Executive NEUs January 2021

Joint General Secretaries’ report

The Executive received the updated strategy document and Mary began the report:

• Government announced that primary schools would open on 4 January with limited secondary/post-16 open;
• Preparatory work for Special Executive and member/activist communications.
• Huge thanks to staff involved
• Executive endorsed the strategy to rely on Section 44 acknowledging that any challenges would be, and were, dealt with promptly by Regional/Wales secretaries;
• Astonishing engagement by members; 7k primary schools received letters; 29% primary members submitted S44 letters;
• 400 new reps recruited since start of term
• Rep role has been transformed; immediate 45min induction for all where they’re encouraged to hold a meeting with members; hold a meeting with their head; get in touch with their branch and sign up for the reps’ training;
• On Sunday, 3 January a member was joining every 10 seconds
• Key engagement with special and early years’ members via mass-zoom calls in previous week;
• Qualitative difference in tone of members’ responses in zoom ‘chats’ – feel empowered to challenge decisions re key worker parents/rota arrangements etc

Kevin continued the report:

• After the PM’s announcement on lockdown in England (following Scotland and Wales’s previous decisions), the strategy necessarily moved on;
• Any local disputes to be resolved collectively –branch and region involvement;
• DfE stats released on 11 January indicated significantly higher pupils in school than in lockdown#1; 20% primary; 4% secondary; 29% special; 24% alternative provision; granulating for EHC plans: 46% primary; 25% secondary; 36% alt provison;
• Helpful messaging from SAGE members including John Edmonds on R4 Today programme (4 Jan) – ‘most likely source of infection into homes is schools’;

Many issues remained to be addressed:

• Support staff being asked to take classes
• The proposed testing regime
• Vaccinations for school staff
• Matt Hancock’s responses that schools should open when they are safe to do so – will flesh out these criteria – Government tests not just unions’!
• The outcome of the Government’s consultation on BTEC/GCSE/A level assessments
• The Government must own their tardy and inadequate response to the effect of the pandemic on pupil assessment.

The JGSs announced an exciting new microsite to support/promote and share good practice on remote learning:

• Pedagogical excellence
• Promoting health and safety in delivering remote learning
• Resource hub – linking and sharing resources
• Link to parental hub

Finally, the Executive welcomed an initiative to consider a funding of a sum up to £1m to provide resources to alleviate pupils in poverty; details to be brought to an emergency meeting of GPC during w/c18 January.

The Executive agreed:

• draft Final Accounts (31.8.19-31.8.20) and authorised the National Treasurer and Chair of GPC to sign off final version for submission of the AR21 by the end of the month;
• the revised protocol for Districts not submitting annual returns 
• the introduction of another subscriptions holiday for members receiving no or reduced income during this period. The duration of the holiday would be linked to the full re-opening of schools and colleges and restricted to the current membership year ending 31 August 2021 
• additional expenditure of £120,000 on WAN upgrades to offices 
•  that rule 3.10 is interpreted such that Conference 2021 is considered the third annual conference and therefore retired members will not be allowed to carry the votes of members of the local district. 
• detailed professional advice received on the proposed extension of Eastern Regional Office with further work to ensure costs of the project do not exceed the estimate of £500,000 plus VAT 
• That LDS for Northamptonshire be revised to reflect the two unitary authorities WEF from 1 April subject to information and consultation as per rules
• Timetable for the biennial Executive elections agreed
• timetable for the by-elections in District 8 and District 11 (elections to vacancies on the NDC and NAC to be run on the same timetable) 
• Donations to Hazards Centre for £3000  and Hope not Hate for £24,000 to be met from the political fund 
• agreed the following timetable for the DGS election  (for notification on 22 January):
• Notification of timetable: 22 January 2021 
• Nominations open: Tuesday, 4 May 2021 
• Nominations close: Monday, 13 September (midday) 
• Deadline for withdrawals/election material: Monday, 20 September (midday) 
• Elections open: Monday, 4 October  
• Elections close: Friday, 29 October (midday) 
• updated regulations in relation to honoraria payments for promulgation to local districts in advance of their AGMs;
• motions to TUC Young Workers’ Conference ‘Addressing the Climate Emergency’ and ‘Fair Treatment for Agency and Zero Hour Workers’ and the nomination of Samantha Nicholson-Hickling (Oldham) for the TUC Young Workers Forum 2021-22
• steps to campaign against the pay freeze
• the framework submission to the STRB (seeking a joint response with other unions and to persuade ASCL and NAHT to jointly advise pay progression)  
• secure an appropriate pay increase for 2021 in FE & 6FC negotiations in which it is directly involved and   offer its support to NJC unions in negotiating an appropriate increase for school support staff.  
• A strategy for implementing the Annual Conference resolution on ‘winning at work’
• Recommend 6FC teacher members to be consulted on pay offer (an increase of 2% from 1 September 2020 rising to 3.25% from 1 May 2021 which would restore pay parity at the scale maximum) with a recommendation to accept. 

The Executive agreed motions on Indian Farmers and Early Years and Nursery Provision.