Support the Jarrow March 2011

Teachers and students work hard for the exam results that are meant to open the door for our school leavers to full-time work or further study.

Yet, this summer, 200,000 have been left without a university place. The scrapping of the EMA has stolen away vital financial support from many thousands more 16-19 year olds. 1 in 5 young people are already unemployed – and the cuts mean there is worse to come.

Youth deserve better - but, as we've found over teachers' pensions, to defeat cuts and defend your future, you have to organise. But that's exactly what 'Youth Fight for Jobs' are doing.

Next weekend, they are starting their march along the route of the original Jarrow march on its 75th anniversary to demand:
·    A massive government scheme to create jobs which are socially useful and apprenticeships which offer guaranteed jobs at the end - both paying at least the minimum wage, with no youth exemptions.
·    The immediate reinstatement of EMA payments, expanding them to be available to all 16-19 year olds.
·    The immediate re-opening of all youth services that have been closed, including reinstating sacked staff.
·    The scrapping of ‘workfare’ schemes - benefits should be based on need not forced slave labour.
·    A massive building programme of environmentally sound, cheap social housing.

There's already been some excellent press coverage, including in today's Sunday Mirror:
http://jarrowmarch11.com/2011/09/25/jarrow-march-heros-great-granddaughter-on-why-towns-youngsters-are-taking-to-the-streets/

I’ll be backing the march – as is my Local NUT Association in Lewisham.

I hope teachers and all trade unionists will be welcoming the marchers right along the route and publicising this tremendous initiative in our schools and workplaces.

Free Schools = Freedom to privatise education

Earlier this month, the first 24 of the Coalition’s new ‘free schools’ opened. Michael Gove claims that they will end a ‘state monopoly’ in education and give ‘freedom’ to parents to set up schools that meet the needs of their children. But what kind of ‘freedom’ is really on offer from this Government of cuts and privatisation?

What are free schools?

Free schools are a new kind of Academy school. Like Academies, they receive state-funding directly from Westminster but are independent of an elected Local Authority. Instead, they will be run by unaccountable sponsors, predominantly big businesses.

Rather than being converted from existing schools, free schools will typically rely on available accommodation such as empty office blocks. As a result, in Sweden, where free schools were first tested out, many lacked facilities such as libraries and play space.

Government legislation presumes that where new schools are opened, they will be free schools, not Local Authority community schools. This is a real threat in areas like London where there is a growing shortage of pupil places.

Freedom to make profits out of tax-payers’ money

We know that when Tories talk about ‘freedom,’ they really mean freedom for big business to make profits at our expense. Free schools will be no different. 

Five of the 24 initial free schools will be run by existing Academy chains from the start. As Sweden has also shown, eventually most free schools will end up being taken over by these big edu-businesses. 

Academies have not been allowed to be run for a profit but free schools will be different. Under pressure, Gove has stated that free schools are not going to be able to make profit – but only ‘at the moment’. But, as in health and other public services, that won’t be good enough for the private sector vultures. 

Freedom to cut costs and quality

The privateers plan to cut costs by attacking pay and conditions and employing cheaper staff. That’s why free school legislation means they won’t have to employ qualified teachers. Nor, like all Academies, will they have to abide by national terms and conditions. 

Claims that free schools will offer ‘smaller class sizes’ are inevitably an illusion. Swedish free schools have worse pupil teacher ratios than municipal schools. They also employ a far lower proportion of qualified teaching staff.

Even if the Government throws some additional bribes at Free Schools and Academies in the first-place, that money is at the expense of other schools as the Con-Dems cut overall expenditure. The £130 million start-up costs for the first free schools have been found by the money saved by cutting the Building Schools for the Future funds that were desperately needed to rebuild underfunded Local Authority schools. 

Freedom from democratic control

Free schools are part and parcel of the Government’s agenda to cut and privatise public services. They hope to remove so many schools and services from local council control that Local Authorities effectively cease to exist.

When all the main parties in our Town Halls are voting for cuts, some parents may ask why we should bother to defend elected Councils. However, local councillors are still accountable to voters, even if most try to ignore our wishes between elections. Councils are also able to plan for provision for all pupils across a local area. 

Free schools and Academies will create a chaotic ‘free-for-all’ where unaccountable businesses put their interests first. Vital Local Authority support services will be lost. The Academy and Free School education ‘marketplace’ may create a few lucky winners – but most families will lose out.

Freedom over how schools are run?

Parents and teachers are rightly angry at the way both Labour and Con-Dem Governments have used tests and league tables to put schools into an educational strait-jacket. But free schools are no solution.

Some are offering extended opening hours, an attractive option for parents working long hours and unable to afford childcare. But many community schools also try to offer breakfast clubs and after-school activities. But free schools want to do it on the cheap by making teachers work longer hours instead of paying for additional staff to run the extended provision.

Parents, staff and students should have more say in how schools are run. But ‘free schools’ will hand real control to big business sponsors, not local parents.  Where free schools are offering curriculum changes, these are mainly designed to help them attract a more privileged clientele – for example Latin classes.

Freedom to select

Despite underfunding and all the pressures on families and young people, most schools are successfully supporting their students. But the Tories and the right-wing press are deliberately trying to undermine comprehensive schools, whipping up parents’ fears to get their support for free schools as a ‘safe haven’ for their children. 

Gove has even tried to steal the NUT’s own slogan by claiming that free schools are about offering every parent ‘a good local school’ for their child. In reality, his policy will achieve the opposite, widening division between schools. Their ‘business plan’ aims to enrol middle-class pupils that can secure the highest exam results at the lowest costs. Local Authority schools will be left to support the youth with the greatest needs. 

Analysis for the Guardian confirms that the first wave of free schools have predominantly middle-class catchment areas, even those sited in poorer authorities. The dangers of segregation are increased by the numbers of faith groups that have already - or are proposing to - set up free schools. Again, Sweden’s experience shows that free schools have led to a widening class divide between schools. Instead of ‘freedom, they promise more inequality.

Some facts on Sweden’s school reforms:

•        The proportion of teachers with a teaching degree in Sweden has decreased by approximately nine per cent since the early 1990s when Free Schools were introduced – from 94 per cent in 1991 to fewer than 85 per cent in 2007/08.

•          In Sweden the number of qualified teachers in Free Schools (64 per cent) is lower than in municipal (state) schools (85 per cent).

•          In addition, the pupil teacher ratio in Swedish Free Schools is worse than in municipal (state) schools - almost 8.5 teachers per hundred pupils in municipal schools; just over 7.5 teachers per hundred pupils in Free Schools.

•          Most Free Schools lease building such as disused factories, factories and offices rather than using dedicated schools sites. This means many Free Schools lack facilities for sports, playgrounds, lunch halls and libraries. Whereas every public school in Sweden is obliged to have a library, Free Schools are not.

•          In Sweden, 75% of Free Schools are run by private, profit-making companies. Swedish teachers’ union, Laraforbundet, believes that company profits come from:

-           The companies renting their school buildings and so not being responsible for long term wear and tear;

-           Buildings such as disused offices and factories being utilised;

-           Lack of overheads on e.g. sports facilities, dining halls etc.

-           A lack of investment in special needs/language facilities and support; and

-           The employment of young and inexperienced staff and larger numbers of unqualified teachers.

Video - Trade Unionists call for United Action

To watch an excellent video of the NSSN Rally of TUC Congress that helped add to the pressure on Congress to call for co-ordinated strike action on November 30, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMQNxIqI088

Lewisham NUT member shocked to hear that Congress is listening to our demands ??

Pensions - Three Main Tasks!

A massive national day of strike action is being planned for Wednesday 30 November 2011. That's because the Government has time and again refused to listen to the growing anger about proposed changes to public sector pensions. The NUT is, of course, committed to negotiations, but unless the Government changes its approach we will have no option but to take action.

NUT members can also play a vital role in helping encouraging colleagues in other unions to vote to take action too.

In addition, the joint union campaign against pension cuts (involving ASCL, ATL, NAHT, NASUWT, NUT, UCAC and UCU) is organising a joint Lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 26 October 2011 to tell Government they have a last chance to back down if they want to avoid escalating co-ordinated action.  

A new joint petition has been produced which unions will be handing in on the day. The date is in half-term but we hope many teachers and their families will be able to attend – and join the March and Rally that is also planned to precede the lobbying of MPs.

What every school needs to organise:

There are 3 main tasks BEST ORGANISED BY HOLDING A JOINT UNION MEETING:

1.     Mass petition: every workplace to sign and return the petition – you can download a copy on the joint website  www.decentpensions.org.uk. It should be posted (preferably by 7 Oct) to Freepost RSSS-GEJE-ATAX, Central Mailing Services, PO Box 16246, Birmingham B11 9FQ. 

2.     Lobby of Parliament: every school to send at least one representative – use the joint website to sign-up who is going from your school – preferably THIS WEEK (by Sept 23) if you can. You can also use the website to email your MP to ask for an appointment.

3.     Encourage all staff colleagues to vote for action (but remember that NUT and ATL don’t need to ballot again!)

Lewisham NUT sends protest to Kazakhstan

As well as discussing the immediate priorities of building the pensions campaign and other important business, Lewisham NUT's General Meeting also agreed to send a message of protest to the Head of the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan and the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Kazakhstan in support of striking oilworkers and to protest against the repression of opposition leaders:

Foe more information, read http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/5284 

An all-members meeting of the Lewisham Teachers Association (National Union of Teachers) in South London held on September 19th 2011 resolved to send this message of protest in support of fellow trade unionists in Kazakhstan and also to send a donation to the strike fund of the oilworkers.

We have been following events in Kazakhstan with concern, particularly having heard opposition leader, Esenbek Ukteshbayev, speak to a conference of trade unionist here in London in 2010 and having heard the reports from the 2011 visit by Paul Murphy MEP (Member of the European Parliament, Socialist Party, Ireland) who met with striking oil workers in Kazakhstan and human rights/ democratic rights activists.

We strongly condemn threats by the Kazakhstan authorities to arrest and imprison Esenbek Ukteshbayev as well as Ainur Kurmanov, and other opposition leaders

We condemn this attempt to jail these opposition movement leaders and support the campaign for basic democratic rights in Kazakhstan.

We call for:

-The immediate dropping of all charges against Ainur Kurmanov, Esenbek Ukteshbayev and other activists

-No repressive measures against the Leave People’s Homes Alone campaign

-No restrictions on the right of Kurmanov and Ukteshbayev to travel to attend the OSCE Human Rights Conference in October.

-The immediate registration of the Republican Workers’ Trade Union (Zhanartu)

-The immediate release of Natalia Sokolova, the lawyer for the striking oil workers in Zhanaozen and Aktau.

- The reinstatement, with no preconditions, of all those who have been sacked

- Negotiations to start with the elected representatives of the strikers

November 30 named for a public sector general strike

After the TUC Congress ended, 24 unions met to agree together that November 30 will be the day set for one of the biggest co-ordinated strike days that Britain will ever have seen.

Now we have to mobilise in every school to help our colleagues in the unions that will have to ballot - like NASUWT, UNISON and GMB - to get the vote out. We can also use the campaign around the joint petition and Lobby of Parliament to help build for a mass turnout on November 30!

Here is the NUT National Press Release:

The NUT supports the call for a first day of industrial action on 30th November 2011. This follows a decision at the TUC for co-ordinated strike action against the cuts being proposed to public sector pensions.

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers union, said;

The Government has time and again refused to listen to the growing anger about proposed changes to public sector pensions. Despite there being no evidence to suggest that our pensions are unaffordable, the Government persists in stating that cuts need to be made.
This is an unacceptable and shameful way of conducting negotiations.

The NUT will be giving its full support to this TUC-led day of action on November 30. The Government has given us, and the other unions taking part, no other option.

NUT responds to Ed Milliband

NUT Press Release:

Commenting on remarks made by Ed Miliband on public sector pension reform during his Question & Answer session at TUC Congress, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said;

“Ed Miliband has missed the point completely. Teachers do not want to go on strike. They have been left with no alternative whatsoever, when confronted with a Government that blatantly refuses to negotiate on anything other than the pension changes they wish to impose.

“Despite there being no evidence to suggest that the Teachers’ Pension Scheme is either unsustainable or unaffordable, the Government is insisting people pay more, work longer and get less based on nothing more than their desire that teachers should.

“The NUT alongside other teaching unions are organising a mass lobby of Parliament on October 26. This is the last chance for Government to listen and failure to do so will result in industrial action. The leader of the Labour Party needs to recognise this is a failure on the part of Government, not public sector workers.”  

NUT Executive Report - Get Ready to Strike Together

On June 30, tens of thousands of NUT members - alongside our colleagues in the ATL, UCU & PCS  - answered the Government's disgraceful attacks on our pensions with a  determined show of strength.

But June 30 didn't just raise the confidence of those who took strike action, it also raised the sights of millions more workers who wanted to know why they weren't standing up for themselves too! It raised the pressure on every union that was still to declare for action to come on board as well - and that pressure is having an effect!

Friday’s NUT Executive received welcome news of other teacher unions announcing that they were opening ballots that could allow them to co-ordinate strike action with us in November.

ATL, PCS, UCU - like the NUT - are already ready and able to call further action without having to hold any further ballot. The NAHT is shortly to open an action ballot - as are UCAC in Wales and the EIS in Scotland. The NASUWT is also preparing for a ballot for a programme of strike action and action short  of strike action to take place “this term”.We also await announcements from other unions - including UNISON and GMB.

June 30 - with four unions taking national  action - had a big impact. Action across the public sector will have an even greater effect. Of course, co-ordination between a range of unions is never straightforward – and strike action may now have to be on a day later in    November than first planned. There must certainly be no question of any further delay – and no excuse for any union to avoid  co-ordinating  action with others.
 
So let’s find those flags from June 30, dust off the banners, plan together for local rallies,  levies and collections, leaflets and stalls. Above all, let’s plan together for united strike action – and let’s not step back until we win.

Return a Pensions Petition From Your School

While we wait for those ballots to take place, seven education unions will all be working together to try and get every one of the 25,000 schools and colleges in England and Wales to return a joint petition calling on Government to withdraw its proposals.

These petitions will be handed in at a mass Lobby of Parliament on October 26 where we also hope that as many schools as possible can send at least one representative. We hope that there will also be agreement that there will be a joint  demonstration before the Lobby so that trade unionists can march together to show that we are giving the Government one last chance - or we strike in November!

The NUT Executive agreed to “encourage all divisions to seek joint working over the lobby of parliament and the joint petition”.  So approach your colleagues in other teaching and headteacher unions - as well as support staff unions - to start making plans.

Our first aim is to get every school to return the  petition. Joint union meetings should be called to explain our arguments, get the petition signed, and to build for the Lobby on October 26.

The NUT hadn’t wanted the Lobby to be called in half-term but some unions were concerned that a mass event on a working-day could be deemed as ‘industrial action’ which they would not be able to take part in before they had completed their ballots.
We know that not every school nationally will be able to attend - but that’s even more reason for London teachers to make sure they are there in force.

The Executive is also encouraging NUT members to attend the TUC march at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester on Sunday October 2nd.

Of course, petitions alone will not shift Government - although a return from every school will certainly send a very clear message. But joint campaigning around the petition will also provide a great opportunity to encourage all those colleagues receiving ballot papers to vote in favour of action - and to call on their unions to co-ordinate with us in united strike action in November - and beyond if required.

What should follow after November?

A massive show of strength from public sector  unions will, of course, raise the stakes on both sides. So, while we prepare for joint action in November, the Executive also agreed that we need to plan together for what might have to come next as well.

We agreed to consider plans for subsequent action, perhaps including rolling strike action involving every region. Collections and levies could be used to help build hardship funds to support colleagues on strike. But we must make sure that targeted action doesn’t just involve a minority of members. I will certainly be arguing for plans for further national action as well.

NUT members should discuss amongst themselves and feedback to the Union their views on how we might extend action if the Government refuses to budge.

However, we should be confident that, despite their rhetoric, this Government is much weaker than it pretends to be. A clear plan of co-ordinated action from across the public sector can convince them that they will have to retreat.

Government refuses to listen to facts

Teachers will have returned from the summer break hoping for news that the Government has been forced  to step back. However, few will be that surprised to hear that the summer's ‘negotiations’ have been a sham. It seems that Ministers are determined to impose an artificial cost-ceiling on pensions schemes that leaves no room for any           genuine negotiation.

The Government still wants to make us work longer, to pay in more and then to get less pension when  we eventually retire. They have even announced their  proposals for how much more teachers will have to pay if they succeed in bringing in the first phase of increased contributions next April.

Anyone earning a full-time salary of more than £40,000 would have to pay 8.0% of their salary towards pensions - compared to 6.4% now. But linking contribution levels to full-time equivalent earnings will particularly penalise part-time staff and Inner London staff who get paid more to offset the high cost of living in the capital.

The Government were rocked by the strength of our action on June 30 - and the extent of public support - but they won’t give in easily. That's because they are on a mission to transfer wealth from working families to the rich, to cheapen the costs of pensions for the benefit of their big  business friends that want to take over privatised services - including the new ‘free schools’.

But as the mass petition being launched by seven education unions makes clear, we completely reject the Government's claim that our pensions are unaffordable and a drain on taxpayers.

No, who's draining away our resources? - it's those who wreck the economy and then expect us to bail them out, the big businesses who won't pay their  taxes and even have the cheek to object to the 50p tax rate - it's certainly not the dedicated staff                 providing vital public services.

Speech to NSSN Rally

For a report of the NSSN rally and lobby of the TUC, visit http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/12744/12-09-2011/nssn-calls-on-tuc-to-open-the-floodgates-of-mass-action 

I must start by bringing the apologies of Nina Franklin, the NUT’s National President, who very much wanted to be at today’s Rally, but has had a pressing family commitment today.

I’m proud to speak in Nina’s place – and I’m certainly proud of the tens of thousands of NUT members who, on June 30, answered the Government’s attacks on our pensions with the argument that they can’t ignore –  co-ordinated strike action.

Those teachers will have returned from the summer break hoping for news that the Government has stepped back – but few will be too surprised to hear that the summer’s negotiations have been a sham. It seems that Ministers are determined to impose an artificial cost-ceiling on schemes that leaves no room for any genuine negotiation. 

That’s because this Government is on a mission – on a mission to transfer wealth from working people to the rich, to cheapen the costs of pensions for the benefit of their big business friends that want to take over privatised schools and services.

But as the mass petition being launched by seven education unions makes clear, we completely reject the Government’s claim that our pensions are unaffordable and a drain on taxpayers. 

No, who’s draining away our resources? – it’s those who wreck the economy and then expect us to bail them out, the big businesses who won’t pay their taxes and even have the cheek to object to the 50p tax rate – it’s certainly not the dedicated staff providing vital public services.

But today we are serving a warning on this Government – and calling on the TUC Congress next week to do the same. If you want to refuse to retreat – on your heads be it!

Because June 30 didn’t just raise the confidence of those who took strike action, it also raised the sights of millions more workers who wanted to know why they weren’t standing up for themselves too! It raised the pressure on every union leader that was still to declare for action to come on board as well – and that pressure is having an effect!

ATL and NUT are ready to act again. But, we already know that the UCAC teachers union in Wales is opening a ballot for action in September – so are the EiS in Scotland - and so are the NAHT Headteachers’ union. 

Then, on Friday, we heard the welcome news from the Executive of the remaining classroom teachers’ union, the NASUWT, that they will also be balloting for action this term. 

While we wait for those ballots to take place, those unions will also be working together to build a mass Lobby of Parliament on Wednesday October 26. 

I hope that there will also be agreement that there will be a joint  demonstration before the Lobby so that trade unionists can march together to show that we are giving the Government one last chance – or we strike in November!

So urgent joint staff meetings need to be called in every school – yes to sign the petition but, above all, to convince colleagues in the NASUWT and other unions to vote for action.

Let’s hope that those ballots can include GMB, UNISON and UNITE. Because, if teaching unions are getting ready to strike together – then so should support staff colleagues too!

Of course, co-ordination between a range of unions is never straightforward – and strike action may have to be on a day later in November than first planned – but there must be no question of any further delay – and no excuse for any union to avoid co-ordinating action with others.  

Let’s be clear, such a massive show of strength from public sector unions will raise the stakes on both sides. So, while we prepare for joint action in November, let’s also plan together for what comes next as well.

That’s why Friday’s NUT Executive didn’t just confirm our plan for the further day of co-ordinated strike action, we also agreed to consider plans for subsequent action, perhaps including rolling action involving every region.

This Government set out to wreck our pensions, wreck our services, ruin our children’s futures – but we can - and we must - force them back. 

So let’s find those flags from June 30, dust off the banners, plan together for local joint rallies, levies and collections, leaflets and stalls. Above all, let’s plan together for united strike action – and let’s not step back until we win.

Momentum builds for united strike action in November

The NUT Executive this afternoon confirmed our "plan for the further day of strike action involving as many unions as possible during November".

This decision was followed by a press release confirming the welcome news that the NASUWT Executive have agreed to ballot for strike and non-strike action this term. 

NUT members will hope that the NASUWT will therefore be taking united strike action alongside the NUT - and a growing number of trade unions who are also looking to take co-ordinated strike action on the same day in November.

Full report to follow

Free Schools - a dangerous experiment in privatisation

Nick Clegg's speech today heralding the opening of the first 24 'Free Schools' could not hide the opposition - even inside his own party - at this dangerous experiment which is designed to further break-up democratically accountable comprehensive schooling.

Building on the misplaced fear of some middle-class parents at the supposed 'failure' of community schools, Gove hopes that they will be encouraged to opt for unaccountable 'free schools'.  He hopes this will deal a further blow to elected Local Authority schooling so that it can be replaced with a divisive market-driven system where education businesses control our children's schools - and, sooner or later, are allowed to profit from state-funding as well.

Increased social segregation would be the inevitable result - as would cuts to both the quality of education and conditions for staff as big businesses look to their profit margins.

Some parents and staff may naively believe that 'free schools' provide a way forward - but, as I found in Greenwich last year, the logic of free schools is towards selection and segregation - at other childrens's expense. http://electmartin1.blogspot.com/2010/09/greenwich-free-school-plan-trojan-horse.html


Further information is on the Anti-Academies Alliance website 

Trade unionists and anti-racists hold mass protest against divisive EDL

Thousands of protesters gathered in Whitechapel, East London today to protest against a threatened rally by the far-right English Defence League.

The EDL action was a deliberate provocation to try and stir up division in Tower Hamlets. The far-right has not been able to organise public activity in the borough since the morning when the BNP were driven out of the top of Brick Lane in 1993.

Now, with unemployment and poverty rising, there is again a risk that the EDL and BNP assist the billionaires in driving through their attacks by whipping up racism to divide opposition. But the protest today - and particularly the action taken by the RMT - shows that London trade unionists are not going to allow the Con-Dems nor the racists to divide us.

The RMT made clear that they were not going to compromise safety by transporting the EDL on tubes to Liverpool Street as they originally planned. The Guardian also reports today that "staff at King's Cross station closed the entrance to the tube, preventing the majority of the EDL supporters gathered outside from travelling to the demonstration around Aldgate East tube for around half an hour". http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/03/english-defence-league-london-demonstration

Many protesters, locals and youth took copies of the NSSN leaflet I was distributing publicising next Sunday's Lobby of the TUC and calling on young people to 'get organised and link up with the unions'

One of the attacks on young people's chances is, of course, the cut to the EMA. An article in the TES by an East London Headteacher points out that  her school will now be given "a fifth of the money we got for EMA grants. If we award all those who were eligible last year they will get less than £5 a week".
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6110547&s_cid=twtimes_paper_decisions

These kind of attacks will only be defeated by united mass action - not the divisive racism peddled by the English Defence League which only helps the Con-Dems get away with their cuts.

Rally to Defend Pensions, Jobs and Services

RALLY TO DEFEND PENSIONS and to

BUILD UNITED PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKE ACTION

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 1.30 pm

Friends Meeting House, Euston, NW1 2BJ.

Speakers include:

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary,

Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary,

Nina Franklin, NUT National President.

Link to latest NSSN video here:  http://youtu.be/i8qQ_PDq3Es

On June 30, hundreds of thousands of teachers, lecturers and civil servants took bold action to defend our pensions against Con-Dem cuts.

Our action was a magnificent show of strength - but we all knew that one-day's strike would not be enough on its own to win.

That's why the NUT and other unions are preparing for further action this November - but, this time, we want even more unions to be taking action alongside us.

The TUC Congress - bringing together all of Britain's public and private-sector unions - is meeting in London from September 12 -14. That Congress needs to respond to the savage cuts to pensions, jobs and services by agreeing to co-ordinate the widest possible industrial action to force this Government to retreat.

The TUC needs to take a fighting lead. That will be the message from a Rally and Lobby being organised on Sunday September 11th by the National Shop Stewards Network, the network founded with the help of the RMT union in 2007 and now supported by other national unions.

Sunday's Rally in Friends Meeting Hose, Euston, assembling at 1.30pm, will be just what is needed to galvanise teachers for the strike action we need to prepare later this term.

The Rally will be followed by a Lobby of the TUC where the NSSN will hand in a petition calling on the TUC "to call a one-day strike of all public sector unions as the next step in this struggle". The petition can be signed online on http://www.shopstewards.net/sign.htm

Come along with your colleagues and listen to Bob Crow (General Secretary, RMT), Mark Serwotka (General Secretary, PCS), Nina Franklin (National President, NUT) - and join in the discussion and debate about how we can defeat these Con-Dem cuts.

NUT Elections 2012-14

On June 30, NUT members across Inner London - and beyond - showed their determination to stand up to Government attacks. That determination will need to be repeated this term as we continue to build our action to defend teachers’ pensions.

Further campaigns to oppose cuts, privatisation, excessive workload and the coming threat of even harsher performance management and observation regimes will also have to be organised if we are to successfully defend teachers and education.

It is against this background that NUT members have an opportunity to vote for National Officers and National Executive members that can best lead the Union during the struggles that will face us from 2012-2014.

In 2009, I was pleased to stand in the election for Vice-President election and develop discussion about how we build national action - action that we are now taking in defence of teachers’ pensions. Then, following Kevin Courtney’s election as Deputy General Secretary, I was able to stand - and be elected - to become a member of the NUT National Executive for the Inner London District. I would certainly hope to be able to continue in that role following the 2012 elections to the National Executive.

I hope that my record of building the Union, supporting members and associations, contributing to and leading campaigns - both before and since being elected to the NUT National Executive - will be recognised by NUT members and Inner London Divisions.
         
I hope that Inner London NUT Divisions will be willing to nominate myself – and Alex Kenny – for re-election to the National Executive. Nominations close on January 11 2012.

Associations are able to nominate candidates for both National Officers and National Executive members at a quorate General Meeting or by a ballot of members.

Nominations for National Officers have to be submitted before the end of September 2011. I will be recommending to Lewisham Association that we support:

§ Max Hyde and Philipa Harvey for Vice-President

§ Ian Murch for Treasurer

§ Alyson Palmer for Examiner of Accounts