Covid-19 NEUs 2

Joint General Secretaries’ Report

Welcome successes

Executive, local officers, reps members and staff have all contributed to us winning the argument – without our campaign the following would not have happened:

• 30+ councils declaring no schools will open
• SAGE would not be proposing to publish the science
• The Independent SAGE report tremendously helpful – currently in draft but widely reported
• Johnson would not have made his announcement re track and trace
• 45k members wrote to their MPs last weekend
• 10k membership increase
• 20k members on a zoom call
• the ferocious attacks on the Union by certain sections of the press

National focus

• discussing jointly badged statement with LGA and other unions on the conditions for safe opening of schools
• written to Secretary of State – narrative on where tests have been partially/fully met; offer to participate in high-level task group (govt/employers/unions) – want to work together to ensure safe opening of schools

Next steps for reps and members

• write to MPs
• engage with the checklist with school group and head
• elect a rep if none in place
• if elements of the checklist are not met; notify branch secretary and prepare to challenge head with the support of the school group and the local officer

Next step for Branch Secretaries

• press local authority to declare that 1 June too early for schools to safely reopen – backed by Independent SAGE
• flexible message – LAs should not be pressurising schools to open or vulnerable cohorts of staff to report to work
• call reps meetings to discuss checklist and approach on vulnerable cohorts
• report concerns to RWS

Transition period presents problems for us and we will need to be agile and flexible.  The Union’s secondary checklist would be published (informed by draft DfE document); letters to members with advice on vulnerable categories, black members, the checklist, learning in the summer term and childcare. Separate communications to supply members in preparation.

Finance Report

Report detailing savings on annual conference and other conferences; hotel and travel bookings; cancellation of summer term meetings, events and courses organised by organising and learning department. Our current estimates show a net reduction in budgeted expenditure of £891.5k. The budgeted deficit for the year was £1.054m, so if the assumptions behind the above additional savings and costs are correct and other income falls as per the budget, we would expect a deficit of £162.5k.

Membership Income Report

Concerns and questions were raised at the OSG meeting held 23 April in relation to the financial variance report which showed an adverse variance to budget in membership income.  The financial year 1st September 2019 to 31st August 2020 is the first 12-month financial period for the NEU and the first period where the membership year has coincided with the financial year.  There is no  data to profile the membership income across the year so reports to the Executive on the expected income to date have only been able to look at the profile of income received from September 2019 to the reporting month.  Meeting with the Membership and Equalities Officer, Treasurer and Chair of GPC with data showing the reconciliation of income recorded in the finance department and expected income based on detailed membership status data, also provided a chart showing the membership cash take from Jan 2017.  Forecasting for 2020/21 will improve by:

• Ability to use the actual profile from 2019/20 and adjust through the year
• A quarterly report for GPC showing the reconciliation between membership numbers and income and providing narrative on material variances to budget
• Assumptions for 2020/21 budget are being reviewed and membership number/profile on which income will be based interrogated.

Membership Report

On 11 and 12 May 5,353 members joined the Union.  The number of daily leavers (members who contact the union to resign) has remained steady. Support staff accounted for 36% of joiners, 60% were teachers when adding the different categories together and 4% students and trainees.  Just under half, 47% of new joiners were 34 or under.  The national figure has moved above 450,000 which will adjust downwards slightly at end of month lapse exercise.

Special Conference and District & Branch Operation

Due to time constraints, the OSG agreed to defer these items for a full and informed discussion at the next meeting.  The papers would be revised – informed by Strategy Committee members’ comments and relayed by the Chairs.