SO teachers are going on strike today, Thursday, and will cause chaos for all the parents of their pupils.

It’s not that I don’t have sympathy with their plight – longer working hours, later retirement and having their pensions plundered, oh I really do.

But doesn’t it echo just what most of us are experiencing? And that includes all those parents.

Times are tough, no one likes it, but that’s the reality.

The majority of final salary pension schemes have been scrapped (including mine) and everyone is doing more with fewer staff.

But before those teachers join the picket line today, they should remember that it is the children’s parents who will suffer the most.

They will have to make alternative arrangements for their children and this is very difficult at short notice.

It means taking a day off work for some, but this isn’t always possible to do as many companies will not be accommodating.

And if you work in an office/shop/call centre where lots of the workers are parents, it’s impossible for bosses to allow everyone to take annual leave at the same time.

So then they will have to look to grandparents, other relatives or friends to help them out.

Loads of inconvenience, extra expense or even loss of earnings.

Not to mention the hundreds of pupils who will have lessons disrupted.

And do strikes ever really solve anything? Yes they draw attention to an issue but the Government (any Government) can’t be seen to be held to ransom.

So the strike won’t inconvenience the Government or education secretary Michael Gove.

And while teachers complain that they do long hours, I bet they don’t do the hours that journalists do!

  • IRRESPECTIVE of your own politics it’s good to see that Labour has selected Nick Bent to fight the Warrington South seat at the next election.

Not surprisingly Mr Bent won 90 per cent of Labour party members’ votes beating four others to represent the party.

When he lost the election in 2010 to David Mowat it would have been easy to slink off and try for an easier seat as many politicians have done before him.

But Mr Bent has stayed to fight, making the town his home, and campaigning for a better Warrington for all of us.

Healthy competition is good so it’s going to be an interesting fight.