Schrödinger's striker?

While I sympathise with anyone who wants better pay and working conditions, I can't help feeling fairly depressed at being surrounded every day by people complaining about the job that I have spent nearly nine years trying to get.  

I have been working as a supply teacher at the same school since October 2021 - an almost unheard of situation! -  and have been very successfully teaching science there since January 2022. Every day I am told by both staff and students that 'they love me', I'm 'amazing', they're 'never letting me go', etc, etc, etc. In fact, when the woman I was covering for came back from maternity leave a few weeks ago, I kept most of my science lessons while she's just doing general cover - completely the opposite of what should have happened... and a testament to how highly they regard me. Despite this, they recently hired two newly-qualified teachers to fill science vacancies. No point in my applying as although schools welcome outstanding, experienced teachers on a supply basis or - even better - as cover supervisors at a fraction of the cost, they rarely hire them on a permanent teaching contract. 

The much-publicised teacher shortage is a fallacy and the 'huge' number of vacancies is a lie. A local school recently advertised for five science teachers - two general adverts for one to start now and one in September, and three other adverts for a physics teacher, chemistry teacher and a newly-qualified teacher. There was actually only one vacancy, subsequently filled by their trainee, which was the plan all along, so not really any vacancies at all, let alone five! I'm in a union, but they don't care at all about people like me, they just want to - and I quote a text received recently from a school union rep - 'bring down the government'.

I have no idea what the future holds. Whatever teachers achieve once their dispute with the government is resolved, it won't benefit me. I'm not on strike but also not in school, as they don't need me in on strike days so I shall just keep calm and carry on with my zero-hours, agency-worker, no-job-security supply placement and spend this (unpaid) time at home, planning lessons, creating resources, answering emails, writing reports and marking tests, homework and books... all ably assisted by Ziggy.