Phantom Classroom Assistants?

antrim | worker & community struggles and protests | opinion/analysis Friday November 09, 2007 22:28 by Marty McK - does it matter if there is an organisation?

12 Days of Christmas - strikers anthem

Should everyone return to the classroom and learn to count? Add up numbers published in press releases, is 7,000 classroom assistants a rounded up or down figure? Not by any stretch of the imagination are all classroom assistants members of a trade union.

I am disappointed this is not an election year. Can you imagine the squirming and questions left hanging in the air by the "can we have your vote" and move the earth for you campaigners. Imagine an election turnout like GMB ballot figures signify anyone notice how did the GPA fair in comparison to GMB? (footballers). I missed out not seeing ballot returns.

It is not pleasant to watch how mainland trade unions handle their NI region with endless ballots, it looks to an observer that there is no limit to ballots in the classroom assistant dispute? Why not do like NIPSA and have an independent scrutineer finish this endless run around.

Where does a trade union authority come from, the law, their members or their internal hierarchy and to what ends are so many ballots necessary to challenge the thinking of the general public and the broad trade union movement at large. There comes to mind a website where Scottish Classroom Assistants discuss their job evaluation and it exposes the question. Are these are the same unions involved with classroom assistants in NI with the exception of NIPSA?

Does the Certification Officer (NI) as one of the requirements in law ensure that accurate trade union membership records are kept for independent balloting purposes? Surely someone can make a FOI request to the ELBs and simply ask how many classroom assistants are in GMB remember you will not be counting those employed in Voluntary Grammars or NICIE? No data protection breach.

The ELBs appear to be out in front on the propaganda campaign and I would image Ms McClenaghan to be the best recruiter NIPSA has had in years. Apart from striking NIPSA appear to be very honourable in this whole campaign and have not indulged in any nasty tricks.

I wonder out loud and dare ask anyone the question how do you think cleaners will fair out in their appeal? I suppose the proof will be in the herring.

If you had to choose a Union to fight for your rights, who would you pick?