Teacher's strike

So, there's a lot of coverage on the strike on thursday.

The government is saying it doesn't want it to happen, well of course you don't, because those striking are striking against you! Isn't it odd how they don't complain about private industry strikes, like the BA cabin crew strikes? However, Gove then saying that the government should change the laws on strikes is stupid in the extreme. Striking is the most powerful method of peaceful protest we have, something we should keep, something that has shaped employment law for generations. Shame on them for threatening to make it illegal, to remove the power of protest is to move from democracy to oppression.

To further demonstrate Gove's complete stupidity he then says parents should go in to schools to keep them open. Firstly people covering for others when striking does down the power of the protest. Let's also not forget that for the parents to go in they would need to all be CRB checked (thanks to the governments laws on child protection) which we know is impossible in the time frame. Also he's expecting members of other unions represented in schools to support this, does he really think that NASUWT teachers will facilitate parents covering for NUT teachers? Really?

I will admit the pension system needs to be updated, however people who work in the public sector work in the public interest, there should be some reward for that, for giving up someone's life to serve the nation be that as a policeman, or fireman or teacher. These people work for the protection and service of all. Then there is the wage gap between private and public, it does exist. When I worked in the NHS as an analyst I earned £23k, I could have earned £28k in the private sector, more in London. That wage gap is accepted by public workers as the terms are better, better working conditions, better hours, better pensions. Thats what the gap pays for, that's why we accept it. Personally I would change the pension to be part final salary (where final salary means an average of the last 3 years wage) and part proportional salary (where this means an average of your yearly wage in the later 60% of your career) i.e. if you work for 30 years, final salary means an avarage of years 28,29 & 30 and the proportional part is based on an average of years 12 to 30. And the split between these 2 pots increases in favour of the final salary based on the number of years worked total, starting at say 30% final salary working up to a max of 60% final salary.

Suffice to say that I am less than impressed with the Cameron and Gove today (more than usual), i hope they see sense but we all know that a Tory seeing sense is about as likely as Labour-man saying Thatcher was awesome.