved in trade unions, must be something about my working class background

Catbells, you quote me out of context. Read the previous post, to mine, and you will understand my post, The quote is one option open to someone who might of been on holiday during the stirke, therefore getting paid, who seemed to want to support the strike.
In response to your other question you are prepared to strike for one day, what difference will another make. Remember you can always apply to the strike hardship fund yourself.

what's strike pay? though since this strike is for only 2 days there is none.

And how do 'they' determine who should benefit from the hardship fund?

i ask out of interest. i've never been part of strike action before. i expect you can tell that!

And are there going to picket lines at every school gate?

x