First of all, let's clear one thing up; I hate striking. I hate striking because I hate to miss a day at work (in a job which I love), I hate to lose a day's pay and I hate to wrestle with my conscience at the people being affected on a personal level because of actions that I am undertaking in order to send a message in a national medium. So far the strikes undertaken in FE have cost union members more than half a week's salary, students more than half a week's education (though the first two were purposely taken out during a period which would have minimal effect on students) and have had minimal apparent effect on policy making (though I hope I speak a little too early on that one).
In fact, in education at least, striking is a little like cutting off your nose in order to spite your face. In FE the prospect of an educational strike must have principles and governers laughing; they save a huge amount of money for the day and know that ultimately, all staff will have to catch up. Deadlines won't go away, exams will still take place and students must still be prepared; we can hardly send someone into an exam saying 'let's hope xxx doesn't come up because we were on strike the day I was supposed to teach you that'. The fact that I'm still catching up on work missed for recovering from an operation about two months ago just shows that if we don't do it, it doesn't get done. If you want to keep your job, it must get done. When the miners walked out the equation was simple; you want coal, then meet our demands. When we walk out the message is different; you want education, then....well you'll still get it but maybe a little bit later and ok then we'll put on some extra classes over the holidays because we don't quite have the time to fit it all in now what with all the striking and that.
This is why the attack on public sector action has infuriated me so much recently. The fact is that no-one is walking out because they want to. No-one wants to cause damage to those whom we are here to serve. By their very nature our jobs require us to be caring, compassionate and empathetic; you cannot be an effective teacher, health worker or librarian without these qualities.
Which is why it's so frustrating to see the argument being fought out on this level. A few months back I was having a discussion with someone who was saying that it was selfish and greedy for teachers to walk out when everyone has to sacrifice. I countered with the reasoning that the public sector shouldn't have to pay for private sector's mistakes, and she with the suggestion that it wasn't the entire private sector that is to blame. What struck me at this point was how ridiculous it was for us to be arguing; we were both suffering frozen wages, unstable pensions and minimal job security as a result of a financial instability created by people who were continuing to enjoy extensive tax breaks, grossly unfair benefit packages and a salary so disproportionate to the mean that is almost comical.
And to the irony of it all; while scorn is poured on those who try to fight shouldering the burdon of the mistakes made, those who made them enjoy the relief of having the focus well and truly taken away from them. The longer we decry the public sector strikes, the rioters, the politicians' duck ponds and whatever the fuck Kim Kardashian or *insert vacuous celebrity here* has done this week, the longer we ignore the essence, cause and primum mobile of our current global crisis. To argue with each other is to be two hobos slugging it out in a dirty ring while our shady fight organisers watch on, counting the greasy notes in their hands.
The strikes today are essentially over a broken promise; the promise of a solvent, government run bank to honour the terms of our contract and not ask us to pay them more in order to receive less than we agreed. We have broken our contract for a day, in order to show our distaste at them having broken their contract for a lifetime. But beyond that the strikes are about the increasing disgust at having to hold afloat an economy that was destroyed by the government's inability to control the few who are standing on dry land. We don't discriminate between public and private, only them and us. So why not honour your right to strike and join us, instead of trying to attack us for fighting the problem that is affecting everyone not lucky enough to be paid in six figures. We don't like it, but it's a damn sight better than rolling over and taking it.
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