School closed here - good luck to them on strike I'd say. The government wants them to sign up for year after year of below-inflation pay increases (that's real-terms pay cuts
) and that's why they're striking - nothing to do with hours or bureaucrats. Sure the pay isn't bad and the workload is pretty easy (over the year I mean - very heavy at this time of the year for example), but how many workers in any industry would sit back and accept relative pay-cuts year after year? In another field one would probably just look for a new employer and a better package, however in teaching the government is effectively the only employer and so there are very few options in terms of improving pay and conditions for the average teacher on his own.
The government can probably read between the lines to see that there are other issues (as well as pay) that have affected the decision by the NUT to take action.
Having said all that - only around 5% of teachers actually striking here ..... the rest of us are in work as usual (only doing very very little) ..... long may it continue
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Originally Posted by zehner
american counterparts seem to believe that striking is communist or something?
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That's because they're pretty poorly educated due to their poor education system staffed by poorly paid wallies who don't complain because they're not communists