Executive NEUs February 2023

JGS Report

• At 5pm the previous Tuesday, the JGSs received a letter from Gillian Keegan to all four unions offering formal negotiations on the basis that the NEU suspended our action; the letter did reference ‘discussions with the PM and the chancellor’ but there was no reference to an improved offer this year or next;
• Within ten minutes of the letter, the DFE released its (significantly delayed) evidence to the STRB – proposing 3.5% increase citing affordability (3% for experienced teachers; 0.5% for ECTs/M2 adjustment); in Q3, inflation forecast to be 10%+ (RPI) or 6.5% (CPI)
• Informal contact from SPADs and mandarins repeated reassurances that the landing zone (more detail) would be revealed if and when we suspended the strike action – so, calling for the Union to publicly call off the action with no parallel announcement from the Government
• JGSs – clear messaging in media and with members on our response to the Government
• Joint Union meeting at the DFE on Wednesday; Government’s attempts to divide and rule fell flat with NAHT, ASCL and NASUWT united in their condemnation of the ‘shabby tactics’
• Some more detail on the landing zone – non-consolidated payment this year and increase affordability parameters for revisiting next year’s award
• The Union’s action has fundamentally shifted the Government’s position – has now moved to direct negotiations with the union on pay, bypassing, and weakening, the STRB
• Public/parental support still strong
• Government supressed the school attendance data for 1 February (we’ve issued an FOI request); national figures indicate 57% of children off school – distinct regional and phase differences – 76% secondary pupils off and 42% primary pupils off school

Wales Government offer – as set out in the OSG report (8 February)

• An additional 1.5% consolidated on all spine points
• An unconsolidated payment equivalent to 1.5% on all spine points
• Proposed measures to improve workload
• No improved offer for Support Staff
• Truncated and earlier timetable for the 2023 IWPRB deliberations (to report by 29 April)

The JGSs met several hundred reps in Wales on Monday 13 February who endorsed the recommendation that we reject the offer, press for an improved offer and move the action proposed for 14 February to 2 March and to allow time to press Wales Government for an improved offer

TUC dispute

• JGSs attended the TUC dispute meeting on 9 February and expect a judgement in early March;
• Required to provide the SS membership increase since July 2022 – 74% of whom were not previously in a Union
• The Executive to consider an Urgent Motion to Conference on Support Staff (to include pay dispute and re-balloting) at the March Executive meeting and in the light of TUC ruling

The Executive also endorsed all Strategy Committee reports from November 2022 and agreed the following:

Conference Amendments in the name of the Executive:

• Motion 18 Early Career Teachers
• Motion 19 Anti-racism
• Motion 26 Invalid Value Added Measures In Post 16 Education
• Motion 38 Nothing about us without us (with one amendment)
• Motion 21 Maternity Rights

Other matters:

• Nomination for Fred and Anne Jarvis Award – be awarded to Onjaji Rauf.
• Agreed the General Motion on Violence against Women and Girls
• Joint Meeting Of Union Strength And Member Defence To Discuss The Implementation Of The Proposed Neu Definition Of Transphobia
• Both Committees agreed to RECOMMEND that there will not be a discussion about the text of the definition at the March Executive; that it will be postponed until discussion has taken place with the Trans and Non-Binary Network; and for it to come back to a later Executive
• Both Committees agreed there is the need for training and guidance to be introduced to, ‘ensure that all members have the same opportunity to be represented, participate, be heard and to contribute towards the policies of the organisation’ (Objects of the Union).
• Cumbria Branches –  the creation of two new branches – Cumberland and Westmoreland and Furness to replace the existing Cumbria State Funded branch and to reflect the two new unitary authorities   
• Variance report GPC noted the report and the overall negative variance due to expenditure being higher than budgeted
•  Final Accounts and AR21 – noted the final financial statements for the 12-month period to 31 August 2022 and noted that the AR21 returns will shortly be submitted to the GB and NI Certification Officers
• the investment proposals contained within the Investment Strategy Review documents and agreed by the NEU Pension Trustees
• under Rule 23.6 that individuals cannot stand for two different seats in national elections and therefore, where an individual is nominated for two or more seats, they decide which seat they will stand for and withdraw from the election in respect of the other seat(s).
• amendments to Conference Standing orders to clarify the speakers’ cards process
• Agreed a timetable to re-ballot members in sixth form colleges on a timetable that would allow action from 11 May (ballot opening 13 March; closing 21 April)

Pay campaign

The Executive endorsed the recommendations from the SC: B&N outlining the plans for the regional action; the roadmap to the summer term escalation (in the event that the dispute is not resolved) and a re-ballot of support staff members in England all of which to be discussed further at the March meeting of the Executive.

Finally, the Executive congratulated Heather McKenzie for the well-deserved honour of being chosen to chair TUC Women’s Conference and Gawain Little on his appointment as GS of GFTU.