Executive NEUs July 17th

JGS report

Kevin began with a summary of what NEU members had achieved during the pandemic and how our collective strength was winning for members and allowing our voice to prevail. Rep and school group confidence was demonstrated by a series of collective dispute successes including (but not exclusively) the following since the last Executive:

· 11 June Stonyhurst College, the college Tolkien attended, first strike action in 500 years – agreement reached on teacher pension scheme following strike action.

· 11 June City and Islington College – agreement reached over observations and workload following industrial action.

· 1 July Parkwood Primary, Hackney – settled on alternative proposals that avoided compulsory redundancy and reduction in hours

· 2 July Tring Park, Hertfordshire – threats to TPS and ‘Fire and Rehire’ have been withdrawn following strike action.

· 3 July Coventry School Foundation – successes over workload

· 7 July six primary schools in Brent – agreement reached on pay

· The derailing of the initial Westminster Diocese plan to convert to academies across 6 Boroughs

Recognition that we do have on-going disputes and that not all will be successfully resolved but our workplace representatives are instigating many more discussions with management – this term over 1265, directed hours, pay progression and much else – which never become a ‘dispute’ but which means union members are asserting their rights to be properly part of school discussions.

Whilst doing this the NEU has also been making a political impact – in the interest of education staff and those they teach and support. We have:

Ø Launched the Help a Child to Learn campaign with the Daily Mirror – delivering much needed educational resources for the most disadvantaged children.

Ø Developed a Child Poverty website, which maps disadvantaged by constituency – as part of our growing campaign No Child Left Behind

Ø we supported a Private Members Bill making school uniforms more affordable

Ø we were part of the coalition that forced the government to extend school meal provision during holidays

Ø Initiated the Independent Assessment Commission – getting big write ups in the Times – and working to build a new consensus

Ø Continued to support ‘More Than A Score’ in campaigning for reform of primary assessments – garnering new support from many headteachers and politicians of all parties

Ø Worked with the Lewis Hamilton Commission, whose report on Black people and Motor Sports has endorsed the NEU Anti-Racist Framework for schools

Ø Engaged with the DfE and Ofsted following the “Everyone’s invited” campaign against sexual harassment in schools/colleges- using the insights from our 2018 “Sexism: It’s Everywhere” report.

Ø Engaged and supported Teach the Future – on climate emergency education

The Executive noted:

· variance report to the end of May with a net surplus of actual income over expenditure of £9,029,574. Total income variance is £1,336,214 and total expenditure variance £4,137,607, which creates an overall positive variance of £5,473,821.

· The improvement in the number of district budget returns for 2019 and 2020 since last reported to GPC with missing legacy funds still being an issue with work on-going in tracing those funds; tribute paid to staff, Executive and lay officers in their efforts to resolve these issues.

The Executive agreed:

· to endorse the NEU’s participation in the proposed updating of the Burgundy Book with LGA and other signatory unions, initially to make necessary changes to reflect changes in terminology and legislation, and once updated to seek improvements where possible and secure a longer-term negotiating framework.

· The final budget with a revised surplus and a further reduction following agreement that the 1% subvention should be reinstated to the International Fund. The budgeted surplus to change from £407,385 to £171,242.

· that unless Covid restrictions prevented full physical attendance, all delegates should attend Annual Conference 2022 in person and the introduction of the use of an electronic speakers’ cards system

· that as the only provider who can provide all the exhibition stands for use at Conference/TUC and Party Conferences (and generating significant savings of about £92,000) that Solu4ions are engaged to provide these services to NEU without a formal tender process being undertaken

· the refurbishment of the toilet facilities at Hamilton House and refurbishment of the fire doors are approved

· that following the loss of the sale of 7 Northumberland Street, it is remarketed in September.

· that the purchase of a new property in the South-East Region is allocated a provisional budget of £235/sq ft

· that the D902 Service Children’s Education (Germany & Cyprus) district changes name to D902 MOD Schools with a corresponding Branch for members employed by the MOD. The change to be formally ratified at Annual Conference 2022.

· The proposal to form two districts in Hertfordshire – Hertfordshire General and North Hertfordshire. The outcome of the members consultation and information process will be reported to the Union Strength Committee and GPC on 25th November 2021. If agreed the new districts would take effect from September 2022.

· the adoption of the following timetable for the Officers’ election: –

1 September – timetable to be published by this date (circulated to local officers)

o 1 November – nominations open

o 15 December – close of nominations

o 22 December – deadline for withdrawals and election materials

o 1 February 2022 – election opens

o 1 March (midday) – election closes

· Sustentation payments – to re-visit a Rule change at the next Annual Conference and agreeing a temporary solution enabling the Finance Team to rely on Rule 2 of Appendix E (Sustentation Rules) to override the net-to-net comparison when it is equitable to do so. In relation to NEU reps, the Executive agreed to exercise their power under Rule 18.6.3 which enables Executive to make grants to members who have suffered pecuniary loss which “arises from any action taken on the advice of the Union in the defence of professional rights or from any cause which in the opinion of the Executive renders the member worthy of support” with decisions on such payments to sit with the Action Committee with a review after three months

· to engage with ‘Changelab’ on the development of a bulk email system after Mail Chimp has proved an unsuitable option

· Funding donations of £20,000 to assist in the establishment of a National Education Museum and £10,000 to support Signalise, a multi-stakeholder co-operative providing BSL interpreters, as a donation to fund the final stage of their digital platform development.

· a series of principles to underpin local district and branch meetings and decision-meeting during the Autumn Term, to promulgate to local officers before the summer break; these principles and any associated guidance and protocols to remain transitional and will be reviewed no later than December 2021

· a ‘Lessons Learned inquiry’ into the COVID-19 pandemic (similar to BMA call)

· that the pilot for the shared branch mailbox project is now rolled out to all branches

· acknowledging that the “covid exception” in relation to representation or legal representation be withdrawn.

· to adopt the two strap lines recommended by the PU Committee to be used by the Union in professional unity work; ‘Together we are stronger’ and ‘Standing together for education’

· The Executive agreed the text for two motions to TUC Congress on Palestine and Sexual Harassment: Time to stop sexual harassment in schools and congratulated Heather McKenzie on her election to the General Council. Tribute was paid to Louise Atkinson on her service on the GC for the past year.

Finally, the JGS paid moving tribute to the 23 members leaving the Executive and thanked them for their collective and individual contributions to the NEU and its legacy unions.