Thursday, April 24, 2008
NUT Strike is an Opening Shot
Went to the NUT organised rally in Southampton City centre today. It certainly beats teaching Year 9s. Might do it more often. I would say there were around 200 people at the rally - not massive, but not bad either. In addition to NUT strikers, several representatives from PCS, UCU, UNISON and two workers from UNITE were there too. Some coastguards reps were also there - coastguard staff on the south coast are on strike today and have organised two previous strikes in the past few weeks. The man from NUT central office was clear that this was likely to be the first strike in a long term campaign, not a one-off. NUT leaders seem pretty serious about this. He said something about one of the right wing papers (might have been the Telegraph - but I can't see anything on their website) comparing the NUT to the NUM in the 1980s and warning that it must be smashed. This is, of course, a totally absurd comparison - for one thing teachers aren't being beaten up in the streets and neither are they facing unemployment and utter ruin - but it does suggest that the ruling class is quite worried about the example the NUT is setting for other public sector unions at a time when the economic climate looks to be pretty bad and steadily worsening. I picked up a rather hopeful leaflet from the Socialist Party calling for a 24 hour public sector general strike - well, things aren't exactly at that stage, but they are, nevertheless, getting quite interesting. Currently, 1.5 million civil servants are consulting on a below inflation pay offer and their unions are recommending that they reject it. Another million workers in the NHS are consulting over a similar pay offer.
The TV news reports, predictably, contain much gnashing of teeth in relation to the 'disruption' the strike has caused children and their poor, long-suffering parents. Strange how single mothers in particular have suddenly become so popular - interviewed about the difficulties the strike is causing them. The media doesn't usually simper over them so much. Strange, too, that for some reason the media doesn't seem interested in the intolerable disruption caused to parents by the closure of many schools on election days. Will the news reports on the 1st of May feature the plight of young mothers as they try to organise child care for the day, or wail about the disruption to children's education as their schools are turned into polling stations for the day? Probably not.
I've decided not to vote in the forthcoming council elections. The Labour Party candidate is a teacher and was not there at the rally. In fact I don't think she was on strike. Another reason not to vote Lib Dem surfaced today, too. BBC News report that Lib Dem smoothy (and Education Spokesman) David Laws, wants teachers' unions to be bound to a no strike agreement. Well done Lib Dems - anything else you could adopt from Mussolini's politics while you're at it?
ADDITIONAL
Just watched the local news' coverage of the strike and Southampton rally - it was generally positive, even sympathetic. Good to see that most of the parents interviewed supported the strike. There was a priceless moment, however, when a parent who didn't support the strike told the interviewers how worried she was about the negative impact the strike might have on her daughter's performance in the upcoming 'STATS exams' - not quite worried enough about these exams, it seems though, to have bothered to find out what they're actually called or what they actually are.
The TV news reports, predictably, contain much gnashing of teeth in relation to the 'disruption' the strike has caused children and their poor, long-suffering parents. Strange how single mothers in particular have suddenly become so popular - interviewed about the difficulties the strike is causing them. The media doesn't usually simper over them so much. Strange, too, that for some reason the media doesn't seem interested in the intolerable disruption caused to parents by the closure of many schools on election days. Will the news reports on the 1st of May feature the plight of young mothers as they try to organise child care for the day, or wail about the disruption to children's education as their schools are turned into polling stations for the day? Probably not.
I've decided not to vote in the forthcoming council elections. The Labour Party candidate is a teacher and was not there at the rally. In fact I don't think she was on strike. Another reason not to vote Lib Dem surfaced today, too. BBC News report that Lib Dem smoothy (and Education Spokesman) David Laws, wants teachers' unions to be bound to a no strike agreement. Well done Lib Dems - anything else you could adopt from Mussolini's politics while you're at it?
ADDITIONAL
Just watched the local news' coverage of the strike and Southampton rally - it was generally positive, even sympathetic. Good to see that most of the parents interviewed supported the strike. There was a priceless moment, however, when a parent who didn't support the strike told the interviewers how worried she was about the negative impact the strike might have on her daughter's performance in the upcoming 'STATS exams' - not quite worried enough about these exams, it seems though, to have bothered to find out what they're actually called or what they actually are.
Labels: Strikes, Teaching, Trade Unions
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Public Sector Workers on Strike - Although Mostly Teachers to be Honest
Details of rallies across the country on the 24th to coincide with a national strike by the NUT and others can be found here on the NUT website (I joined). Looks like us humble teachers will be joined by the UCU, the PCS and UNISON. We really want the FBU to join us though, because everyone loves firemen. Nurses would be good, too. And vets.
Still, it's not bad as it is as far as a first round of public sector strikes go - and there are likely to be more given the fact that NuLabor is busily attempting to make public sector workers pay for inflationary pressures. The snivelling, unprincipled, union bashing, Thatcherite, CBI loving, Investment Banker pleasuring, Pigby Jones employing bastards. Those inflationary pressures, and economic difficulties more generally, furthermore, don't look likely to go away any time soon, what with spiralling food prices on world markets, that there credit crunch thing, the US economy going down the shitter and the neo-liberal hegemonic consensus rapidly coming apart at the seams. Interesting times. It may well be a little bit like the 1970s only without the bad hair or glam rock.
Still, it's not bad as it is as far as a first round of public sector strikes go - and there are likely to be more given the fact that NuLabor is busily attempting to make public sector workers pay for inflationary pressures. The snivelling, unprincipled, union bashing, Thatcherite, CBI loving, Investment Banker pleasuring, Pigby Jones employing bastards. Those inflationary pressures, and economic difficulties more generally, furthermore, don't look likely to go away any time soon, what with spiralling food prices on world markets, that there credit crunch thing, the US economy going down the shitter and the neo-liberal hegemonic consensus rapidly coming apart at the seams. Interesting times. It may well be a little bit like the 1970s only without the bad hair or glam rock.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Strike Advice
I've been employed as a teacher in a secondary school for the last few months on a temporary contract. I left a couple of weeks ago to give myself time to do my PhD corrections (don't fucking ask). I've accepted the offer of more work next term.
As you may have heard the National Union of Teachers are, rightly, organising a national strike on 24 April over below inflation pay rises (i.e. pay cuts in real terms). The NASUWT and other teaching unions, however, will not be striking with them. Unfortunately I'm in the NASUWT which may leave me in an awkward position. I should think that it is most likely that the school at which I work, along with most other schools across the country, will simply close for the day. However, there is a chance that some schools will expect non-NUT members amongst their staff to come in that day and teach their classes (and perhaps provide cover for absent NUT teachers).
Clearly, I don't want be involved in any strike breaking.
Just thought I'd ask this blog's knowledgeable leftie readership what I should do. Obviously, I'll refuse to cover lessons for NUT strikers. I assume that, even though I'm not in the NUT, coming into work that day to teach my classes (not covering others) is still, effectively, helping to break a strike (??). As far as I'm aware the NUT will not be picketing at school gates and there is nothing on their website about what they're asking members of other unions to do. The NASUWT don't offer any information about this either.
What do you suggest? What is the relevant trade unionist ettiquette here?
As you may have heard the National Union of Teachers are, rightly, organising a national strike on 24 April over below inflation pay rises (i.e. pay cuts in real terms). The NASUWT and other teaching unions, however, will not be striking with them. Unfortunately I'm in the NASUWT which may leave me in an awkward position. I should think that it is most likely that the school at which I work, along with most other schools across the country, will simply close for the day. However, there is a chance that some schools will expect non-NUT members amongst their staff to come in that day and teach their classes (and perhaps provide cover for absent NUT teachers).
Clearly, I don't want be involved in any strike breaking.
Just thought I'd ask this blog's knowledgeable leftie readership what I should do. Obviously, I'll refuse to cover lessons for NUT strikers. I assume that, even though I'm not in the NUT, coming into work that day to teach my classes (not covering others) is still, effectively, helping to break a strike (??). As far as I'm aware the NUT will not be picketing at school gates and there is nothing on their website about what they're asking members of other unions to do. The NASUWT don't offer any information about this either.
What do you suggest? What is the relevant trade unionist ettiquette here?
Labels: Strikes, Teaching, Trade Unions
