Alan Dee - Teachers’ one day strike is missing the point

There is less than a week to go until the nation is gripped by crippling strike action designed to bring the state to its knees.

June 30 is billed as the biggest demonstration of union protest for decades, but if that’s the case the unions ought to be very worried indeed.

Because although shedloads of teachers and other public sector workers are expected to stay away from work, I’m afraid the overall effect is going to be about as disruptive as a particularly feeble flea giving an oblivious elephant a bunch of fives.

To most of us all these angry people downing tools will be less of a nuisance than half an inch of snow.

And as they are kindly putting their foot down in the middle of summer, there’s a decent chance that those of us who aren’t able to go about our normal business for some reason will be able to have a bit of a bask rather than shivering and slipping and making snowmen.

The teachers – or those who are taking action, because it’s by no means all of them – have stressed that they don’t want to affect anyone’s education by their action.

Sorry, isn’t that the point?

If you withdraw your labour, you’re trying to show that your contribution to the whole process is pretty vital and the bosses can’t manage without you.

If all you can muster is less of a blip than is caused by one of those regular training days that they bolt on to the end of holidays they’re in danger of shooting themselves in the foot.

On the subject of training days, how many other industries routinely shut down for a day to develop staff?

You sometimes see a bank opening half an hour later, but in the rough and tumble world of the private sector we have to fit this stuff in where we can and still get on with the job. But I digress.

What’s it all about?

The unions say proposed pension changes will see them work longer, pay more contributions and receive less when they retire.

Sounds serious, even if their current deal is so much sweeter than most of us get.

I don’t expect anyone to give up hard-won perks without a struggle, but are the massed ranks of the angry educators riled enough to man the barricades? Well, no.

According to one union leader, next Thursday was picked so it didn’t clash with exams and important school and college events so that the protest causes as little disruption as possible.

I bet the Government can’t sleep at nights.

A one-day strike is neither use nor ornament, I’m afraid – if you want to make the bosses sit up and take notice, you have to go out, and stay out.

And as any former miner will tell you, there’s no guarantee that you’ll end up victorious.

The best contribution teachers can make to the looming pensions crisis is to convince every child in their charge of the need to start saving now for old age.

It’s a dull message, but they might thank you for it.

And the unions, rather than trying to protect the indefensible, should work to change the way we work so that in generations to come we may have to work until we’re older, but we don’t have to work full-time and can wind down into retirement.

That would be more constructive than trying to hang on to pension deals that nobody can afford.