Strangely I expected to be in a far smaller minority on here than I seem to be. I am aware of quite large public sector, armed forces, teaching, policing etc element who may not have shared my views. I don't like the word divisive as it implies the thread itself is dividing opinion whereas I like to see it that it is inclusive in that we are all able to share very different opinions and give many good reasons behind our thoughts. As we have said many many times - many other boards could not conduct an emotional issue debate so well. Yorkie - I had not realised how left wing you are or have become. It is not about the Daily Mail nor about the Tory party. If you want to say who might be pleased look at the news pictures of the many "ordinary workers" carrying Socialist Workers Party banners. I do not vote left or right wing. I have very little time for any politician. Slogans such as divide the working man are old fashioned neo Leninist language. I suspect that 95% of us at least - probably 100% on this board are or have been "working people" We are not manipulated by those "creaming off the top" whatever that means. Striking is a symptom of something - old fashioned out of date bullying by especially Union left wingers who "manipulate their fellow workers into bad action that harms them and everyone else. I believe in Democracy and Freedom. But freedom is not Licence -so it is not freedom to harm your fellow man
Wasn't meant to wind up at all and just talking from personal experience of having probably about 10 friends who are teachers. The general experience is actually once they are consistently teaching a certain age, they create a lesson plan and each year it is 'tweaked'... As for the 'extra' hours. I do extra hours when I am busy - I am an accountant in the public sector. Each month at month end, and each year at year end I have to put in the extra hours without extra pay, but it's the job I choose. I've recently been signed off work due to a ruptured achilles, but worked from home the whole period of my first doctors note, and ignored the 2nd to come back in early as the office was so busy. We all have to make sacrifices for the work we 'love'. I just don't agree with the strikes. The whole country is in the same situation and having to cut back, and I understand why the government is doing what they are doing... I appreciate the jobs teachers do, but sometimes certain areas (not just teachers) try and make it sound they have it tougher than everyone else.
You sound a bit like a politician Leo The reality is this is democracy..... unless of course we change the rules. Each entitled to our own views and entitled to protest. Unfortunately unions are often taken over by ideologues as are govts.... I guess relatively few people vote for either of them.. but they get in Now if they de politicized education, health, social care, people would be so much more comfortable. I have been responding on this thread to principles, I hope, and not emotionality. I do not vote for extremists, and have admitted to being single-handedly responsible for the present situation... by voting lib dem to stop the tories getting in in my constituency. We need an inclusive society with freedoms.... The vast majority of people do not even consider the ideological machinations of the people at the centre of politics who may not care one jot for people. I am afraid I do not know what leo lenininist language.... but used the term working man as Norway had on another thread. People just don't realise how much we are being manipulated by politicians and the media.
A lesson plan covers a 45 minute period - what on earth do they do for the rest of the school year? I think they may be having you on... Personally I don't use lesson plans - they're an unnecessary waste of time. I am required by management to produce a plan covering all the curricular areas to be taught each term - but they can't be done during holidays for the simple reason that they are driven by the children in the class, whose numbers and abilities obviously vary from year to year. It covers what they want to know as well as what they need to know, and really can't just be 'tweaked' and recycled. "The whole country is in the same situation and having to cut back, and I understand why the government is doing what they are doing." You mean voting themselves a pay rise which far outstrips 'the norm', forcing the least capable in society to pay for the profligacy of the richest, privatising everything that moves & selling off publicly owned assets for a fraction of their true cost to their 'mates', sanctioning a system that allows CEOs to earn massive salaries whilst workers are either paid off or forced into zero hours contracts which preclude them from the safety net of a welfare system, mercilessly attacking the most vulnerable in society knowing full well that they can't fight back..... As Glenda Jackson said in a speech - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jckm3X5MXo
I guess everyone who has a view on public matters is a politician - with a small "p" You cannot de-politicize public areas as we all have differing views and you cannot please everybody. People just don't realise how much we are being manipulated by politicians and the media..... and Unions
and..... In solidarity with my French Air Traffic Controllers brothers , I shall not be flying to France next week, I shall be driving (PS nothing to do with the amount of bottles, cheeses, tinned venison etc that you are allowed to carry on a plane!)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/m...s-reason-to-save-the-polar-bears-9597931.html Topical.... and sadly amusing!
So do you honestly think that strikes have always been pointless? Or is it because the ones occurring now aren't benefiting you personally/hindering your life? I fully believe in the right to strike/protest, once we lose it we lose one of the last bits of power we possess to express our discontent with the system. Coming from France, where strikes are so common the French barely notice them, I love the idea of collectively saying we're unhappy about the way things are currently going, and unfortunately there aren't many other options... As has been said before, if you think a job is easy and the people doing it are useless/not working hard enough for their money, change jobs?
Great stuff everyone...I happen to agree with bits of what most of you have written, so no biting from me.
I have a question for Leo, with compulsory arbitration, that appears to indicate that one side or the other would be forced to accept certain terms and conditions, so my question is, who appoints the arbitration team? My guess would be the government so any compromise is going to favour management rather than the workforce!
Perfectly highlighting one of the problems facing society - people preferring to sleepwalk through life...
As usual from you Toby rather an aggressive and personal comment. I have never thought strikes were pointless - just wrong as I do not agree with using a form of violence against others - stopping innocent other workers earning a day's pay is a form of violence. I do not form my views on the benefit or otherwise to me personally and do not appreciate your intimation that I am so shallow that I only consider self interest. As I am retired today's strikes do not affect me personally at all. I would probably have to admit that there was a time in the past when our society was such that striking was the only way to achieve an objective - and in those days the public at large was not harmed - but mainly the strikers themselves and their families. In modern society a strike is not only an ineffective weapon but it antagonizes people against the strikers and rarely achieves anything other than political attention and harm to others. France is now regarded as what Britain once was due to excessive strikes - the sick man of Europe. Agree about changing jobs if you don't like your own ACAS already exists as an arbitration body. Arbitration is a method for resolving a dispute in which an arbitratorâs decision is binding as a matter of law and has the same effect as a court judgement. Acas arbitration is a tried and tested way of resolving disputes, and is often used by employers and trade unions and other employee representatives. Independent arbitrators are chosen for their proven experience in employment relations and in resolving disputes.
I understand all that Leo, but ACAS does not have a 100% success rate, so in such cases they would have to come down on one side or the other, my guess is it would be on the side of management!
