Strike-wording of ballot

[deemark]

I'm a TUI member and voted in the recent ballot. Imagine my surprise when I heard that my vote had been interpreted as 'I want to go on strike next week'. The ballot I filled in stated that if X, Y and Z happened (compulsory redundancies, paycuts or a change in conditions of service), then we would take industrial action, up to and including, strike action. None of these things have happened, wtf?

Can anyone from ASTI, INTO or even my own union enlighten me?

[rainbowtrout]

Originally Posted by deemark

I'm a TUI member and voted in the recent ballot. Imagine my surprise when I heard that my vote had been interpreted as 'I want to go on strike next week'. The ballot I filled in stated that if X, Y and Z happened (compulsory redundancies, paycuts or a change in conditions of service), then we would take industrial action, up to and including, strike action. None of these things have happened, wtf?

Can anyone from ASTI, INTO or even my own union enlighten me?

ya, i had a feeling strike was inevitable but i filled in the same ballot form as you 'up to and including strike action'. I want to know what happened to the 'up to' part. TUI as well.

[smcgiff]

From what I've heard one union in particular engaged in scaremongering regarding what the government are going to do in the budget. Seemed dishonest to me.

The last thing the "normal" unions needed was for the senior Civil Servants coming out on Strike. As far as I can see - Nobody has any pity on these guys taking a pay cut.

[spurious]

TUI here too and the talk in our staff room while wanting something done was very much against closing the schools. People feel a bit conned now to be honest. Had there been an option of 'up to but not including strike action' I think that would have been the one chosen.

Are the leadership of the unions complete idiots?

[deemark]

Well, I'm rep in my school and I'm mortified; I explained the ballot as it was worded and am now fielding some very angry questions. People are not up for picketing.

Can't find out what was on the ASTI one. You can't phrase a thing one way and then interpret it another way. People are not going to support something they feel they've been conned into. I know we can't sit back and take it but ffs

[malpas]

Originally Posted by spurious

TUI here too and the talk in our staff room while wanting something done was very much against closing the schools. People feel a bit conned now to be honest. Had there been an option of 'up to but not including strike action' I think that would have been the one chosen.

Are the leadership of the unions complete idiots?

unfortunately yes...a pointless exercise which will A) lose public support and annoy parents & non-teachers, especially vulnerable private sector workers who are convinced that teachers have a soft, secure and well-paid pensionable job B) not achieve its objective since the Government are not for turning. I think it would be a much smarter strategic move to protest on a weekend although I still doubt whether it would achieve very much.

[rainbowtrout]

Originally Posted by deemark

Well, I'm rep in my school and I'm mortified; I explained the ballot as it was worded and am now fielding some very angry questions. People are not up for picketing.

Can't find out what was on the ASTI one. You can't phrase a thing one way and then interpret it another way. People are not going to support something they feel they've been conned into. I know we can't sit back and take it but ffs

I'm the rep in my school too, I'm not fielding the angry questions but there's a lot of uncertainty about what is going to happen next tuesday. Are we picketing outside our school? Are we joining a protest in dublin? Do we stay away from the school for the day? There isn't much information out there.

We have both unions in my school, so I can probably find out what the ASTI ballot paper said.

[RealJohn]

I haven't spoken to a single teacher who wants to go on strike at this stage. I'm currently in the process of applying for membership of the TUI (purely because I don't want to have to pass the picket) but I'm very unhappy with the whole situation.

On a side note, I was sharing a house with a primary teacher last year and she showed me the letter the INTO sent her. I got the distinct impression that the INTO wanted its members to vote for a strike, rather than find out if its members wanted to strike.
Surely the unions are supposed to represent us, not push us in a particular direction?

[janeybabe]

Originally Posted by rainbowtrout

I'm the rep in my school too, I'm not fielding the angry questions but there's a lot of uncertainty about what is going to happen next tuesday. Are we picketing outside our school? Are we joining a protest in dublin? Do we stay away from the school for the day? There isn't much information out there.

I don't know what the wording of the ASTI ballot was as I really can't remember but the arrangements are on the ASTI website.

[rainbowtrout]

Originally Posted by RealJohn

Surely the unions are supposed to represent us, not push us in a particular direction?

That's how I would feel. I gave out the ballot papers, explained the situation, and told them make up their own minds. In the past we have had union reps tell us that 'we have to vote yes'. No we don't, a vote is supposed to be democratic. The day I am told what way I am to vote is the day I move to Zimbabwe. A vote is supposed to represent how people feel, not how they are told to feel.

[ditchhurler]

I am given to understand that the turnout for the TUI ballot was 70% - a good turnout in a General Election, but i am perplexed why it was so low in a ballot where the boxes are in the schools / colleges ( surely all staff are in every day in schools and ITs?) . Taking the turnout into account the actual % of members who voted yes is just over 50% and, reading these threads, it seems that even those who voted yes seem to have understood it was for action POST-budget - would be very interesting to see how the TUI respond to some investigative journalism in this regard.

[brianthebard]

Originally Posted by spurious

TUI here too and the talk in our staff room while wanting something done was very much against closing the schools. People feel a bit conned now to be honest. Had there been an option of 'up to but not including strike action' I think that would have been the one chosen.

Has there not been meetings and attempts at compromise in the past weeks and months already? The government has clearly stated they want cuts to happen and don't seem open to objections to their plans, so it would seem to me at least that the 'up to' section has been covered already?

Originally Posted by RealJohn

Surely the unions are supposed to represent us, not push us in a particular direction?

I'm sure no matter how it was phrased there was still a No option?

[TheDriver]

my ballot was by post hence why the turnout can be low, its different for TUI than INTO where they have a box. The one thing I would say is when i saw a ballot, I didn't even need to read it as we all knew a strike day had been planned and the same thing happened in March when we all voted for everything and then maybe a strike when a date had already been planned.
Regarding loosing public support, I don't think we have any and as much as I don't want to strike, I don't think its going to loose us any more support. But if I am going to loose a days pay, then the off licence will be visited Mon night and I am going to enjoy it!

[Delphi91]

Originally Posted by ditchhurler

I am given to understand that the turnout for the TUI ballot was 70% - a good turnout in a General Election, but i am perplexed why it was so low in a ballot where the boxes are in the schools / colleges...

ASTI vote was a postal ballot.

...( surely all staff are in every day in schools and ITs?)...

If only that were true!

[RealJohn]

Originally Posted by brianthebard

I'm sure no matter how it was phrased there was still a No option?

Like I said, I wasn't a member of the TUI at the time of the vote (but all going "well", I will be by the time of the strike) but if I had been, I would have voted no. This doesn't change the point that the other option was not "yes, I want to strike". The other option was a vote to allow a strike if certain conditions were to arise. Those conditions haven't arisen and yet we're still striking. This is my problem with the whole situation.