TWO RECURRENT teachers' campaign in Scotland — both inside and outside education circles government have crushed the miners, then they'll take on the teachers' and if the miners can't defeat this government what chance have teachers got?'. The miners' strike, was essentially about jobs, the teachers' about an independent pay review. Do these disputes have anything in common?
Like the miners, teachers in England Wales well Scotland — are in direct confrontation with the Whilst authorities are e local authorities, purse strings are controlled by central government.
The NUM had massive SUODUTI their membership, as have two of the Scottish teaching unions. There four EIS (the biggest), SSTA (secondary only), SSA (linked with NAS England)
PAT, whose only policy is never The EIS and SSTA campaign has been backed ov whelming number of comments during the have been 'when the teachers who 'would never have dreamt of going on strike before'.
Like the miners, we have failed • lo gel more than token support moveThe teachers dispute in Scotland is also protracted affair. It is now a year since the action began, and it certainly looks like continuing. for sule til. are reminentation in August 1985.
So there are similarities between the miners' and the teachers disputes. But there are also a great many differences.
First, many teachers, whether we like it or not, do see themselves 'professionals' Their case for more pay depends on this, since they can then compare themselves other 'professional' groups such as the police or lawyers.
The miners' strike had a major unifying theme -Coal not Dole. This is not so in the teachers dispute.
Three main reasons for the dispute are emerging. Many teachers feel that 'professionals' lney should command a salary in line with other sionals and are therefore lighting for more money second group, cluding many older teachers, have quite simply had enough. The pressure working in a system with corporal punishment rigid disciplines of days gone by, has combined with an enormous increase workload. smallest but about public the cutting The sizes buildings not being kept in _parLIcular such as dispute has united groups Call. paign, What done is to economic strategy.
Only a adhering to conference policies.
CLPD says: 'The Thatcher government is at last becoming discredited ¿ long sees of aali-social anti-working is beginning to reap its bitter harvest *Towards CIl of the miners' the public •opinion polls, which have long shown a seemingly unassailable steady of support. Many yoters were clearly put off by Thatcher's vindictive attitude, and her victory over the miners may well turn out to be hollow.
At the same time Labour's support has been picking up. However the fact that there has been little change in how people see the Labour Party — as
ACTION THE RACIST apartheid regime is currently suffering a severe political and economic crisis. Under this The Anti Apartheid Movement's national committee has decided on a programme of action, ending in a national demonstration on Sunday 16 June. The theme will be an end to the police killings and a demand for the British government to act against the apartheid regime.