[Iran Press TV] The British Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has voted for an industrial action to be taken in protest at the government's proposed plans to change pension schemes.
This is the first time ever in the UK history that the ATL delegates have overwhelmingly supported strike action during their annual conference in Liverpool, British media reported.
All delegates, excluding four, upheld the motion that urged ATL leaders to ballot the members for a national strike against the coalition government's "pension tax." Under the plan, the teachers' retirement payouts will be slashed.
Senior vice-president Alice Robinson told the delegates that the measures would represent the most swinging changes ever.
"Teachers' pension contributions would increase by half in the next three years - on average £100 a month," she said.
"Their retirement age would rise from 65 to 68 and their pension would be based on a career average instead of their final salary," added Robinson.
Robinson went on to say that the country's record budget deficit has caused the government to conspire these offers, otherwise they would have nothing to do with the state of the pension scheme.
"Our only available bargaining weapon is a resounding demonstration by the teaching profession and their opposition to the proposed changes," she said, adding that the ATL had earlier tried legal channels such as delivering a 15,000-signature petition to Downing Street but "all to no avail."
Isle of Man science teacher Andrew Shipley said the coalition was taking a "wrecking ball" to state education.
Inner London teacher Kim Knappett voiced anger at the government's claim that "we're all in this together."
"Work longer? I've already done 24 years this summer," she said.
"I expected when I started to do 14 more - hopefully less - but now I have at least another 22 years to go. "
"I've had a reduction in my pay, I lost my (rest and recreation) because my school's in deficit, I'm going to lose my child benefit, there's been a VAT increase, there's going to be a pay freeze and now you want me to pay more for my pension," she pointed out furiously.
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Posted by: Fred ||
04/22/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
What part of "economic crisis" do all of these public employee unions not understand.
SO what's so bad about working till 68? I'm 66 and I plan to work till I'm 76 or more. Check the age of some of the MP's in parliment,check the age of some of the Congressmen and Senators, what is so sacrosanct about retiring at 65?
The biggest issue to me is intellectual and knowledge capital.
The 65-70 year olds received a better basic education and are more well rounded than the new generation of leftist propoganda filled kids graduating now and they have years of experience, advanced studies and additional training to bring to bear on their jobs that the younger ones do not have.
Wait, maybe that's the plan...dumb down the education by replacing highly qualified teachers with marginally qualified propogandists and true believers.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
04/22/2011 10:08 Comments ||
Top||
#2
I think they feel that the govt is renegging on a social contract that has been in place for a very long time. Instead of trimimng obvious waste like lifelong welfare, they go after working people's pensions. I'd be pissed too.
And not everyone can work into their 70's. Construction workers, factory workers, anyone who physically toils is spent after about 25-30 years. I'm an engineer now, but spent over 10 years in the construction industry, the older guys retiring were used up, plain and simple.
#4
I think they feel that the govt is renegging on a social contract that has been in place for a very long time.
And they're quite right. The problem is that particular social contract should never have been entered into, as it was never affordable in the long run. Had the 2008 troubles not shown up, it would have been something else -- the aging of the post-war baby boom guaranteed it.
8CHINESE MIL FORUM > MUSLIMS PLAN TO DISRUPT ROYAL WEDDING | [Muslims agz Crusades] QUEEN ELIZABETH II + GADDAFI: TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.
Comparative Points Summary, espec as per APOSTASY + ATROCITIES AGZ MUSLIMS.
ARTIC = "Muslims agz Crusades" calls for "JASMINE", LIBYUH-STYLE = ARMED? PROTESTS, UPRISING + REVOLUTION, IN CENTRAL LONDON TO OVERTHROW THE "TYRANNY OF QUEEN ELIZABTH II".
* NEWS KERALA > NEW ZEALAND CHURCH LEADERS COMPARE CLIMATE DISASTERS TO CHRIST CRUCIFIXION, proclaiming same as NOT THE WORK/HAND OF GOD.
ARTIC = XCH LEADERS = opine that God's Vision is most at threat vee Climate Change, which Science seems to argue is caused by HUMAN, NOT NATURAL ANDOR DIVINE, ACTIVITY???
Yokay, as a LOYAL DEDIC MADONNA FAN I'll say it -*** cough *** cough *** MOTHER/VIRGIN MARY'S HAND???
[GUAM TAOTAMONAS = NOT-ZENA-OR-NICOLE OLD "NZ" VISIONS here].
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