"Precarious:" a word that accurately describes so many jobs under modern hyper-capitalism.
In Catalonia over the last few months this word has become a sword that is hovering over the lives of thousands of people.
For around 300 employees at the International House chain of European language schools, “precarious” has come to be much worse than a mere word .
In their Barcelona branch (which operated for 40 years) at least 120 teachers and support staff have lost their positions.
In their Barcelona branch (which operated for 40 years) at least 120 teachers and support staff have lost their positions.
This is in addition to closure of IH’s other workplaces in Tarragona, Sabadell, Badalona, Terrassa and Mataró. Zaragoza and Palma de Mallorca are also shutting up shop.
Speaking to union representative Duncan Hawthorne, who has worked for IH Barcelona for the last 23 years, he told me he’d expected to stay with them for the rest of his working life. His opinion is that it was a great school but badly run over the years, particularly due to power struggles at the top of the company.
“There’s a lot of anger towards the management and that’s who the staff are trying to hold responsible for the end of the business," he said. "Covid 19 wasn't a major cause of us closing. It was just the last straw."
Duncan believes that employees feel abandoned by the owners of the company and their recent protests outside their former office on Trafalgar Street in Barcelona are evidence of that. He explained that one of the worst problems for employees is that they are currently in a kind of financial limbo, neither being paid by IH nor able to claim unemployment benefits (which for hundreds of thousands of others, are currently taking up to 3 months to be paid by the Spanish government.)
Duncan also told me that the company is in the hands of a legal administrator but is not yet technically bankrupt.
Speaking to union representative Duncan Hawthorne, who has worked for IH Barcelona for the last 23 years, he told me he’d expected to stay with them for the rest of his working life. His opinion is that it was a great school but badly run over the years, particularly due to power struggles at the top of the company.
“There’s a lot of anger towards the management and that’s who the staff are trying to hold responsible for the end of the business," he said. "Covid 19 wasn't a major cause of us closing. It was just the last straw."
Duncan believes that employees feel abandoned by the owners of the company and their recent protests outside their former office on Trafalgar Street in Barcelona are evidence of that. He explained that one of the worst problems for employees is that they are currently in a kind of financial limbo, neither being paid by IH nor able to claim unemployment benefits (which for hundreds of thousands of others, are currently taking up to 3 months to be paid by the Spanish government.)
Duncan also told me that the company is in the hands of a legal administrator but is not yet technically bankrupt.
Another teacher said on social media, "Many of us have worked for IH over the last 5 decades. Staff left without pay or contracts 5 days before the new school year. Staff continued to finish classes yesterday because they care about their students."
Apart from this, it needs to be acknowledged that IH has stated online:
“The closure of schools is due to a sustained deterioration in recent years of International House's main lines of business, resulting from fundamental changes in the world of language teaching. This downward trajectory worsened, without a doubt, with the crisis caused by COVID-19.”
As someone who has also worked in and for a number of different language “academy” schools for many years, to me, this disaster represents just one of many that are striking this sector.
Apart from this, it needs to be acknowledged that IH has stated online:
“The closure of schools is due to a sustained deterioration in recent years of International House's main lines of business, resulting from fundamental changes in the world of language teaching. This downward trajectory worsened, without a doubt, with the crisis caused by COVID-19.”
As someone who has also worked in and for a number of different language “academy” schools for many years, to me, this disaster represents just one of many that are striking this sector.
This is due to the so-called free-market economy failing to provide secure jobs. The (supposedly temporary) closure of Merit School in Barcelona in July is just one other example.
As long as there are native English speakers in Barcelona and elsewhere in Europe giving one-to-one “classes” for a glass of wine or online for under 10 euros an hour -- both common enough -- there will be continuing exploitation of professional, qualified and experienced teachers.
As long as there are native English speakers in Barcelona and elsewhere in Europe giving one-to-one “classes” for a glass of wine or online for under 10 euros an hour -- both common enough -- there will be continuing exploitation of professional, qualified and experienced teachers.
We are witnessing an ‘Uber-isation’ of teaching and learning in the private sector.
In reality, across our continent there is no law; there is only power. Or at least the power to enforce it. The “convenio” standard that legally exists has been widely abused for years and the pandemic has meant a genuine drop in pay rates. I’ve seen this for myself in trying to find teaching work since August.
So, what do we have in the industry? We have closed houses and open slather.
In reality, across our continent there is no law; there is only power. Or at least the power to enforce it. The “convenio” standard that legally exists has been widely abused for years and the pandemic has meant a genuine drop in pay rates. I’ve seen this for myself in trying to find teaching work since August.
So, what do we have in the industry? We have closed houses and open slather.
[This article was first published in Catalonia Today magazine, November 2020.]
6 comments:
Great article. Unfortunately we are witnessing the uberisation of the profession and it'll likely get a lot worse than get better. I think the only real way to make a living in this industry at this stage is to go freelance and try to find direct work with companies, there still seems to be a viable path there in terms of charging higher rates. But of course, with covid, even that isn't working quite as well as it did before.
Thanks for your comment. I do agree with you. I think the only difference is that I'm more pessimistic about the future. The idea of going back to a kind of normal is wishful thinking, I suspect. I think it's a lot worse than we even know yet. A 40% rise in foodbank demand in such a short time? That's serious. It indicates major job losses.
I truly believe private teaching will die eventually
In order to get a decent salary a private teacher should work more than 7 hours a day, and we all know in company and private lessons don´t amount to that number of hours.
Academies will disappear, most of them are closing, as they can´t open groups with 2 or 3 students, online teaching can make do for a while, but not to get a salary.
I don´t see any private teacher working 7 hours per day charging 5 or 6 euros per hour, and I have already seen those fees advertised. We all need to eat.
What happened to IH already happened 20 years ago with Opening School, it is not new, and it will happen again.
Thanks for this comment too. What you say makes plenty of common sense to me except that private teaching will die eventually. I think demand will continue for it partly because the academies are folding, as you rightly say. There's no clear reason why this language "service" will be any different to other businesses who are finding that bricks and mortar offices/shops are becoming uneconomical with people doing more and more online. Some people will still feel like me though: face to face works much better than using tech. Is it enough? I doubt it too.
Thanks for this article Brett. One of the most worrying aspects of this situation is the Social Security payments which have not been paid at all or have been paid irregularly since March. All the IHES schools have built up a massive debt with tax ans SS entities. This is already noticeable for older staff who have been trying to see a 'simulacro de pension' online where a message comes up saying that there is an irregularity in payments. Some staff have 40+ years contributions and will find that their pensions will be 'penalizados' because of the behaviour of three selfish shareholders.
Ben started looking at places in this area in 1970. Sabadell was the first school to be founded in the group. In 1971. We just didnt make the 50 years. Barcelona opened in 1972. Those of us who had the pleasure to work with Ben Warren remember him with sadness now more than ever.
Thanks for the thanks! What a tragic legacy IH have left behind. It gets worse for the staff the more you read about it. Staff may have to somehow fund a collective legal action against them for those "debts." I presume that's doable? Which if it is, will take years of course. I was told Ben was murdered in the early 1990s. If you know any more about that please let me know (in strict confidence) at my email: brettheth@gmail.com
Post a Comment