Headteachers
| Related: | Personal Finance•Investing•Pensions |
So, headteachers, not just ordinary 'coalface' teachers, have voted in favour of a ballot on strike action over their pensions.
Am I alone in thinking they should just bite the bullet and accept waht the rest of us have to accept, that pensions are not, and never will be, what they were?
They earn salaries far above the national average and will probably be quite comfotable in retirememnt.
Responses (7)
No, you're not alone, Feline. Head teachers, indeed all teachers, are no more a special case than anyone else affected.
I feel that the main point of this ballot action is fair and just.
If you have a contract of employment that states you will pay a set amount of your salary into a superannuation scheme and that the governemnt will then also pay into this pension scheme and you accept the terms of that scheme, and after paying into it for so many years with a promise of a set figure when you retire and then, someone comes along and says; we are going to renege on what was originally agreed and you will get less, I doubt if any of you would be happy?!
This coalition government isn't negotiating with people it is forceably pushing through its policies without regard to what exists and using the mantra of the financial mess they were left in as the emotional stick with which to beat people into accepting this.
If the only way people can highlight the unfairness of this is to resort to strike action, then that is their democratic right and I will support them in it. Headteachers are not by nature militant people but their right to protect their agreements is a legal paramount.
That's fine in theory, but would you be happy for all people affected to take strike action?
It would cause total chaos when the country is already struggling!
And what about all those, like servicemen etc, who are not allowed to strike?
Totally right, fruits!
Rights are rights. Contracts are contracts. If people ride roughshod over those legallly defined agreements, then yes, I do support their stated right to ballot for action.
If we accept the need to ignore legally defining documents then be wary of the next product you buy where it states a one year guarantee because like so many documents they will not be worth the paper they are written on.
It is no different to the populis marching to show their disppoval of the need to close and decimate vast public services. It is a right that I believe is fundamental in any democracy to stand up and defend what is good and just.
Clearly we will not agree. But I for one, do not want to live in a totalitarian state. Where the rights of individuals are ignored and the wishes of our political masters take precedence.
Ok, lets agree to disagree.
I do actually agree with you in principle, I just don't think it's worth sending the country further down the pan for the sake of a principle.
Hmm. Let's see these contracts then. I've never seen one that stipulates a permanent right to any benefit - not even the starting salary.
Also, your legal point is incorrect Parchy - contracts of employment are subject to variation at the employer's will. If someone doesn't like their new contract, they're free to quit. If they are still working 6 months after the contractual change, they're deemed to have accepted the new terms and conditions. At best, the employer needs to give 90 days notice of the change during which they must discuss it with any representative employee body but that's about it.
Finally, as a worst case scenario, the employer is free to fire everyone and re-hire on different contracts as has happened with some local councils in the last year or two.
Employment law strongly favours the employer, not the employee in the UK.
Thanks for that, G-Man. I rather thought that was the case but you have given a very good explanation.
Thank you Parchester. Anybody who has signed a contract of pension terms, public sector or not, has the right to defend this contract. The government can't turn around and say yes we agreed to this but now we feel like changing it because we need your money to help the government get the country out of debt.
I suspect that's just the point Feline ... they have a lot more to lose on final salary schemes. And people who are used to 'comfortable' salaries hate it when things get meddled with.
But we are going through a revolution in how we pay for services and how those people that provide it are paid, like it or not. There is a dawn of realisation that the public will no longer pay for index linked final salary pensions, private medical insurance and creamy perks. Working for local government, I for one, full appreciate that.
I just wish the same ethos would apply to the likes of bankers and footballers. The dawn of realisation has yet to reach them yet!
Headteachers earn over £95,000 pa, get 3 months off a year and have a solid gold 80ths final salary scheme. They should just be grateful they've had it so good for so long!
Hey, G-Man, you're challenging Omen for the 'Shoot from the hip' crown!
Han Solo taught me all I know.
(He shot first, don't believe Lucas' remastered versions!)
I wonder where people get the idea that all teachers get 3 months off a year? I am a teacher and I have a 4 week Summer holiday which is great, but most teachers work through the other holidays. I also know that Headteachers work at least 12 hour days and work through holidays, so although they are paid a lot, they work very hard for it in one of the most stressful occupations there is.
They don't all earn over £95K, it depends on the size of the school. Many primary heads will earn less than half that.
It doesn't change the argument though.
I'm with lana, I don't know any teachers (or heads) who have three months off, and I agree they work long days for no extra pay, but then so do people in lots of other professions, and I'm not sure that its any more stressful than other occupations requiring similar qualifications.
Politicians pensions still seem to be very lucrative as we pay for these as well as the pensions of civil servants should the terms not be on a pro rata basis or are the MPs making themselfs immune to cuts.
Not to mention the massive amounts we pay for the security of ex Prime Ministers. Tony Blair is costing us a fortune and he's a multi millionaire so can afford to pay for it himself!
Oh, please don't mention Bliar, fruits, I feel quite sick now!
Sorry, Feline, I promise not to mention the Bliar again! :-)
YES ORACLE LET THEM BIT THE BULLET LIKE EVERY ONE ELSE
Never worked a summer, 16 weeks a year holiday, index linked pension 50%of final salary and all they have done is contribute to the falling standards in society. Why do people give these people, along with 80% of nurses and doctors any credit. Pompous overrated obstructive ,without common sense and overpaid - and their training was paid for by us the complacent easy going hard working private sector.
Sack them all - no-one would miss them, and let them see where else they can earn that sort of level of salary and benefits?
Deliberately controversial there methinks!
Hmmmm.....
Hmmmm?
Definitely, hmmm... :-)
Oops !! My sister was a head teacher albeit many moons ago and she worked damned hard. Shame she died before she could claim her pension entitlement.
Sorry to hear that Save, life's not fair sometimes
Thanks Jazz - life very unfair for her she was only 57 and had been ill with cancer for a few years before.
What was it someone said last night? 'Only the good die young' save, such a shame, blooming hard work being a head!
I should live a long time then Jazz :) lol
Hey, if you've been bad Save, I hope you enjoyed it, lol :))
That's just not fair, save! Such as life!
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