Executive NEUs March 2023

JGS Report

The JGSs reported on an intensive week of Government negotiations with ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT. The Government’s opening offer was a cash uplift for current year of £500 and 3.5% from September and all arguments about inflation and the recruitment and retention crisis were simply ignored; the Government’s sole and specious argument was based on inflation projections (despite that month’s OBR inflation prediction being inaccurate).  The Government’s final offer was:

• £1,000 non-consolidated payment to all teachers and leaders for 2022/23.
  4.5% pay envelope for teachers in 2023/24
• Ofsted to provide greater clarity on when schools should expect their next inspection.
  Reinsert into the STPCD a revised list of 21 tasks which do not call for the exercise of a teachers’ professional judgement. And similar list for leaders.
• Align STRB process with school budget cycle to make it easier for schools to plan.
• Reiterate the important of adhering to language in the STPCD on lunchtime and breaks.
• Reiterate the important of adhering to language on rarely cover within the STPCD.
• Commitment to review the complaints procedure for parents.
• Ofsted will review the complaints process for schools regarding inspection.
  Creation of a workload task force – purpose of which will be:
• Five-hour target reduction in teacher and leader workload.
• Target measured annually with a baseline from WLTL study 2022.
• Membership: equal government and TU membership.
• Recommendations made to SoS ministers and General Secretaries

The Government has stipulated that the offer is conditional upon all 4 union Executives putting the offer to their members with either a neutral or a positive recommendation.  If any union either refuses to put the offer to members, or puts the offer with a recommendation to reject, the offer would be withdrawn.

The Executive agreed the following steps:

1. That Executive recommends that the offer is rejected.
2. To conduct an online ballot asking all eligible teacher members in England to endorse the executive recommendation, opening at 6pm Monday 27 March and closing Sunday 2 April.
3. To run a national members’ Zoom to outline the offer and any executive recommendation at 6pm on the day the online ballot opens, follow-up regional Zooms and encourage branches and districts to run follow-up meetings and Zooms with their reps and union groups later next week.
4. To agree, if members vote to endorse the executive recommendation to reject the offer, that notice of two further days of strike action would be issued to employers as soon as practicable, as follows: Thursday 27 April and Tuesday 2 May.
5. To put to members in the Zoom meetings and materials that in calling for Rejection, the NEU will be calling the strike dates as outlined in point 4, and to explain that a programme of escalating strike action will be put to Conference, as a key part of the strategy with which to move the Government.
6. To table an emergency motion to annual conference setting out a pattern of escalation for the remainder of the summer term.
7. To convene a Special Executive immediately following the consultative ballot closes to review next steps in the pay campaign, including any amendment to the emergency motion submitted to Annual Conference.

TUC dispute

The Executive agreed to await the Joint General Secretaries report back on their discussions with the TUC General Secretary about the implications of the TUC Dispute Finding and review a timetable for balloting support staff during the summer term.   The Executive also agreed that decisions on their attitude to the following motions be deferred to the meeting of the Executive at annual conference; M24 Support staff strategy; M28 Support staff recognition; M36 Equal representation for support staff.

OFSTED

Mary Bousted reported that the tragic suicide of Ruth Perry and her sister’s brave decision to highlight the case had brought the high stakes nature of the toxic inspection regime to public attention; coincided with scheduled petition hand-in and launch of the Union’s commission to frame the narrative ‘beyond OFSTED’.

The Executive also endorsed all Strategy Committee reports from February and agreed

• proposers and seconders for all Executive motions/amendments on the final agenda; emergency motions on the Pay Dispute and Palestine and the purchase of additional HEPA filters at a cost of £4,365.00 (ex. VAT).
• Agreed the following award winners: NEU Rep of the Year: Sarita Healey, Birmingham, West Midlands; NEU Officer of the Year: Andrew Cunningham, South West Lancashire, North West; Nikki Simpson award for learning: Maria Williams, Cambridgeshire, Eastern
• And the following criteria for future awards:
• Nominations for Executive members should not be accepted for these awards.
• Executive members should be able to submit nominations for these awards, but they should not carry more weight.  Executive members should support other members, reps and local officers to submit motions.
• Joint winners from different workplaces should not be permitted.
• Finance report – whilst income was higher than budgeted for, the increased expenditure around the pay campaign has created an overall adverse variance of £3,312,693.
• Agreed to renew the HR MyView contract and a restructuring of staff in the Bargaining Unit
• authorise negotiations to start to secure new premises for Northwest Region in Bolton
• Agreed funding requests: a donation of £5,000 to the Matchgirls Memorial;  and £74,000 to Hope not Hate and £30,000 to Operation Black Vote of £30,000 from the Political Fund.