I don't post often as you can tell, however...
I'm having a look on here in a quick break before I go to a Drama evening, supporting my schools students, and will be home at 8.30-9 after getting at 7.30 this morning.
I don't brag about how hard I work, (I know others who work longer, both teachers and not) nor do I glory in how great the holidays are. To echo the previous poster, good holidays are part of the job. If you want me to work an extra 3, 4 , 5 (or whatever) weeks a year then 'll want paying for them, but my biggest concern about this approach is that there is enough of a problem recruiting decent teachers now. (Another part of my job as an Assistant Head.)
If the perk of decent holidays goes, I think we'll be creating an even bigger problem to be honest.
As I've said many times before, if the holidays are so great why are there not more applicants when I advertise a maths post??
I think I know the reasons for that one. And it's not just that, like the poster above, having graduated 17 years ago, everyone I know from my Maths degree earns consideriably more than me. (And I'm not complaining about my own salary.)