Executive NEUs May 7th 2022

The JGS report

Long Covid

• The Union has led on the joint guidance (with ASCL, NAHT, GMB, Unite, Unison, NASWUT and Voice) to address the fact that education staff top the league when it comes to prevalence of self-reported Long Covid,
• Key features include full pay for a minimum of 12 months regardless of length of service, an undertaking not to impose sanctions as a result of absence monitoring, an undertaking to adhere to GP and occupational health recommendations and paid time off for appointments and treatments.

TUC Rally on 18 June – London

• Key staging post in the pay campaign
• NEU will be part of the education bloc with UCU and NAHT (NAS yet to confirm) and aim to mobilise 25k members to attend; plans for social media/communications to members but engagement at workplace level by reps and branch secretaries will be key
• Although workload still the key concern amongst our members, the cost-of-living crisis and the NI and tax hikes are impacting their views

STRB oral evidence session – 29 April 2022

• President led the delegation which drew upon David Powell’s extensive and detailed written evidence submission
• Cited members’ lived experiences and views
• Called for the idea of a differential pay award to be abandoned
• Expressed serious concerns about the dismantling of the national pay structure driven by the imposition of PRP and citing the late and wholly inadequate equality impact assessment undertaken by the DfE 
• Challenged the STRB to demonstrate its independence and disregard Treasury affordability quotas or school budget reserves and set a pay award that would stem the haemorrhaging of teachers from the profession

OFSTED – Unhappy Birthday demonstration

• Members demonstrated outside all regional offices and delivered thousands of ‘Unhappy Birthday’ cards to the London HQ on 6 May
• The Union’s pithy critiques of the inspectorate are affecting the debate; during a recent interview with Amanda Speilman on the Today Programme, the Union’s criticisms of OFSTED and Estyn were quoted (a toxic shadow/outcomes never independently evaluated);

White and Green Paper

• Expecting elements of the White and Green papers to be included in the Queen’s Speech listing forthcoming legislation due on 10 May
• Draft timetable for the legislation indicates that the Government intends to move the Bill quickly through Parliament with the first stage in the Lords
• Focus will be on amendment/defeating certain aspects of the Bill with the caveat that the Government has a strong majority

The Executive noted the analysis of this year’s State of Education Survey. 

The pay campaign agreed by the National Executive in 2021 and developed by Annual Conference 2022 is the key priority campaign for the NEU going forward, sitting within our broader Value Education Value Educators orientation. Significantly, the union is committed to a ballot in the autumn term in support of our pay claim, should this not be met by government. A key step in the campaign is mobilisation for the TUC demonstration on June 18th, within the context of growing member anger over shrinking real-terms pay and the cost of living crisis.  All Strategy Committees (bar GPC) considered the Conference Resolutions on pay; noted actions already implemented and agreed the next steps in the campaign, including, amongst other activities:

• the data dashboard, planning tool and support resources already briefed out to local officers at Conference and subsequently emailed out to all branch officers
• mobilisation for the TUC demonstration on June 18th, within the context of growing member anger over shrinking real-terms pay and the cost-of-living crisis
• Linking the VE:VE and pay with reps pay survey meetings this term and roll-out to workplace meetings – to include membership record updates
• Produce member-facing materials on the cost of living, alongside materials aimed at connecting with parents
• Convene a group of lay activists, consisting of the Chairs of PRC, Bargaining and Negotiations, and Union Strength to oversee the implementation of this work

The Executive agreed all Strategy Committee reports from the meetings on 31 March (with a small amendment to the SC:MD minutes) and agreed the following urgent  reports and decisions:

• The Finance Report and an internal audit procurement process to go to tender with recommendations to the July meeting of the Executive
• Not to accept the unsolicited offer on Hamilton House
• To amend the Local Finance Regulations (no. 33) to implement the Conference resolution on Honoraria
• To survey (relevant) members on their views on the merger of Monmouthshire, Radnorshire and Breconshire into one district – Powys District
• The Executive Schedule of meetings for 2023
• A timetable for the by-election in D12
• Funding decisions – £12,500 pa over three years to Comprehensive Future; £1,000 to Trade Unions for Energy Democracy and £1,000 to Northern Rocks (to be held on 25 June and at which Mary is a keynote speaker)
• Agreed that the delegation to TUC would include the National Officers, the Union’s representatives on the TUC equality committees and members on the GC by office; in addition, ten members were elected by the Executive as delegates
• General Resolutions on Trans issues and the Nationality and Borders Bill
• Additional delegates to the Labor (sic) Notes event (Abdul Choudhury and Emma Rose) and the election of Georgia Townshend to the AFT/NEU bilateral working group
• To elect Mairead Canavan and Karen Williams to the EI World Women’s Conference
• Clear protocols for the Union’s annual sectional conferences including arrangements for delegate funding