Imagine getting hurt at work, when you should be on strike.

Taking joy in a worker being hurt at work is warped shit, that's not what this is about - you do have to question why they were there in the first place.

Submitted by Choccy on December 1, 2011

Yesterday a science teacher suffered facial injuries while prepping an experiment at Hazeley Academy in Milton Keynes. Health & safety is a huge issue in the science classroom, and it's good practice to do trial-runs of practical demonstrations, especially if they're new to you, I do it all the time.

The difference in this case is the 35 year old teacher was scabbing on the largest strike in 75 years. Also injured was the child of another scabbing member of staff who'd brought them in so they could break their colleagues' strike and pick up a days pay while several million other workers were standing on picket lines or taking to the streets to protest the shafting of workers left right and centre by bosses and politicians.

The school was closed to almost all students, meaning the vast majority of staff were observing the strike- with NUT, NASUWT, ATL, NAHT, Unison and GMB all out in schools. So while they're recovering from their injuries maybe they'll ask 'why was I there in the first place?'

Comments

tomhighs

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by tomhighs on December 2, 2011

I really think your article is not well thought out. We do not all have to be on strike. It is a matter of choice and principle. That is the joy of democracy and freedom. I am a teacher, and I didnt go on strike, but still respect the decisions of my colleagues to go on strike. I excercise my freedom to abstain from the strike action while those who went on strike excercised their own freedom too. I sympathise with the lady who was involved, but it is very insensitive of you to connect the accident to her not been on strike and it is almost as if you are saying, "good for her she should have been on strike". She could have been on strike and anything bad could have happened. Its sad to see this type of article!! very sad!

Boris Badenov

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Boris Badenov on December 2, 2011

I excercise my freedom to abstain from the strike.

nothing like the freedom to exercise your right of getting your freedom curtailed by pay and pension cuts or redundancy, and all by saying "fuck you!" to your workmates who aren't scabbing. Definitely logical, not to mention democratic.

Caiman del Barrio

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Caiman del Barrio on December 2, 2011

Well the implication here - and Choccy/science teachers can correct me if I'm wrong - is that, given how the school was largely closed and most staff weren't in, the experiment was undertaken in an unsafe environment.

Phil

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Phil on December 2, 2011

tomhighs

I am a teacher, and I didnt go on strike, but still respect the decisions of my colleagues to go on strike.

So you're a scab, then. End of.

Chilli Sauce

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on December 2, 2011

Don't worry Tom, if we win this dispute, feel free to give the money that we won for you back to the government and keep working for those extra years while we all retire.

But, ooohh, you're "democratic right" to let others take the risk and lose a day's pay so you can benefit. Dirty fucking scab.

tomhighs

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by tomhighs on December 2, 2011

it is obvious that you guys are backwards and uncouth. Its your decision to go on strike. You cannot force me or any body to do the same by your unguarded statements and rudeness. It is obvious that you dont know the meaning of scab. You are definately an illiterate lowlife! I dont know what I am doing here discussing with retards!

I am out of here!

RedEd

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by RedEd on December 2, 2011

By working whilst others were on strike (and therefore weakening the strike which I'm sure you'll be happy to benefit from if they win) you were being an absolute dictionary definition scab. You might not like the word, after all it's an ugly word for an ugly activity, but it applies squarely to you. Of course you're 'free' to scab as much as you like. But don't expect your fellow workers who are sacrificing a day's pay to defend your pension, or anyone who cares about sticking together as workers to have any respect for your decision. But hey, there's always next time, and you'll be 'free' to show some solidarity with other workers then just as you didn't this time round.

tomhighs

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by tomhighs on December 2, 2011

since you are so happy about the fact that the lady had the accident, you might as well go and set her on fire because you are so angry that she didnt go on strike. I dont understand why people are so inconsiderate about the feelings or opinion of others. by the way a scab is a derogatory word used for people employed to stand in for a striking worker! so check your dictionary! Good luck to you and you fellow members you have no regard for life, and would go to any length to use illy words. You are all sick and in need of a shrink !

Serge Forward

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Serge Forward on December 2, 2011

tomhighs, I thought you were out of here. Fuck off now you piss stained scabby cunt.

Rob Ray

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Rob Ray on December 2, 2011

Choccy in the first line of the opening post

Taking joy in a worker being hurt at work is warped shit, that's not what this is about

Given that mental retardation is in large part defined by an inability to comprehend the written word you might want to try a bit harder to achieve this feat if you're going to sling it around as a term of abuse, tomhighs. But then, you are a scab so I'd imagine comprehension of the world around you probably isn't your strong suit.

jonthom

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by jonthom on December 2, 2011

tomhighs

unguarded statements and rudeness

[...]

retards!

sigh.

since you are so happy about the fact that the lady had the accident

Um, you know the bit at the start of the article, where it said, quite explicitly, "Taking joy in a worker being hurt at work is warped shit, that's not what this is about"? Well, yeah. That.

By not striking you are helping undermine the efforts of those who are, while conversely, if they win, you will share in the benefits. How do you feel about this?

communal_pie

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by communal_pie on December 3, 2011

Wow fuck you tom, as it happens though as an atheist or whatever, usually if you do bad things they come back on you - no one necessarily has a direct hand in it, perhaps it's fate/the universe and this "poor teacher's" bad karma for fucking SCABBING on their workmates caught up with them. The fact that a child was hurt is actually really bad, but WHO's fault is that?

You can't blame any of this on anyone except for those teachers themselves, they brought it on themselves and the one who brought a child in should take responsibility for the fact that they are a shit parent and bow down in shame, seriously. Don't moralise or preach, you are a filthy scab yourself - you have no right to speak either and if you would've done the same thing, how fucking dare you open your mouth.

RedEd

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by RedEd on December 4, 2011

tomhighs

by the way a scab is a derogatory word used for people employed to stand in for a striking worker! so check your dictionary!

I actually checked a dictionary before replying to you. One of the definitions was, quote, "an employee who works while others are on strike"* which is why I said that your actions made you a "dictionary definition scab". I don't have any particular hostility towards you personally. Lots of decent people scab. But I think scabbing is pretty much always the wrong thing to do, and I'm not going to refrain from calling out scabs for scabbing. Including you.

* There are a few meanings of the word scab including workers who refuse to join the union at their place of work and external strikebreakers. The basic point is that scabs undermine the collective power of workers in a particular place. Which you did by working whilst others were striking over your and their pensions.

Phil

12 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Phil on December 5, 2011

tomhighs

Its your decision to go on strike. You cannot force me or any body to do the same by your unguarded statements and rudeness.

Nobody's trying to "force" you to do anything. Before the strike, others will have argued against you scabbing (obviously unsuccessfully) and now we're condemning the fact that you scabbed. None of this at any point forces you to not scab, does it?