Todays' strike - Food for thought

[SarzWix]

You'd best pop up here and be surprised then Mikey. Come on Friday, you'll find lots of the staff in rearranging the school for the Christmas fair. Then come back Saturday, you'll find most of them in again for at least 4 hours running the Christmas fair. Then on Sunday there's a couple there doing football training.

ETA: The gates on our school aren't locked, nor are they on the secondary school down the road, except in the holidays.

[Mikey]

Hang on Alison, my quote says some, not all, I was not tarring everyone with the same brush. Teaching can be stressful, and its definitely a vocation. From the experience of my OH having worked in 3 local schools, all of which had at least 1 member off on long term sick at any one time, I would say that it could just be a Welsh phenomena or it could be symptomatic of schools in general.

Sarz, you lived in West Wales for some time didn't you? (forgive me if I'm confusing you with someone else.), I doubt that was the case there, and I doubt it is the case everywhere you go. Once the place is cleaned, the caretaker normally wants you out. My DD's school has their 'fund raising' Christmas fayre tonight 6 to 7.30, so there will always be exceptions to the rule, but i couldn't go there every night at 6 and expect to find teachers there, they are human after all not saints.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Just a couple of points if I may.

(1)Tax avoidance is perfectly legal it is about not paying tax you do not owe. Tax evasion is illegal i.e. not declaring cash money. I love tax inspections after the last one they decided they owed me £176-00p.

(2) Why is it not fair to generalise over the public sector and yet fair to generalise over the private. It would seem to me that some want to have their cake and eat it. Bit like the public sector actually.

Colin

[Newton]

There seems to be a private/public divide emerging....no erupting at the moment. Let's acknowledge that each sector needs each other and move on. Spring will soon be here......

[Alison]

(2) Why is it not fair to generalise over the public sector and yet fair to generalise over the private. It would seem to me that some want to have their cake and eat it. Bit like the public sector actually.

Erm I'm sure I made the point that lazy gits are present everywhere you go and by that I meant public and private sectors. The point I was trying to make was don't tar everybody with the same brush.

Re a divide, I've worked most of my life for private companies (currently an employee owned one) but did work for public sector when I first started out. I'll happily support anybody, in any sector if I think they are being treated unfairly.

[SarzWix]

As it happens, I work for neither, and technically have no axe to grind for either. My dad was a shop-steward, worked his way up from being a coal miner to eventually owning his own business and is extremely comfortable, as did my uncle. My mum, as I said, worked in a school. On the other hand, my husband works as a debt-advisor (in the private sector), gets not much more than the minimum wage, and we struggle.

In my opinion, far too many people are wasting their time railing at the ones who work on our behalf, and nowhere near enough time getting involved in fighting for fairness for everybody. The system which allows a small percentage to control a vast percentage of the world's wealth and resources is what we should all be fighting against. And yes, that includes the Labour party, who did not a lot to change the system and in some ways made it worse.

[Newton]

Hmmmmmmm. Nah

[cptncrackoff]

Really? That's across the board is it? Funny that, my elderly MIL waited about a month for an operation earlier this year, was looked after wonderfully in a very old but perfectly clean hospital. She had wonderful service by hardworking and dedicated professionals. Yes the NHS (like most organisations) isn't perfect but is in no way as it is sometimes painted - thankfully

My partner was in hospital for 3 weeks with a pregnancy related illness, very rarely offered water, dirty floors that were only cleaned once whilst she was there,drugs not given at the right times, drips left empty when they should have been replaced no help for ANY of the other women on the ward, when the lunch was delivered to the reception area, even though some of them couldnt even stand.
to top it all off my partner was given a painkiller that she had on her notes she was allergic to, no lasting harm, I have the appology from the Chief executive of the primary care trust somewhere.
I am obviously biased here but its nice to hear there are not all bad, hopefully i wont have the chance to have a good experience

[Seahorse]

Really Newton? You don't think we should all be standing up for equality for everyone? Why?

I wonder if you're just a bit bored and enjoy being a troll?

[Jelliebabe]

I didn't even get onto the subject of sick pay, where some go off for 6 months but happen to recover just around the time the full pay ends.

Not just teachers Mikey! Mu hubby works in a civil office at the police station, there's loads of them off sick there that come back just in time to work the few days they have to to qualify for another 6 months off... or to book their holidays (cos they arent allowed to do that from home)

I'd be sacked in a split second!

[Potstubsdustbins]

OK thats me. Whilst I think it is perfectly okay to have a mature political debate on the forum I am of the opinion that this is the wrong subject matter.

There are obviously grapes here from both sides of the divide and yes I think this subject is divisive purely because it seriously affects people, real people. I include myself in the above.

I will therefore no longer post on this thread but go back to offering gardening advice where I can and light hearted banter. Both of which this forum should be famous for.

I get enough AGGRO in the real world without it getting to me whilst I follow what is basically a wonderful hobby.

See you all on another thread Colin.

[veggiechicken]

I'm with you on this Pots. I didn't join this Forum to discuss my views on politics, religion, immigration or any other topic on which we are all entitled to have an opinion but are never likely to agree. Now what are you sowing next?

[Newton]

Really Newton? You don't think we should all be standing up for equality for everyone? Why?

I wonder if you're just a bit bored and enjoy being a troll?

That's out of order seahorse. I'm with pots. Let's get back to growing.....

[scarletrunner]

Forum moderators should stop any further comments,due to seahorses last rant!

[FionaH]

Ok strike is over, tempers are fraying so thread closed