Are The Unions Being obstructive?

[Bobbisox1]

And trying to score political points by saying Teachers have no guarantee of safety to return to work June 1st?
( I know we have teachers and ex teachers on here, what do they think?)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52650259

[fiction-factory]

Maybe they should be given the option of being furloughed at 80% pay like other workers who aren't going in, or of taking unpaid leave if they don't feel safe, and only those who feel safe should go in and get full pay.
I am not sure though what the rush is to get the first lot back. I suppose if we left it any later- to say 1st July then it would be argued there's no point in doing it for just 3 weeks- let's wait until September

[Bobbisox1]

Thanks Ed/Spare Ed for changing the OP for me

[douglas9401]

You would have to ask USDAW etc, Bobbi.
Those who are involved are doing their job.

[fiction-factory]

Maybe USDAW knew the alternative was redundancies or furlough at 80% pay and sufficient employees would be happy to carry on working in shops.
Teachers unions know their members will generally retain job security and full pay even if the schools are not reopened in the way they are objecting to.

[Old_Geezer]

I think they have a genuine concern about keeping everyone 2m apart and avoiding a classroom of kids taking the virus back to their families. However one needs to view how those nations who have tried it are getting on, and what best practice they are using. See if it looks plausible here. I see no reason a union would want to obstruct getting back to normal, getting the economy going again, and the cost to the taxpayer reduced; so no, I think it's obvious no one is just being obstructive.

[teacake44]

May be the ones that are putting the economy before lives are retired and don't have to face the prospect on a daily basis of going to work and have a much higher chance of catching the virus. Same goes for the ones that see unions as trouble making, but just trying to protect members, and also looking into the fact that the government may be just making another foolish and rushed decision. If your retired then one can choose to go here or there, or not at all. I'm happy to leave the decisions to the unions, and their workers.

[pixie374]

Just so everyone’s clear:
* 4 year olds can go to school, but university students who have paid for the tuition they haven’t had and the accommodation they aren’t living in, can’t go to university.
* A teacher can go to school with many 4 year olds that they are not related to, but can’t see one 4 year old that they are related to.
* You can sit in a park, but not today or Tuesday but by Wednesday that’ll be fine.
* You can meet one person from another household for a chat or to sunbathe, but not two people so if you know two people from another household you have to pick your favourite. Hopefully, you’re also their favourite person from your household or this could be awkward. But possibly you’re not. But as I can’t go closer than 2m to the one you choose anyway you wouldn’t think having the other one sat next to them would matter - unless two people would restrict your eyeline too much and prevent you from being alert.
* You can work all day with your colleagues, but you can’t sit in their garden for a chat after work.
* You can now do unlimited exercise when quite frankly just doing an hour a day feels like you are some kind of fitness guru. I can think of lots of things that I would like to be unlimited but exercise definitely isn’t one of them.
* You can drive to other destinations, although which destinations is unclear.
* The buses are still running past your house, but you shouldn’t get on one. We should just let empty buses drive around so bus drivers aren’t doing nothing.
* It will soon be time to quarantine people coming into the country by air... but not yet. It’s too soon. And not ever if you’re coming from France because... well, I don’t know why, actually. Because the French version of coronavirus wouldn’t come to the UK maybe.
* Our youngest children go back to school first because... they are notoriously good at not touching things they shouldn’t, maintain personal space at all times and never randomly lick you.
* We are somewhere in between 3.5 and 4.5 on a five point scale where 5 is all of the virus and 1 is none of the virus but 2,3 and 4 can be anything you’d like it to be really. Some of the virus? A bit of the virus? Just enough virus to see off those over 70s who were told to self isolate but now we’ve realised that they’ve done that a bit too well despite us offloading coronavirus patients into care homes and now we are claiming that was never said in the first place, even though it’s in writing in the stay at home guidance.
* The slogan isn’t stay at home any more, so we don’t have to stay at home. Except we do. Unless we can’t. In which case we should go out. But there will be fines if we break the rules. So don’t do that.
Don’t forget...
Stay alert... which Robert Jenrick has explained actually means Stay home as much as possible. Obviously.
Control the virus. Well, I can’t even control my cats and I can actually see them. Plus I know a bit about cats and very little about controlling viruses.
Save lives. Always preferable to not saving lives, I’d say, so I’ll try my best with that one, although hopefully I don’t need telling to do that. I know I’m bragging now but not NOT saving lives is something I do every day.
So there you are. If you’re the weirdo wanting unlimited exercise then enjoy. But not until Wednesday. Obviously.

[Bobbisox1]

Very well put by Pixie

[Apc2604]

I wasn't far off with my dog crate suggestion. Just heard on J Vine a serious suggestion that kids sit in multicolour boxes! Wasn't really listening though.

[teacake44]

12.15 So that tells me the unions are not just scoring points, but have a valid reason, for looking into staring back to work.

[naomi24]

Social distancing dining in Amsterdam.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/amsterdam-greenhouse-social-distancing-coronavirus-mediamatic-eten-a9513821.html

[Ken4155]

You definitely weren't listening. The suggestion was that multi coloured squares were drawn on the floor and that the kids stay in their own square. At least, that's how I heard it.
Pixie, you really ought to credit the author of your post. I know I saw it earlier in the week somewhere.

[teacake44]

Has everyone forgotten about the naughty steps, could have one in each corner of the classroom, plus an armed guard.

[sherrardk]

As an aside, I feel that the teachers are currently doing a really good job in extremely trying circumstances. From my own experience with my younger three, the teachers are all over this home schooling. The work is regularly, marked new, appropriate work set, missing work chased up and constructive comments for improvement are emailed to the kids. On top of this, they are attending school on a rota basis, looking after and home schooling their own kids and have their own worries to deal with. It would probably be easier for them to return to school.

[pixie374]

I don't know who it was, Ken... but clearly (I thought) a c&p. Apologies.

[Bobbisox1]

Sherr, like I said yesterday, I have the utmost admiration for you Mums an the teachers who are sending work to their pupils, you all deserve medals

[brainiac]

Ken, I think you're referring to this:
https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/ChatterBank/Question1706740.html

[Ken4155]

No apologies necessary, Pixie. Just that I also cannot remember where I read it :-)

[sherrardk]

I’m not taking any credit Bobbi, I just make sure the kids are dressed and I throw some food at them occasionally.

[Mozz71]

Its not a case of lefty unions defending lefty teachers against the government, no matter how the "righties" on here want to twist it, it's a union doing their best for their members, which is what a union does.

Social distancing is impossible when dealing with a class of junior school-age kids. They shouldn't go back until the safety of both teachers and pupils is more assured.