|
|
Translate:
              Teachers threaten more strikes
Thursday, April 24th, 2008
Teachers have threatened further industrial action as a national strike hit up to 9,500 schools across England and Wales on Thursday. Members of the National Union of Teachers said they “felt no guilt” following the walkout that saw more than one million children turned away from lessons. Some picketed outside schools in protest at the Government’s 2.45 per cent pay offer this year, which they claim is a real-terms cut following a huge rise in the cost of living. Others marched through cities including London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and Liverpool as part of official rallies.
Activists said they were prepared to walk out again unless the Government caved in to their demands for more pay. One said another strike could take place this term, although it is believed to be unlikely. Members of other classroom unions, who refused to back the strike, said it could herald a return to 80s-style militancy, when a wave of industrial action caused widespread resentment among parents. John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “This strike puts the teaching profession into a corner that we have not been in for 20 years’.” Ed Balls, the schools secretary, said the timing of the strike - days after the Easter holidays and as pupils are preparing for exams - was “unfortunate”. Visiting a school in Dartford, Kent, Mr Balls said: “I don’t think it’s supported by most teachers.” Only one in 10 of the country’s 400,000-plus teachers actually voted to strike, the Government said. Further education colleges were also forced to close or operate on reduced timetables after members of the University and College Union joined the strike. Rank-and-file NUT members insisted they would be prepared to walk out again. Up to 7,000 members of the NUT, UCU and the Public and Commercial Services union, marched through Westminster. Alex Kenny, an NUT delegate from east London, said: “We are not ruling out further strikes and indeed could see another one this term. If the Government don’t listen this time round we’ll just have to do it all over again. If the other teaching unions begin balloting their members about a further strike then the NUT will do the same and teachers will strike.” Christine Spragg, a teacher at Andrew Ewing Primary School, Hounslow, west London, added: “Everything is going up except our wage. Unless it changes we will all come out here in force again.” Teachers picketed the City Academy School, Bristol, to stop staff working. Keith George, a science teacher, said: “We have already turned several teachers away. It has been very satisfying that our message appears to be getting through. “If parents want the best teaching for their children then this strike is essential.” Paulette North, the NUT’s assistant divisional secretary, said: “We do not feel guilty at all. In fact we feel that if we do not have these strikes then we will lose even more teachers than we are already.” Despite union guidance requesting teachers not to picket outside schools, some members also protested at the entrance to Lawnswood School, Leeds. Dennis Gibbons, an NUT official from Leeds, said: “There is a recruitment crisis looming in the teaching profession.” Phillippa Arnell, an English teacher at Park Community School, Leigh Park, Havant, Hants, said 21 NUT members were on strike - a third of the teaching staff. Lessons were being covered by support staff, she said. “I did feel guilty when I explained to my pupils about going on strike but we just want to be treated fairly,” she said. Have Your Say: Teachers threaten more strikes Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report here. 2 Responses to “Teachers threaten more strikes”
Related News
|
Its a FACT: SICK EUROSCROTES fund Animal Torture! Last post by Unregistered @ 11:08 PM Go to Forum
| Latest Topics
Cheney charged over jail 'abuses' Last post by Regina @ 10:07 PM Hey Ashley! Last post by Mick @ 08:47 PM Making the Best of a Slow Apocalypse Last post by Thinking Man's Idiot @ 08:46 PM Time For Some Communism Last post by Thinking Man's Idiot @ 08:36 PM Cheney-targeting DA is no-show Last post by Unregistered @ 08:16 PM Planning for a new revolutionary party / Alternatives to Capitalism Last post by Thinking Man's Idiot @ 08:16 PM Are Vaccinations Causing Early Alzheimer’s Disease? Last post by Unregistered @ 08:13 PM America’s Wars of Self-Destruction Last post by Chris Hedges @ 08:09 PM Defy ID cards - Liverpool 25th November Last post by Manchester No Borders @ 08:05 PM  Email This Page To A Friend Latest Headlines
More World News  Archive |
The views expressed in the RINF news wire and newsletter are the sole responsibility of the author (s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the webmaster. RINF.COM: Breaking News & Alternative Media is Copyleft - Copy & Distribute Freely. News Forum |
By 
Loading ...
It is unfortunate that it has come too this especially at the time when so many are concentrating on exam work , but i feel that the teachers had no choice in the matter . The price of living in the U.K is rising at an incredible fast rate , just look at the price of fuel and see how much your food bill has risen just in the last year . While there has been some support for teachers in the media , most including the government has spent the best part of the day turning the striking teachers into self-centred villians of the peace , while most M.P.s stating that they are themselves only on 60k a year yet they are entitled to EXPENSES of over 100k a year taking them so far away from the U.K.s comming CREDIT CRUNCH that the price rises will not greatly affect them , check that out with a teachers starting salary of between 20k to 25k a year and see who you think will suffer more . Before people start saying that teachers have a duty of care and cite the various holidays that they have as perks of the job . Well so do M.P.s and just how many days off do they have in their working year . A strike is the last drastic action from those who feel that they have been abandoned by government and i have not heard of 1 teacher saying that they took any pleasure in this action today . I FULLY SUPPORT THIS AND ANY OTHER STRIKE ACTION!!! .