strike pay or hardship fund is usually dealt with at branch level, a committee is put in place to concider appeals from members. it would be unlikely that you received the full amount of pay that is lost and concideration must be made as to whether further action will take place.
Picket lines are usually made up of people from that workplace. If your school is closed then there is no need to picket. If your head keeps it open to pupils I would expect that schools members to picket in the morning as staff and parents arrive. then you could attend a rally to further show your support. Ours, in a large city in the north will have guest speakers, a band and hopefully some fun activities for members to take part in.

This is more like the old TOTW lots of debate and viewpoints keep it up on new threads please.


My opinion is just that if anyone one wishes not to strike then that is up to them. Some are not striking at our school and I haven't said anything to them it is their decision.However because of the view and stand three of us made at the beginning some of the others are coming out too.We are lucky as our HT is supportive.Our previous HT said nothing and eventually I was brave and went out then he surprised me by saying he understood why I was doing it and gave me his support! I had agonised for days about it.

Everyone has their reasons for striking/not striking.It is good to see a healthy debate as to why we think we should strike but please as Tiki
said 'Don't take it personally.'

The governors of my school have decided to close the school for the afternoons at lunchtime on the two days. The teachers will use it as an opportunity to catch up on their paperwork etc. The parents will no doubt grumble and some will undoubtedly use it as an excuse to keep their children off for the whole day.


We've been told that part time workers will only lose pay for those hours they would normally have worked rather than two whole days pay. This will be deducted from their August pay.

I am in Unison & striking. However our school (secondary) is not closing. To be honest I am not sure who else apart from TAs are in the union. I don't think the kitchen staff are so as its the last 2 days of term, I'm guessing the HT thinks the school won't be affected

I am being thick (!) but what happens if you are a union member but don't follow the instruction to strike?


Madmum

Nothing really. If the majority of the support staff go out and you don't then it might be a bit uncomfortable for you. But other than that I can't think of anything.

For the first time in 15 years I will not be supporting the strike action. Yes it feel strange and I do have mixed feelings as any other time I would not even question it.[ On the last 'pension's strike I was out on a rally in my city]
I have two members in my family in the buidling industry who have just recently lost their jobs. My daughter lost hers on Monday and her partner 8 weeks ago[ none have been employed for a year so no redundany payments either] so my main concern at the moment is supporting them to keep a roof over their heads by helping to pay their mortgage.

secondly, The end of term production for Year 6 has been organised my me through my time working with them one afternoon a week. And I WANT to see it through more than I want a pay rise.

I don't mind being called a scab either as I have family members heavily involved in the miners strike of 1984 and saw the struggle those 'scabs' went through when they went back to work before the main stream in order to feed their families.

Sometimes it's hard to go with the flow and you have to look out for your own family and so this time my family come first.

I have never ever moaned about my wage either. I went into this role knowing it was low paid compared with the private sector and have accepted that as a consequence of doing a job I enjoy.

But good luck to all those who are out today and I certainly won't rule it out in the future.

hope your family find jobs soon Bluebell, im dreading the backlash too as i mentioned before

Our school and several others have closed for the two days.We moved the day of our Yr6 production.It was fabulous, reallly funny.

Totally agree with catbells

Quote:

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.

Four out of around twenty did not strike at our school and were made to feel really bad, but only around 12 out of 55 schools in the area had people striking.

We have now left unison and joined voice.

Quote:

from Voice "We prefer the force of argument rather than the argument of force." At Voice, we believe in the power of negotiation to protect the interests of our members – who never resort to strikes or other forms of industrial action.