September Executive NEUs

The Executive welcomed Amanda Martin to her first Executive as President and paid tribute to Kiri Tunks and Kim Knappett as outgoing Joint Presidents.

Joint General Secretaries’ report

Following detailed presentations by the JGS, the Executive agreed:

1.       Plans to prepare for a general election, mobilising voters to vote for education around school funding and child poverty and to mobilise members to vote in addition on education policies.

2.       Funding for that election campaign as recommended by GPC this morning.

3.       In the light of the need this term to prepare for the GE and the uncertainty caused currently by lack of clarity on Government policy on teacher pay, the Executive agrees not to proceed with the indicative ballot on pay currently.  The Joint General Secretaries will, as part of their report to the Executive, bring a proposal on the Conference decision on the indicative ballot on pay to the first Executive meeting after any General Election.

4.       In the light of the results of the pay focus groups, the Executive agrees to request the JGS to come back with plans around continuing a pay campaign, including immediate proposals for pay implementation and medium term pay demands and campaigning.

The Executive endorsed a recommendation from GPC on a general election campaign plan outline and that the NEU budget 2019-20 would be adjusted by up to £1 million additional expenditure, with further work to be done on the detail of the planned expenditure.

The Panel for the Annie Hidgon Award was elected– Mairead Canavan, Katie Lindenberg, Louise Regan, Kiri Tunks and Karen Williams.

Bargaining strategy for the NEU:

The Executive agreed to:

• endorse the principles of the proposed strategy for discussion and implementation including at the DBSB
• endorse a final strategy document at its October meeting which would include the central role of the Districts and Branches: greater emphasis on supporting, training and networking reps and utilising the collective strength of the union to support and defend reps from victimisation for assuming the role; and acknowledgement of the range of circumstances facing the union in workplaces and adapting tactics to this.

Sixth Form Colleges:

Following the industrial action ballot of 6FC members, the Executive agreed:

• the first day of strike action should be in the week of 14 October, with further days of strike action in the weeks of 4 and 18 November and further dates to be determined in due course
• a national event should be organised in London on the first strike day, together with activities for members not taking action to show solidarity;
• further ballots should be held in other selected colleges based on turnout or strategic significance of the college; and
• strike pay should be paid to members taking strike action for all days of strike action.

The Executive agreed a procedure for the approval of budget overspend.  The format and content of the Report of the Executive to Annual Conference was agreed and that the venue for Conference 2021 would be Manchester.

The Executive endorsed updates to the National Rules (following Conference and Executive decisions) and proposals for Rule changes to be put to Conference 2020. The revised model branch rules were also agreed.  The updated Rules to be reprinted during the autumn term.

The Strategy Committee Member Defence discussed the implementation of items (i) and (ii) of the Disability Discrimination Conference Resolution and in particular consideration of what kind of material would meet the aim of the resolution to raise awareness and alert members to further guidance on our strategies and members’ rights as regards disabilities discrimination.  This was referred to the Equalities Committee for detailed consideration.

The Executive agreed to affiliate to the Lift the Ban campaign, and work with the group on a range of actions. The campaign is a coalition of groups which aims to win the right to work for people seeking asylum after six months of having lodged an asylum claim.  Affiliation is free and will mean the NEU logo is on publicity material and the website. There are no cost implications to affiliation.

Following the survey of local officers, the Executive agreed the following in relation to the payment of honoraria

1.       NEU shall make Honoraria available to Local Officers;

2.       Honoraria payments shall be capped at £2,000 per annum;

3.       Local officers undertaking trade union activities shall be eligible to receive NEU Honoraria

4.       Local officers undertaking trade union duties shall not be eligible to receive NEU Honoraria;

5.       No individual shall be eligible to receive more than one honorarium;

6.       In exceptional circumstances, the executive may consider alternative proposals agreed at a quorate local district AGM.

Further guidance on this decision will be relayed to local officers via the e-Bulletin.

It was agreed to establish a TKAT branch with tribute paid to the lead reps who have worked alongside members and reps and organised effective, but unofficial structures, for the purposes of organising and bargaining across the Trust. In order to progress the Conference Resolution on SEND it was agreed that a SEND Virtual Reference Group be established.  The Executive agreed a paper outlining the remit, scope and constitution of section conferences (i.e. equality strands and sectors) for consideration of associated organising forum and national councils ahead of their 2020 section conferences

The Executive agreed resolutions on the following topics:

• ‘Free our Unions’ – welcoming the Labour Party announcement at the TUC and the work undertaken by Laura Pidcock MP, John Hendy and the IER to establish a Shadow Ministry of Employment Rights; supporting Labour’s commitment to sectoral collective bargaining (the subject of one of our agreed resolutions at TUC); the repeal of the anti-trade union laws and genuine equal pay for women.
• Defend our Democracy – opposing the prorogation of Parliament and the imposition of a Conservative ‘no deal’ Brexit without debate and scrutiny and supporting the campaign for a general election.

These decisions will be referred to relevant departments/committees for implementation.