Executive NEUs May 2023

JGS Report

The Joint General Secretaries began their report by emphasising their key message – winning the re-ballot of teacher members in England which had opened on 11 May.

• Zoom call with reps and branch officers on the evening of 11 May – message clear that the focus for everyone was getting the vote out
• Key focus is supporting branches to hold reps’ meetings; reps holding workplace meetings and then following up with personal engagement with their members – data show that the former led to average 76% turnout and the latter up to average 82% turnout
• Encouraging reps and branches to update their dashboard and provide information about the target schools with large memberships but no reps
• Good initial indications from comms with members – a 10k increase in number of pledges to vote from similar stage in the first ballot
• Stronger Reps’ network – 3.5k more and impressively high calibre

STRB – evidence stage for 2023/4 award

• The Union’s evidence session on 19 April was hugely powerful; driven by narrative of four practitioners – from different phases (two school leaders; a secondary subject head; a primary member); powerfully demonstrated the corrosive effects of year-on-year declining funding rates; desperate delays in CAMSS referrals; inability to recruit to posts; stress of failing to provide the education that pupils deserve; one Union contributor broke down in tears as she was giving her evidence
• Drove the message home – the Union called for the STRB to demonstrate the Government’s rhetoric that the STRB was truly independent and make recommendations independent of the Government’s strictures on ‘affordability’
• the Government now has the STRB report and recommendations but no announcement yet made – onus now on the Secretary of State – the Union’s message will be ‘time to publish’
• Key timings for any decision about further action in the summer term
• Analysing member/rep/branch and strike committee responses about further action indicates clear concerns about further action without other unions – NEU members shouldering the burden – and members concerned about being out of school for end of term activities
• Aware that the Government will minutely measure the full/partial closure rates during any action and use as propaganda against the Union’s campaign

Support Staff

A confidential paper was circulated in advance of the meeting to the full Executive and for referral to SC:B&N and SC:US. 

The JGSs reported that:

• We remain committed to being a union for all education staff;
• meeting with Paul Nowak, Kevin Rowan and Sue Ferns (DGS of Prospect and Chair of the Disputes Committee) held on 25 April.  The JGSs had set out our predominant concerns about the judgement; the key issue being the inability of the NEU to call any action on behalf of support staff members under Paragraph 55. Mr Rowan reassured the JGSs that this interpretation was wrong, and this ruling relates only to disputes arising from the national bargaining arrangements. Mary had secured this reassurance in writing from Mr Rowan
• The TUC also encouraged the JGSs to pursue the provisions under paragraph 55 for a formal mechanism for negotiations/consultation between the NEU and the JNCC unions prior to annual pay negotiations.  Subsequently, the JGSs had held very useful preliminary discussions with lead officials at Unison and GMB
• JGSs proposing a letter of solidarity to the NJC unions; and offering discussions about how any ballot of our 50k SS members can support their demands.

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

Pay Campaign – Teachers

1. That a final decision on issuing formal notice for teachers’ strike days (schools and sixth forms) should be subject to ratification by the Executive on 17 June, with Officers’ Steering Group invited to review the matter and offer suitable advice when it meets on 25 May.
2. That provisional plans should be made for further strike action on week commencing Monday 3 July and published to reps and members
3. That we use this pause before issuing formal notice to maximise leverage on the Government to return to the negotiating table with an improved offer, publicly calling on the Government to publish the STRB report and its response, as soon as possible.
4. That such provisional planning should include the following:
   1. Proactive gathering of teacher member feedback (including sixth forms) via executive, district, branches and reps;
   1. Further discussions with sister unions with a view to maximising the unity and impact of any further strike action;
   1. Detailed operational consideration of how further strike days can maximise the likelihood of a positive outcome in our teachers’ re-ballot, e.g. the ‘harvesting’ and return of replacement ballots.
5. General motion on escalation of action be referred to the June Executive

Support Staff                                                                                          

1. That Executive conducts an indicative ballot of support staff opening as soon as possible and closing on 7 June.
2. That the indicative ballot should identify the willingness of support staff members to take strike action on both the following matters of dispute, with a recommendation that members vote YES:
   1. Increased funding to avoid redundancies and further detriment to conditions of service;
   1. Increased funding to support the NJC-recognised unions pay claim for RPI+ 2%.
3. That all support staff-members in state-funded schools and academies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland should be eligible to vote in the indicative ballot.
4. That NEU should seek to maximise collaboration with the NJC-recognised unions and accordingly, at the earliest opportunity, will write to the NJC-recognised unions seeking an indication of support or otherwise for NEU proceeding to a formal ballot on the basis identified in 2, and also to establish the consultation mechanism set out in paragraph 54 of the TUC Dispute Award.
5. That, in light of the result of the indicative ballot and the response from NJC-recognised unions, a final decision on proceeding to a formal ballot should be taken at the 8 June exec away day, with a view to ensuring any strike mandate is live in time to take action alongside teachers and/or NJC unions in September.
6. That more detailed discussion on how and when to implement the terms of Motion 36 should be deferred to the Executive Away Day on 8 June.
7. That an update on all the above should be provided to the next meeting of the Support Staff National Council on Saturday 3 June.
8. That the Union pay the specified fines set out in the award (para 61);
9. That the Union publish the agreed statement on our website (para 63); and
10. with those two things being done, write to the recognised support staff unions to begin to set up a consultation process prior to the next round of NJC negotiations (para 54).
11. That the the Executive refer motion 36 to the Executive Away Day on 8 June for further consideration of how and when to implement the terms of the motion;  

• Definition of transphobia – following the joint meeting of Union Strength and Member Defence, and the receipt of legal advice from two Counsel, which the Executive had resolved to obtain (with a view to seeking to protect the Union from legal challenge), the Executive agreed to adopt the definition statement as advised by Kings Counsel, in line with the timetable previously agreed by the Executive.  Guidance to support its operation and implementation would be produced.  
• Financial report; a positive variance of just over £1 million on the membership income budget with an overall a negative variance of just over £2.5 million mainly driven by the spend on the national pay campaign.
• considered the position of subscription rates in the light of the cost-of-living crisis, the Union’s current and potential future membership position and anticipated union expenditure in the next financial year; and agreed that membership subscription rates increase by 5%
• the appointment of Azets as external auditors
• the following dates for Executive meetings in 2024: –

18 January (Thu)             Final accounts

24 February (Sat)            Amendments

21 March (Thu)               Attitudes and Subscription rates

18 May (Sat)                    Initial post-Conference discussions

6 June (Thu)                      Provisional Awayday date

15 June (Sat)                    TUC motions/delegates/draft budget

11 July (Thu)                    Final budget

10 October (Thu)

30 November (Sat)          Conference motions

• A timetable for the by-elections for the NDC/NAC and Executive vacancies (nominations from 19 May to 21 July and any elections from 4-29 September).
• Agreed funding requests: a sponsorship payment of £30,000 plus VAT and a donation of £20,000 to Music for Youth; a donation of £20,000 to Love Music: Hate Racism for a float at Notting Hill Carnival and a donation of £5,000 to the Windrush Festival  
• To continue the implementation of the 2022 Conference resolution (the mental health of caseworkers), a caseworker survey that will go out the following week and be publicised via the e-bulletin; preliminary findings and key themes will be discussed at the June DBS with workshops to consider how we best support caseworkers.