Current Affairs The Labour Party

[Bruce Wayne]

The workplace is changing in the private sector Bruce. Back in the day large multi nationals were the biggest employers, but now it's small and medium enterprises. Many of these sail very close to the wind and won't be able to withstand the multitude of changes this LP are going to throw at them, both financial and workplace practices.

The unions will have very little representation in these smaller enterprises other than in the building sector I would have thought.

Not to mention the share grab that they propose, and Brexit as well, which even if you're a supporter of it you must accept will require some getting used to by businesses. Change upon change upon change at a time when businesses are already coping with various technological disruptions seems a recipe for disaster to me.

 

[Tubey]

Two more teachers in each primary school would have a transformative effect. It would free up people to be out of class so much more and prepare for lessons/complete admin during normal working hours.

I have family members who are teachers. They are paid a pittance as is. The profession attracts so few candidates that they are effectively bribed with a 'signing on fee' just to go to uni in certain subjects.

'More teachers' would mean making the job more attractive - e.g. paying signficantly more and easing workload.

Again, the money comes for this where? I'm not necessarily against it, but is it realistic?

 

[neil999]

This isn't adding two more though is it? Teachers say they work 60 hours a week and Labour want a legal cap of 32.

it also is a bit of an issue with how this would work with the self employed?

 

[catcherintherye]

This isn't adding two more though is it? Teachers say they work 60 hours a week and Labour want a legal cap of 32.

Maybe school leaders will get serious about workload issues and it will give teachers the confidence to say no to often needless additional bureaucratic tasks?

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

There are 450,000 or so FTE teachers in the UK so doubling that would not only be practically very difficult, but would cost £17bn extra per year, which is roughly half of the current schools budget.

Easy Bruce, we'll all just pay even more tax...….

 

[Tubey]

You would have been saying that about the idea of having a weekend too in times gone by. I'm not saying it will be easily accomplished but why not be ambitious and try to implement measures that will improve people's lives? What seems radical now, might be not seem so radical in 20 years.

Yes, but the difference is we now live in a global economy, whereas back in Victorian times Britain was so far advanced that it wasn't feasible to 'set up shop' elsewhere.

If I'm an employer and I'm told I'm losing 20% of my productivity for the same cost, I'm moving my business wherever possible, because there's alternatives.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

There are 450,000 or so FTE teachers in the UK so doubling that would not only be practically very difficult, but would cost £17bn extra per year, which is roughly half of the current schools budget.

Whilst also buying (presumably) however many thousand independent schools there are. I'm sure it's all been costed or something though.

 

[dannyboy]

This isn't adding two more though is it? Teachers say they work 60 hours a week and Labour want a legal cap of 32.

Think we need to ask why teachers work 60 hours a week in the UK. I now teach abroad and work strictly 35 hours. I take no work home with me and live stress free. Honestly, time of my life out here.

 

[roydo]

it also is a bit of an issue with how this would work with the self employed?

Thats the deal isnt it? I work for myself, so make my own rules, kinda, and in return I give up workers rights. I am more than happy with that personally.

 

[Barnfred 55]

Not to mention the share grab that they propose, and Brexit as well, which even if you're a supporter of it you must accept will require some getting used to by businesses. Change upon change upon change at a time when businesses are already coping with various technological disruptions seems a recipe for disaster to me.

Don't forget climate change. It's getting impossible to ignore and that could bring huge costs on some industries, especially services.

 

[dannyboy]

I have family members who are teachers. They are paid a pittance as is. The profession attracts so few candidates that they are effectively bribed with a 'signing on fee' just to go to uni in certain subjects.

'More teachers' would mean making the job more attractive - e.g. paying signficantly more and easing workload.

Again, the money comes for this where? I'm not necessarily against it, but is it realistic?

Who knows if it's feasible in terms of finances. It would be if we made it a priority I'm sure. I think if we improved conditions for teachers we'd get more joining. It largely depends on the area as well, try getting a job in primary in Liverpool and Manchester for example. Very difficult.

 

[catcherintherye]

The workplace is changing in the private sector Bruce. Back in the day large multi nationals were the biggest employers, but now it's small and medium enterprises. Many of these sail very close to the wind and won't be able to withstand the multitude of changes this LP are going to throw at them, both financial and workplace practices.

The unions will have very little representation in these smaller enterprises other than in the building sector I would have thought.

I've worked in public, private small and big in my time mate. I think what would be good, is a conversation about greater flexibility (but from an employee perspective). I'd say there was a certain meanness to many employers in often keeping people in work at certain times when they could easily let them go, or have a more flexible-family friendly approach.

In general it makes sense. We have lots of people out of work, and people working the longest hours in Europe, yet we remain very unproductive (there is a clue in all of that). However ensuring you manage a plan that could work is a different thing.

My worry for Labour, or any other party is it gets pitched in a quite narrow workerist way, as opposed to a far broader discussion about productivity, freshness, flexibility and how to best utilise people in the work place. Piling more hours onto people as a model hasn't really worked.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Don't forget climate change. It's getting impossible to ignore and that could bring huge costs on some industries, especially services.

Not to mention the growing number of economists predicting a recession around the corner.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Think we need to ask why teachers work 60 hours a week in the UK. I now teach abroad and work strictly 35 hours. I take no work home with me and live stress free. Honestly, time of my life out here.

I don't disagree, but you have to work with where you are rather than where you want to be.

 

[dannyboy]

Yes, but the difference is we now live in a global economy, whereas back in Victorian times Britain was so far advanced that it wasn't feasible to 'set up shop' elsewhere.

If I'm an employer and I'm told I'm losing 20% of my productivity for the same cost, I'm moving my business wherever possible, because there's alternatives.

I get that but aren't Britain's workers among the least productive in Europe? I think other countries will look towards ideas like this. At least I hope they would.