Why I will not be going on strike?
As a teacher I would like to say that I refuse to take part in the forthcoming industrial action on the grounds that I am patriotic and love my country.
Firstly I am right-wing and a committed reactionary. I believe that employers are the Victorian patriarchal figures - pillars of our community - who have our best interest at heart. To go against them - to disrupt the production and the business of education - is tantamount to sacrilege because it is a betrayal of our trust and a breach of our contractual duties with our place of work.
Moreover, I do not mind my pension contributions being mishandled by my college/school and/or the pension companies who were - as we were lead to believe - responsible for ensuring I retired on a decent income when I got to 65.
I have no qualms about the fact that none of these companies are going to be brought before our justice system or be under scrutiny through independent regulation.
It also doesn't bother me much that when I retire not only is there no guarantee I will be able to live comfortably but that in many cases - unless I address the problem by increasing my contribution to at least 60% - at the best, I will be living on the margins of poverty.
I also do not mind my working up to the age of 68 which is what the government is proposing to phase in over the next few years. So I'm going to work a lot longer, pay more pension contributions and, it's quite fair therefore, that I should get a lot less out of it when I retire.
It doesn't bother me at all that bankers - the very people who have brought about the present recession costing our country trillions of pounds, have got off scot-free. It sits comfortably with me that they will not be tried, prosecuted or brought before any kind of court or required to answer why they have failed on a monumental scale. Instead I'm quite happy for them to retire most generously - if they so wish - at the age of 45. In the meantime, I give my consent to their having bonuses - the amounts which make up 6 or 7 times my annual salary whilst having golden handshakes, their pensions protected and opportunities to carry on working in the sphere of consultancy.
In contrast I do not mind that I am expected to work outside normal working hours - marking work, preparing lessons or attending parents evening (not to mention the departmental meetings that can only be held after school/college day); do a fixed numbers of Saturdays as Open Days, mark homework in the weekends, mark coursework, prepare for moderation during the Easter holidays and plan for the next academic year during my summer holidays. And whilst in the private sector I would get extra salary for such commitment, I do not mind that - in education - I do not get a penny more for this loyalty. Taking into account the extra hours I am expected to carryout annually, I estimate that my salary is probably works out to be about £12 an hour. But I love the fact that bankers probably pay three times as much for cream tea. But they deserve it since they are members of the upper middle class and have been to private schools and have terribly, terribly posh accents.
It doesn't bother one tiny bit that certain sections of our media will go on about how much the strike is going to cost the country, how many billions we're going to lose and yet no one talks about such losses when we have a day off for a Royal wedding. Such discrepancy does not concern me one jot.
As for left-wing teachers, it's clear that they cannot be trusted - it's as simple as that. And believe me there are quite a few politically charged militants who are always looking for an excuse to go on strike. And, you know, when they're in the classroom, who knows what kind of political ideas they're instilling in our young people, the impressionable minds.
I wouldn't be surprise if they're encouraging free-sex, anarchy and promoting drug-taking and homosexuality. It's no wonder our society is in a mess. I'd shoot them all if I had it my way.
Let me say that our country is great - a remarkable country of which I, at least, am very proud. And this country can only continue to be great, like it was during the empire, if we could stick together and allow the perpetration of such social inequities and inequalities. We need a class system that safeguards and perpetuates power and privileges to the ruling classes. We need a right wing media to disseminate information that encourages oppression of the workers. As long as we have sports, XFactor and all the other celebrity drivel, I'm happy serving the industrialists/employers.
God protect our masters who can do no wrong.
It is the communist unions, the immigrant-loving workers - those who pander to political correctness - who have brought this country to a standstill. How disgusting and unpatriotic they are. Kick them out of this country with all the other benefit scroungers.
On Wednesday though, I'll be going in a lot earlier - hopefully before the unions in our place set up the picket line. It's not that I feel intimidated by them. It's just that when I engage with them and they justify why they're on stike - they make me feel rather uncomfortable and, quite frankly, a bit of a tit!
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"And whilst in the private sector I would get extra salary for such commitment"
You are dreaming or misinformed. Working extra hours for no extra pay is one of the many things that we have to do keep our jobs and keep our employers afloat.
Here in the real world we have not had a pay rise in 3 years, pension contributions have been slashed and what can we do about it? We strike and you get sacked/"Made Redundant" or at the very least to harm your employer, thus making the situation worse. Not sure what makes the Public Sector workers feel that they are so entitled.
Bang on CM!! BT have shafted us on pensions, removed final salary and increased retirement age..... Can we do anything about this? No we have to accept it.... The country is on its arse and everyone has to take the hit, sad but true! They have said that those in the Public Sector with ten years or less to do will hardly be affected, there has to be a cut of at some point! To top this off why are you striking at the moment? Isn't it a bit early, you don't know the full proposal yet.... Also only 40% of you voted! There should be a minimum percentage ie 60 / 70% uptake before strike can be authorised!
You self obsessed, spoilt, ignorant fool.
Why do you think you deserve better pay, job security, terms & conditions, shorter hours, better holidays, earlier retirement and vastly better pensions than the people who pay your wages?
Are you one of Hitlers Uber Mensch? And the tax paying public some kind of Unter Mensch or feudal serfs?
The smarmy attitude displayed in your blog will go viral....
..causing well deserved damage to your profession.
A profession that is churning out illiterate, ill-disciplined, unemployable kids doesn't deserve even average pay and conditions let alone such lavish handouts from others peoples taxes.
To CM and CS: "Here in the real world we have not had a pay rise in 3 years". How is that different to the public sector, where pay is currently frozen? And if you fear being sacked if you go on strike, join a union.
Ah, the stupidity of some people. We're all being screwed by the banks, by the government, by land-owners and every other part of the uber-rich. Yet badly paid people in the private sector, instead of joining the fight for decent pensions, proper pay and conditions (by joining a union), have swallowed the kool-aid are a doing the government's job for them. "The millionaires in the government told me that I'm poor because teachers are rich. I believe them, even though I know a teacher and their car is 10 years old a keeps breaking down. But the government must be telling the truth, so I hate teachers and nurses and the people in the local court and everyone else who had the temerity to give up a day's pay to make a point. See, that proves they must be rich." Grow up, realise who your enemy really is and join the fightback.
Well said Donnacha.
Phew! It's only Roshan. Thought for a moment it was written by Jeremy Clarkson!!
Since when was a fight for equality, fairness and parity been about evening DOWN??!!
Suffragette movement wanted votes for women, NOT votes taken away from men.
Civil Rights movement in America was about giving black people the same rights as whites, NOT taking rights away from white people, same for the anti-apartheid movement.
It's disgraceful that so many private-sector have no or a poor pension scheme. But instead of saying "we've lost ours so you should lose yours" join us, talk to us and we'll help you organise, campaign and fight back to get a decent pension.
Since when was a fight for equality, fairness and parity been about evening DOWN??!!
Suffragette movement wanted votes for women, NOT votes taken away from men.
Civil Rights movement in America was about giving black people the same rights as whites, NOT taking rights away from white people, same for the anti-apartheid movement.
It's disgraceful that so many private-sector have no or a poor pension scheme. But instead of saying "we've lost ours so you should lose yours" join us, talk to us and we'll help you organise, campaign and fight back to get a decent pension.