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| NUT and NASUWT members at June 27 rally in Liverpool |
In the North-West, those attacks will only encourage an even
stronger response to the call for joint NUT / NASUWT regional strike action on
June 27th. Over 500 teachers packed into rallies in both Liverpool and
Manchester on April 27. Reps left inspired and even more determined to bring
out every school on strike.
In London, according to the calendar of action agreed at NUT
Conference, teachers will not be called out on strike until the Autumn.
However, we can all play our part in building publicity for our campaign this
term.
National Executive members for both Inner and Outer London
agreed to propose to this month’s Regional Council that we confirm plans for a
London NUT march and rally after-school on June 27 and to encourage leafleting
on public stalls, particularly on Saturday June 8th. We hope that teachers can
join colleagues in their local shopping areas - even if it’s not actually the
borough that you teach in - on a London-wide day of action to explain to
parents why Gove’s attacks are a dangerous attack on children’s education too.
Many areas are also ‘twinning’ with North-West Associations to send messages of support and to encourage
action.
STRIKE ACTION IN THE AUTUMN TERM
Our calendar of regional and national strike action
continues next term. At well-attended NUT General Meetings that I attended in
April - in Lewisham and Newham - members
asked that the Union made clear to teachers outside the North-West when they
will be being called on to take strike action too. I am pleased that Christine
Blower responded by saying those dates will be made clear. I understand it is
likely that London teachers will take regional action alongside others in
October. Teachers in other parts of the country may also have taken regional
strike action in September. These regional strikes should build to a joint
national strike in November - and further action beyond that.
The Lewisham NUT General Meeting proposed that the NUT call
on other TUC unions to join with us in co-ordinated national strike action on that day - a demand that I fully support. Joint
strike action across teaching and non-teaching unions can really help to pile
on the pressure on Government to pull back from its continued programme of cuts
and privatisation.
London teachers certainly need to prepare financially for
action, putting a little aside to be ready for pay losses when we strike and/or
donating to hardship funds to help other colleagues to take that action.
URGENT - TO WIN ON PAY POLICIES TOO
Every Association should be calling a reps’ briefing to
explain the details of the model NUT/NASUWT model pay policy - and to organise
to win its adoption in schools, across Academy chains and Local Authorities.
The NUT/NASUWT pay policy checklist has already been
circulated and the May Executive discussed a draft of the full pay policy. It
should be officially issued very soon. It is vital that school groups campaign
to try and persuade Governors to adopt our policy so that staff can be
protected from the worst of Gove’s proposals. However, it won’t be an easy
battle. The NAHT have issued advice that
pay progression on the main pay scale depends on a teacher being graded ‘good’ according to Ofsted - perhaps even higher
for the UPS! If Governors try to impose
such a policy, call for strike action in your school - co-ordinated across
others too.
DECLARATION FOR EDUCATION IN LONDON
The Union is finalising a document setting out our vision
for education in London, partly in response to some unhelpful proposals made by
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
It covers some key issues for London teachers and schools,
including planning for school places, poverty and discrimination, cross-borough
coordination, recruitment and retention of teachers, professional development
and our continuing opposition to academies and free schools.
We hope the declaration will be published shortly so that it
can be discussed both by London teachers and by the politicians making decisions about
education in the capital.
The NUT hopes to also be discussing with London Councils
about the mounting pressures on pupil places with an estimated shortfall of 118,000 primary
and secondary places by 2016. Yet London boroughs are short by roughly £1 billion
in having the necessary funding required to meet these essential needs.
When we are leafleting parents about Gove’s attacks on
education, we must make sure we also explain how Government cuts seriously threaten
education provision in London and how
fragmented free schools are not the answer either. We need to demand the funds needed to build the community
schools our communities need.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES:
Saturday May 18: London NHS Demonstration - Assemble at midday in Jubilee
Gardens, Waterloo.
Saturday May 18: Local Associations National Action
Campaign Steering Committee, Birmingham.
Fri 7 - Sun 9 June: NUT Young Teachers’ Conference at Stoke Rochford Hall, Lincolnshire.
Saturday June 8: Proposed London-wide leafleting
Sat 15 June: Charter for Primary Education Conference at University of London Union, Malet St.
Saturday 22 June ‘People’s Assembly’, Westminster
Thursday 27 June: North-West Regional Strike action and proposed London march
and rally
Saturday 29 June: National Shop Stewards Network Conference,
Camden Centre, Judd St, WC1 9JE.
Saturday July 6: NUT Supply Teachers’ Conference at NUT HQ Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD
Sat 13 - Sun 14 July: NUT National Education Conference at Stoke Rochford Hall, Lincolnshire.
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