Executive NEUs January 2024

GS Report

The General Secretary welcomed the Executive to their first meeting of 2024 and reminded colleagues that they would all need to be prepared to face the challenges ahead in a General Election year:

• Positive changes from the Labour party with a genuine desire to reset the relationship between a Labour Government and the Profession
• Any manifestos/education plans must include investment and a rejection of the fiscal straitjacket
• Commend and welcome Sadiq Khan’s further extension of free school meals for primary pupils in London – a success for the Union’s campaign – other contributors to child poverty, including the benefit cap – must be addressed by a new Government
• PRC considering a paper on the General Election campaign commitments – major demand for a commitment to match OECD average spend of 5% GDP
• Welcome the first stage recommendations from the Workload Taskforce – members’ strike action has led to movement on PRP and restoration of list of bureaucratic tasks to STPCD
• Pushing for a meeting at General Secretary level with the NJC unions at the TUC and will bring a report in February
• The NEU/Save the Children Gaza fundraising efforts so far raised £37k
• Initial meeting with the new OFSTED Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, when he claimed to want to reset relations between OFSTED and the profession.  Our stance has not changed – abolish and replace; do recognise that any real change lies with the Government and Oliver’s remit is limited
• Regular meetings with Patrick Roach, Paul Whiteman and Geoff Barton; no plans at this stage for these unions to ballot on pay and funding
• Have to recognise stark differences between the circumstances in 2022/3 when teacher members beat the ballot thresholds – cost of living crisis at its peak; groundswell of strike action and disputes across the economy and high-profile Union leadership due in part to the pandemic
• Member and activist engagement is also comparatively poor – regional briefings in place but patchy; only 50 branch pay briefings registered
• Complacency will be fatal – full of hope that we can continue our fight to restore members’ pay but will require rock solid commitment and activist/member engagement

The Executive also endorsed all Strategy Committee reports from December and agreed:

2024-25 Pay & Funding Campaign

• To open our indicative ballots on Saturday 2 March and close them on Thursday 28 March.
• To define our trade dispute for teachers in state-funded schools in England, Wales and sixth form colleges as follows: for sufficient additional funding to secure a fully funded above-inflation pay rise that constitutes a meaningful step towards a long-term correction in pay and to education provision and resources.
• That, reflecting on the member survey that closes at the end of January, Wales Executive Committee members advise whether an indicative ballot of teacher members in Wales should also ballot them on their willingness to take strike action over proposed changes in the school year.
• That as soon as we know the NJC employers’ pay offer we will consult our support staff members about their willingness to take strike action alongside NJC unions in support of their claim and also their willingness to take strike action alongside their teacher colleagues to address the funding of jobs and conditions of service.
• Address an open letter to NJC unions to indicate that we are preparing to consult our members on their willingness to take strike action over the NJC employers’ offer as per I and to register our desire to work alongside them, in a general election year, to ballot our members to address the funding of jobs and conditions of service.
• That a full report on the discussions with TUC and NJC unions is provided to the 24 February Executive to inform a decision on how best to advance support staff concerns.
• That ballot-ready activities for support staff members continue in the meantime.
• Prepare for workplace action in schools with high support staff membership density to reverse term-time only contracts
• Approach the other education unions, including UCU, regarding the appetite for a summer term national demonstration on education funding.  A provisional date should be agreed with the 24 February Executive tasked with making a final decision
• Building on knowledge gained from the 2022/3 campaign:   
• Guidance and training be produced on creating effective communications, including social media and how to use digital communication tools available; and
• Guidance be produced and training devised on how to have effective picket lines

The Executive also endorsed all Strategy Committee reports from December and agreed:

• following the gains secured via the Workload Reduction Task Force, plans are made for workplace bargaining activity and resources to ensure that removal of the statutory obligation to undertake PRP effectively eliminates the practice of PRP de facto.
• On minimum service levels:
• Sign up to the CTUF (campaign for Trade Union Freedom) campaign plan and add our logo to their initiatives
• Invite John Hendy and Keith Ewing to a future executive meeting to explore all potential avenues of resistance once the regulations have been published
• Signed up to the joint protocol for schools on online searches/vetting of school staff (with NAHT, ASCL & NASUWT
• Review support for members going through the National Disciplinary Procedures;
• Improve casework support systems including training and closer liaison and information sharing between officer and staff caseworkers;
• To ratify the Officers’ advice to district and branch members concerning the National Supply Teachers’ Network
• Noted the Finance report showing a small deficit of £377,375 and received the draft Final Accounts and authorised the National Treasurer and Chair of GPC to sign off the final version for submission of the AR21.
• Agreed that no further guidance is issued in respect of the National Officer elections and the position is reviewed once the Certification Officer has made their decision in respect of the complaint about the 2023 Executive elections (D4)
• Agreed the timetable for the by-election in District 1 to replace Amy Kilpatrick (appointed to a job in the Union); nominations 19 January to 22 April; election from 13 May to 10 June
• Amend the Protocol for Executive release to enable financial support to be provided in certain circumstances when the Executive member is not directly employed in certain circumstances
• That remote attendance at Executive is offered to those who are immuno-compromised and to those who are eligible for reasonable adjustment under the terms of the 2010 Equality Act
• Elected Phillipa Kearns, Susan Kent, Paul Welch and Leigh Seedhouse from GPC to sit on the sub-group for Wales Representation on Government bodies
• Agreed the following members would represent the NEU at EI World Congress:General Secretary; Deputy General Secretary; Former General Secretary (EI Board Member); Assistant General Secretary; International Secretary; International Policy Specialist; President; National Executive (4); Chair, International Committee; lay members drawn from the International OF (4)
• Agreed to increase the annual grant to the NEU Trust Fund from £50k to £75k
• Agreed donations to Homes for All (£1,170), Stand up to Racism (£100k), Hope not Hate (an additional £27k from the Political Fund);
• Agreed to award the NEU publications contract to Swan Print (cost savings and improved green credentials)
• Under their powers to interpret the Rules, agreed that the relevant Rules for the purposes of role-sharing of Branch positions is Appendix C/4.2 (District elections) and not the Rules relating to National Elections.  Branch role-sharing will not be restricted to two members, nor will it be necessary for the provisions of the Equality Act to apply
• General Motion on Gaza/Israel conflict
• Agreed the text of our motion to TUC Black Workers’ Conference on the Prevent Duty, subtitled ‘the Thought Police in Schools’
• Liz McLean, Liz Ritson and Holly Williams were elected as delegates to this year’s Labor Notes Conference – held biennially in Chicago and focusing on union organising
• Nominated Thom Kirkwood for the TUC Young Workers’ Forum (and Vice-Chair).