Schools closed over teachers' pay strike

Deborah Haile

February 08, 2006

STRIKES have started at two secondary schools in Oldham as part of a teachers' dispute over pay.

Staff at Breeze Hill and Saddleworth are to strike over payment changes which they estimate could cost some people thousands of pounds a year.

Members of the National Union of Teachers are taking the one-day action at Breeze Hill today and Saddleworth tomorrow.

School bosses and the local education authority decided to close the schools for health and safety reasons.

Patricia Cornish, head at Saddleworth, said: "The vast majority of staff will be in school but a number of the NUT will be on strike. We regret having to close the school for pupils.

"We are going to ensure all pupils have work to do and our aim is to minimise disruption as much as possible."

The strike is over payments known as management allowances for work such as extra-curricular activities which will be replaced by "teaching and learning responsibilities", meaning some staff will earn less.

Safeguard

Teachers in Saddleworth say some incomes will fall by thousands of pounds and government plans to safeguard salaries for three years do not go far enough.

Union officials say the government and other schools across the country have worked with staff to make sure they do not lose out.

Oldham's NUT branch spokesman Bryan Beckingham said: "What we have tried to do is to convince governors and headteachers that they should make it as painless as possible and most schools in Oldham have done that. Teachers are very reluctant to take strike action because they are very committed to the education of the children."

Oldham council education director Alan Lee said: "The authority has done all that it can to support the negotiations. Although we respect staff have a right to strike action, it is regrettable that it has come to this, as it directly affects the children."

The NUT said further strikes are planned if an agreement cannot be reached.

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Fixit, Middleton (08/02/2006 at 09:34)

Strike action is not a good thing in this case. If school teachers need to be heard over pay and conditions, etc, etc. Then take take it to the government. By going on strike the only people who will suffer are the children! They quote that they are reluctant to do it because of the puils, but they will do it anyway. Teaching is a vocation. If you want to earn money, go into the private sector!

Anthony, Accrington,Lancashire (08/02/2006 at 10:17)

The teachers are acting selfishly by denying the kids the education they so badly and causing parents to have to take unpaid leave to stop at home and look after their kids and/or make other arrangements because of it. Striking causes this and is a selfish way to get what you want, if I had a child at the school that closed its doors for this, I would move them to another school.

anonymous, Manchester (08/02/2006 at 13:41)

It is very interesting that parents are threatened with fines, etc, for taking their children out of school for holidays or other unauthorised absences - with the excuse that this deprives their child of the 190 teaching days they are entitled to. Therefore, do teachers' strikes not also deprive children of the 190 teaching days? I doubt you could argue legally that it is legitimate for school staff to deprive a child of this entitlement, and not a parent - therefore the threat of a fine is not worth the paper it would be written on! Parents take note.

Anon, Manchester (08/02/2006 at 14:21)

We all have bills to pay! I have friend who is teacher she works very head she has taken 2 tasks to do with herjob in the last 2 years and as yet hasnt got the pay rise she has been waiting for. She gives up her evenings and weekends to do class prep and marking work. All teachers work very hard and get little recognition. Who else would do work they dont get paid for? Not many people I bet.

sandra, salford (08/02/2006 at 14:35)

Anon, what planet do you live on? Is there anybody working in the private sector who doesn't do more work than they get paid for? I don't think so. Plus they don't often get the security of a job that it takes 7 years to be sacked from if incompetent. Oh and that's not to mention weeks and weeks of holidays. Tell your friend to thank her lucky stars and get back to work.

debs, manchester (11/02/2006 at 15:16)

Its clear most of the previous commentators do not understand what this strike is about. The government have imposed a pay restructure on state schools. They have not alowed sufficient time for it to be implemented. They have done it to reduce the wage bill for teachers - they have admitted this. If teachers are going to be given a pay cut and management refuse to negotiate they have every right to strike. It is about time ordinary people in this country were able to show the government what they think. Pupils will miss one day of education. In the grand scheme of things this is not much. Fining parents for prolonged absences of their children is another example of how this government wants to take money from ordinary people and how it shies away from looking at the deeper and wider causes of unauthorised absences.

A Teacher, Saddleworth School (13/02/2006 at 12:49)

As a teacher involved in the strike action, I can say that it was not taken light heartedly. The government has issued these guidelines on implementing the new pay structure, but it is up to individual headteachers as to who gets what, going back to the government won't help! Teachers get paid for the work they do, yes we get long holidays but we only get paid for the time spent in schools (our pay is then split up into 12 payments!) Some teachers will lose about 10% of their pay, that is too much. 1% is too much to lose for the hard work we do. Please don't judge our decision to strike without knowing why we are doing it. Yes pupils lose out, but our headteacher has been given every opportunity to negotiate and has taken none. THIS IS A LAST RESORT, not just another 'jolly'.

Anon, Private sector worker & parent (22/03/2006 at 20:31)

For all you private sector workers and parents moaning out there..SUPPORT YOUR TEACHERS!
How many of you would like to teacher over 200 children (and not always pleasant ones at that) a week? How many of you would like your pay cut by 10% or MORE when you've worked your backside off for your job? This is happening to several of my friends at Saddleworth School, and they are so demoralised that teachers are leaving the school in droves.
Don't believe the spin from Head Teachers...Patricia Cornish said only a few teachers in the NUT were on strike...I don't call 30 teachers out of about 85 a few!
Support your teachers and YOUR children will benefit.
PS If you want more holidays...become a teacher and stop moaning.

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