ROSEMARY ABBOTT | National
BETTER ODDS
Andrew Gibbs, a maths teacher at Cashmere High School in Christchurch, loves nothing more than numbers and equations.
But one question he already knows the answer to, is ‘what are the odds of the Government giving him and fellow teachers a meaningful pay increase?’
50,000 teachers and principals across the country have been on strike today after last ditch negotiations failed earlier in the week.
When Mr Gibbs calculated the probability of a good pay rise to be around 0.1%, he saw a better opportunity for a profit at the Christchurch Casino.
Our reporters spoke to Mr Gibbs, who had just finished marching in the streets and was on his way to the Cass.
“I’m not much of a gambler, but one thing I know is the odds of me winning big at the Casino are a lot higher than the odds of me getting a proper pay increase from the government,” Gibbs said confidently.
With 20 years of experience as a maths teacher working with numbers, Mr Gibbs was certain that it was better for him to gamble his money on the roulette table, than to wait for the Government to approve the payrise that he and his fellow teachers want.
“People may say the odds are against me, but what have I actually got to lose here? They say the ‘house always wins’, which is correct, because in this situation the house is the Government.”
More to come.
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