Written by Matthew Voyce, photography by Kearin Green
Workers representing a variety of professions protested in Guildhall Square today as pay stagnation, working conditions for teachers, and the increasingly desperate and draconian actions of an increasingly entrenched government prompted the largest day of strikes for twelve years.
Photography by Kearin Green
Pay stagnation, prompted by a refusal of the Tory government to fund schools properly and give teachers an above inflation pay-rise, was a central element of today’s protests. One Union representative described a ‘23% pay cut’ in real world terms, whilst others pointed to the failure of the government to provide a competitive salary, leading to poor teacher retention and increasingly unsustainable workload. Indeed, the IFS (Institute for Fiscal Studies) estimates a 13% real term pay cut using the lower CPI inflation figure rather than the higher RPI figure used by the NEU. Whatever way you spin it, this is a far-cry from the 15.9% pay-rise that Education Secretary Gillian Keegan claims teachers will receive in a blatant and despicable bid to reflect public blame onto teachers. All this left today’s striking teachers wondering ‘Gill, Gill, will you pay our bills?’
The impact of working conditions on teachers’ abilities to deliver a quality education. Although billed as a ‘cynical walkout that betrays our children’ by the Daily Mail, the teachers in Guildhall Square today had their students on their mind. The impassioned cry ‘We need to show our children we have a life and hobbies outside of work’ was a stark reminder that teachers have a duty not only to their students, but their own children and families, and themselves, their mental health. The government claims that in 2019 there was a cut of 4.9 hours to teachers’ workloads when compared to 2016. However, one teacher I spoke to, who wishes to remain anonymous, said they work ‘between 50 and 60 hours a week, closer to 60.’ This matches with a 2019 study which describes how 25% teachers work over 60 hours a week. The immense work hours are swelled by ridiculous attainment targets set by privately educated politicians. Respected teaching representative Lee Parkinson told the Lorraine show last week that ‘teaching is more about proving that we’re doing the job because there is such a lack of trust in teachers.’ The same sentiment was echoed amongst the gathered workers today.
But there was more to this march than just the desire for a fair working environment. Intertwined with the frustration at the government’s insistence of treating teachers as an enemy was a deeper desire for permanent and positive change rather than mere solutions. ‘This government has two enemies: you [the workers] and refugees.’ There is an increasing feeling amongst the population that the government is failing the people it is here to protect and provide for. The government has consistently and clearly made decisions which see both British citizens and fleeing refugees suffer. Whilst refugees are being housed in barracks unfit for extended human habitation and hotels at the cost of the taxpayer, they have also consistently underfunded the civil services responsible for the processing of refugees and migrants. One message was clear: the workers are fed up with being mistreated by the government.
But perhaps the most poignant message of all was missed by most. As the crowd thinned, one student stepped up onto the Guildhall’s steps. ‘I should be in school right now! Why isn’t the government doing more?’ she said with such vehement indignation. With one sentence she summed up the central issue plaguing Great Britain today: our government’s unwillingness to act within the interests of the people who pay their wages.
About the Author: Matthew Voyce (he/him)
I'm a second year History student. I write about anything that I find interesting, especially travel.
About The Photographer: Kearin Green (she/her)
Hi, I’m Kearin and I am the magazine’s Welfare Officer! I am a second year Film Production student and am currently committed to using our support platform to give mental health a louder voice at our university. I also write about cinema, political issues, humour pieces and whatever comes to mind.
(This piece was edited by Amber Turner-Brightman)
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