We are afraid of what may happen in future
Wednesday 2nd June 2010, 3:00PM BST.
From Marina Mauger, NASUWT Jersey negotiating secretary.
I AM saddened that a proportion of the public in Jersey are clearly still under the misapprehension that teachers are striking over pay, without being aware of the real facts of the dispute between the teachers and their employers the States Employment Board.
The dispute was lodged because the employer publicly announced that a pay freeze was to be imposed without informing their employees first. There was no discussion or negotiation with the public sector employees, just an arrogant press announcement.
Free collective bargaining is a right that should be enjoyed by any person living in a democratic society – a fact which seems to escape our Council of Ministers.
The teaching unions have worked hard to establish negotiations with SEB but were, until now the eleventh hour, refused even the courtesy of a meeting with any person of sufficient influence to consider any proposals, some of which had no cost implications) but would have improved the teachers effectiveness in the classroom and thereby the quality of education to our schoolchildren.
I am not aware of any teacher who would strike merely over pay. A pay dispute did not make several hundred Jersey teachers march through St Helier protesting against public service cuts. Teachers are striking through frustration and desperation.
The frustration and desperation they feel at the proposed ten per cent cuts outlined in the Comprehensive Spending Review and the devastating effects we know such cuts could have on the future of education in this island. Cuts which may ultimately affect everything from our nursery provision to the reduced rate courses offered to the Island’s senior citizens through its adult education provision.
The frustration of the knowledge that our UK counterparts are valued and not required to cover lunchtime duties, provide sickness cover, amalgamate classes and perform numerous administrative tasks that Jersey teachers are required to do, all of which impact upon the time spent by teachers doing what they were trained for – teaching. We watch our senior management in education struggle to decide just where they will cut services to the Island’s students and we despair. Most public sector employees (including teachers) are subject to a draconian maternity leave policy which severely financially punishes them if they or their new baby should dare to fall ill for even a day in the first three months of returning to work.
Teachers’ pay and conditions of service in Jersey have fallen significantly over the last ten years compared to the UK, whilst cost of living increases have been dramatic. GST was introduced against huge public dissent, demonstrating yet again that our government has no regard for what their electorate are telling them.
In the last week alone there has been an announcement of 60 job cuts in the public sector, again with no negotiation with any of the public sector unions. I fail to detect even the slightest hint of democracy there, just more arrogance from a Council of Ministers that we elected in the mistaken belief that we could entrust the future and wellbeing of this island to them.
Before criticising teachers so publicly, consider the real truths. Teachers are not striking over pay – they are standing up to be counted, standing up to speak for those whose wellbeing and education has been entrusted to them.
We are standing up to speak up for the silent voices in this Island. Our children cannot vote – they have no say in the erosion of a service that we would wish to see valued by our government and held up worldwide as exemplary.
Teachers are being forced to take action because the future of the education service is shrouded in uncertainty. The refusal to enter into negotiation over an arbitrarily imposed pay freeze has clearly indicated to us that if we accept this without dissent then we can expect more of the same.
We are taking action through the fear of what may come next.
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As the man nearly said:
Those who can, do.
Those who can’t, teach.
If you can’t do either, become a union official.
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Bravo. Good points, well put. Fair play teachers.
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No sympathy sorry. My bosses dont consult with me if they change my conditions of employment or pay. They just do it. If I am not happy, I leave and find another job.
The public sector can not be excluded when it comes to having to tighten belts.
That’s life !
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I am sure many people are worried what will happen in the future, with their jobs.
Yes the public sector is making cuts and yes it is sad that people are losing their jobs, but this is happening in the private sector to. Most of my friends I talk to are saying that companies are cutting back on staff and expecting the one’s that keep their jobs to do the work of 3 people, thats .
This strike is not the answer as the states don’t back down and the only one’s who will suffer in the long run is the Children.
I keep reading its not about the pay its about bringing the working conditions in line with the UK, but times are hard at the moment and we would all like things we can’t have !!!!!!!!
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“The dispute was lodged because the employer publicly announced that a pay freeze was to be imposed without informing their employees first. There was no discussion or negotiation with the public sector employees, just an arrogant press announcement.”
If strike action is not about pay increases then why is this an issue? If you’re not after pay increases any discussion is redundant anyway.
“I am not aware of any teacher who would strike merely over pay. A pay dispute did not make several hundred Jersey teachers march through St Helier protesting against public service cuts.”
“Before criticising teachers so publicly, consider the real truths. Teachers are not striking over pay”
Yet your 2nd paragraph says “The dispute was lodged because the employer publicly announced that a pay freeze was to be imposed without informing their employees first.” So was it originally lodged because of pay or not?
“The frustration and desperation they feel at the proposed ten per cent cuts outlined in the Comprehensive Spending Review and the devastating effects we know such cuts could have on the future of education in this island.”
And isn’t that a concern shared by all States departments? Wait until you see the cuts in the UK education budget.
“…I fail to detect even the slightest hint of democracy there, just more arrogance from a Council of Ministers that we elected…”
Isn’t that contradictory? What alternative system would you suggest?
“they have no say in the erosion of a service that we would wish to see valued by our government and held up worldwide as exemplary.”
Correct me if I’m wrong but don’t Jersey’s exam results average higher than the UK? This is down to the quality of teaching you provide but it also means adequate facilities and support must be available or are you saying that Jersey teachers are far better at doing their jobs than their UK peers with the poorer conditions and facilities they have to work with?
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The maternity leave point is an interesting one. My wife is a teacher and when she had our first born a few years back she dropped to 45% of her wages when off shortly after the birth.
When she returned she was owed 45% of her wages for the time she took off (you lose 10% as part of the maternity leave). This amounted to several thousand pounds and boy did we need them.
The thing is, if she fell ill or took ONE day off in the first THREE MONTHS following her return, she lost it ALL.
Hence on several days a woman recovering from her first (complicated) birth was forced to get up and go in to work (at a secondary school…no easy ride) when she felt so ill that all she wanted was to lie down.
Had she listened to her body and imuune system she would have simply taken a day in bed. Anyone with a newborn babe will tell you what sleep deprivation does to you physically. Unfortuantely due to this arcane Jersey law she was forced to get up and go in for fear of losing her pay.
Now that can’t be right, surely? And how much would it cost the States to change that law? Nothing.
So why don’t they? You tell me…?
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I was laid off last September from a well paid private sector job, (not finance related) I had no warning and no protection, I understand the public sector workers being upset by being told that there where going to be no pay rises, but many many people have lost their jobs during this recession, perhaps if the states had said we are going to cull the amount of teachers and the rest can have apay rise they would have been happier (I doubt it) my son goes to Le Rocquier, i have nothing but admiration for the teaching staff there, the school is new so am sure that the working conditions cannot be that bad, how much is it going to cost parents etc to take days off when schools have to close because of this strike!
How would we feel if the hospital was closed as they are public servants too?
This should be illegal and if the conditions are so bad here then why stay? I am English by the way however I do believe that if you are unhappy in your job then move on, don’y make my son pay for your displeasure
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@Gary
So you’d be happier if your son came home and told you that his form tutor was leaving at the end of the term, that his science lessons were being covered by a music teacher (due to the science teacher having left), and that his English class had been merged with another to form a large 50 child class because of staff absence.
86% of teachers balloted voted for action…so roughly speaking 86% of teachers over here are ‘unhappy with their conditions.’ You want them all to ‘move on’, do you? Where would that leave your son and his peers?
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#5 Did you miss the last 5 words of Marina’s sentence, “without informing their employees first”. Should any terms or conditions surrounding your job be announced publicly before you are told about it? It seems that even just common decency has been greatly lacking here.
#3 I guess you haven’t signed a contract? In no job I’ve had has my employer been able to do anything particularly unreasonable without consultation, and I’ve never even been in a union.
#1 I’d love to know how many teacher-detractors on this website could even manage one hour-long class successfully. You don’t need someone with the abilities of Euclid or Fermat to teach Math, you need someone with just a certain level of Math but a great natural ability for the entirely separate skill that is teaching.
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Thanks for clearing this up.
So if I now understand it you are striking because the States sent out a press release outlining their policy on teachers 2010 pay rises before talking to you?
Not wise I accept – but hey it is the Jersey States we are talking about.
Nice to know that you are disrupting many children just about to sit the most important exams in their lives (the culmination of many years work) over such a truly important matter.
I was more on your side when it was about pay.
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Mick, your are not thinking things through, i am saying if you are unhappy in your employment you should move on and let someone else take it who is prepared to work for the pay offered and in those conditions, standards do not need to slip, classes do not need to get bigger as qualified teaching staff will come in there place!
I do not know of anyone who is unhappy in their job that manages to perform its duties 100% when discontented so maybe if they are teachers with a heart they should move on to pastures new and let dedicated staff in!
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@Gary
Fair points but put it like this…
Imagine your job is painting walls and one of the conditions of the job is that you must have one hand tied behind your back at all times.
You complain that you could do the job easier if someone just untied your other hand.
In response you are told to go find another job as there will always be someone else willing to paint walls with one hand tied behind their back.
Now what makes more sense…untying the painter’s hand or finding someone else for the job?
Many of the changes to working conditions requested by the teachers would cost very little to implement, yet the States will not even consider them.
Not YET, anyway…I am sure that the looming threat of strike action will go some way towards the eventual untying of those hands.
Then guess what? Your son gets a better standard of education. Feel free to thanks us all when this happens.
Mick
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Mick
Using your analogy…..I would think it would be more sensible to find someone who can paint the wall with both hands but charges less.
There is always someone who can do the job better, quicker or cheaper than someone else.
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Leah #9
No I didn’t.
What difference does it make if their employer decides not to negotiate when the employees are not seeking a wage increase? Striking on the negotiation issue when the teachers didn’t want to negotiate a pay rise does not add up.
Looks to me and many others that the original issue was indeed about pay. Then the recession hit and the unions realised public support was unlikely so we have other issues emerging. Why can’t they just be honest and say the original ballot to strike was about not receiving a pay increase?
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Interesting to read on Channel 103′s website…
“Though now looking to make hefty cuts as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the States created six new posts last year that pay £70k+.
Those taking home more than that amount include two manual workers and six teachers.”
Teachers can’t be THAT badly paid now can they….even if they are headteachers !!
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