Category: Uncategorized

Executive NEUs March 2024

GS Report

The General Secretary reported:

  • Proud of activists/reps efforts to deliver the indicative ballot result as part of the industrial arm of our pay campaign
  • High levels of member engagement – over six thousand member-meetings held since the new year; over twenty thousand workplace conversations since the preliminary ballots opened
  • they confirm the merits of our workplace orientation – the presence of a rep, member-meetings and workplace conversations all doubling turnout
  • Our indicative ballot has clearly unsettled the Secretary of State – who’s written asking us to abandon the ballot
  • Our determination and agreed campaign strategy is to do everything we can to win pay restoration and to push education matters into the public discourse and high on the agenda for the General Election campaign
  • Proud to lead a union which organises and mobilises members to make a difference
  • Absolutely have to keep on fighting – and it is vital to put an incoming Government on notice that investment in education must be a priority
  • A confidential paper from the General Secretary set out advice on potential next steps in the union’s pay and funding campaign.
  • This week’s NFER report into recruitment and retention indicate that the downward trends continue with 10 of 17 targets missed; for every six teachers we fail to retain in the profession, we need to recruit ten;
  • Top reason for the haemorrhage from the profession is workload; driven by the accountability regime and all exacerbated by the funding crisis within the sector
  • Call for a Houghton moment – in 1974 against double-digit inflation and with a GE looming, the Houghton Commission recommended an immediate 25% uplift to teachers’ salaries across the board
  • Have met the threshold in 6FC sector
  • Task and Finish Group will meet after Easter and consider the next steps in our Support Staff strategy in the light of Conference Resolutions. 

Finally, the General Secretary reported that he and the President would be speaking at the PSC Conference on 23 March and would be encouraging a high turnout for the London demonstration on 30 March.  The next day of action will be held on 1 May which would focus on the crisis in Palestine and also defending the right to protest and to strike.

Pay and funding ballot

Recommendation 1

That every level of the Union – workplace, branches, regions and national; activists and staff – must remain focussed on maximising turnout before the teachers’ ballots close on Thursday 28 March. Likewise for the support staff ballots that close on Friday 19 April.

To that end, over and above the grid of member and rep communication activities reported to it, the Committee recommends the following further activities for the closing week of the teachers’ ballot:

  • Local district/branch officers prioritise one more ring round of reps in their district/branch, focussing first on those with the largest number of target member non-voters;
  • Local district/branch officers are invited to join field staff to help out on the national phone bank of reps in target branches;
  • General Secretary video-short ‘call to arms’ for reps and activists to cascade to members via social media/advert;
  • Executive committee members support these activities through a final ring round of their district and branch secretaries.

Recommendation 2

That, as already agreed by Executive, mindful that every previous formal ballot turnout typically lags at least 10 percentage points behind their preliminary, any move to a formal ballot of teachers in state-funded schools must be likely to be successful and meet the legislative requirements. The focus set out in 1 is our best hope of achieving that goal.  Therefore, any increases made with this improved activity should be factored into the discussion at the Special Executive, and not just limit our decision to the total figure on the teacher ballot.

Recommendation 3

That in the eventuality that it is possible to proceed to a formal ballot, the Special Executive should propose an Emergency Motion to annual conference that sets out a timetable for a formal ballot during the summer term.

Recommendation 4

That in the eventuality that it is not possible to proceed to a formal ballot, the Special Executive should propose an Emergency Motion to annual conference that sets out alternative tactics to prosecute our pay and funding campaign, up to and beyond the upcoming General Election.

Recommendation 5

For the final phase of the indicative ballots, our communications need to clearly and boldly explain what we mean by increased staffing, this could include:

  • A teaching assistant in every class, with additional support for students with Special Educational Needs
  • Adequate staffing to bring down average class sizes to be in line with Scotland
  • The necessary funding for schools to provide teachers with 20% PPA

That these be communicated to reps through a video from the General Secretary, social media tiles (with an ask for these to be set as profile pictures until the end of the ballot period) and a staff room poster emailed out to all reps to display until end of ballot period and any other methods to sharpen messaging.  Data be collected on the impact of messaging on rise in turnout, to be reported to the Special Executive prior to Conference.

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

  • noted the Finance Report with a surplus of £150,887 as the actual surplus is £6,738,478 against a budget of £6,587,591. The total National Subscription income received during the period was £37,478,394 against a budget of £37,332,250 creating a positive variance of £146,144
  • noted the estimated expenditure on the indicative and formal ballots and agreed that £338,200 be allocated from the Pay Campaign contingency to the relevant budget headings to reflect spending to date
  • Agreed an alternative process to the existing exhaustive ballot is adopted for Executive elections whereby all members have votes equivalent to the number of elected places and each candidate is voted on in turn; the candidates polling top equating to the number of elected places are elected; this system to be reviewed after 6 months.  The votes remain by show of hands
  •  Amendments to Standing Orders to allow, where the subject matter of the general motion is not confined to one Strategy or Executive committee or merits debate before the full Executive, OSG/the President can decide to refer the motion directly to the full Executive
  • Carly Slingsby, Kate Taylor and Michaela Wilde were elected to the Support Staff Task and Finish Group (alongside the President, Senior Vice President, Chair BNC, Chair US, Support staff seat holder)
  • Emma Brady was elected unopposed to the Professional Conduct (Criminal Convictions) Committee
  • Kate Taylor was elected unopposed to the Professional Unity Committee:
  • The Executive agreed to donate £10,000 to Education Support; £1,000 to Banner Theatre and £20,000 to Love Music: Hate Racism towards a float at Notting Hill Carnival
  • To send an emergency motion to Conference, in the name of the Executive:

Impact of racist language and violence on schools and communities

Conference notes: –

  1. The racist, misogynistic comments by Frank Hester, the Conservative Party’s biggest donor, about Dianne Abbot MP
  2. That Hester’s comment that an MP “should be shot” normalises violence against women
  3. The 2022 internal Labour Party Forde report identified “overt and underlying racism and sexism” towards Abbott and other Black MPs 
  4. That former Home Secretary Suella Braverman claimed “Islamists” are “in charge” of Britain. 
  5. That Lee Anderson MP, former Conservative Party Deputy Chair, claimed that Islamists are ‘in control of London’.
  6. That Braverman’s speech about migration being a threat to British Values was praised by fascist organisations including the BNP and Britain First.
     

Conference believes that the: –

  1.  language and behaviour of certain elected politicians actively encourages and emboldens the far right and encourages and normalises harassment, discrimination and violence.
  2. growth of racist, far right and fascist groups will have serious consequences in schools and colleges; and deter women, LGBT+ and Black candidates from standing for public office.
  3. the Government is not doing enough to help schools and colleges challenge racism or to respond to poverty and deprivation in their communities.
  4. the Prevent policy undermines effective safeguarding and compounds discrimination against Muslim students and staff.

Conference expresses full solidarity with Diane Abbott and instructs the Executive: 

i) To support and publicise mobilisations against racism and far right and fascist groups called by organisations, to which we are affiliated

ii) To work with partners to produce anti racism curriculum materials supporting critical thinking skills and digital literacy.

iii) To produce General Election campaign materials against racism and fascism and work with organisations such as Stand up To Racism to do so (in line with political fund rules) and briefings for members and wider audiences explaining why Prevent doesn’t achieve effective safeguarding but does fuel discriminatory stereotypes

iv) To campaign for awareness of the Union’s current advice around avoiding disproportionate Prevent referrals; and for Prevent to be abolished.

 Executive NEUs February 2024

GS Report

The General Secretary reported:

  • Key focus was building to deliver a strong indicative ballot result to force a dying government to invest in our children’s future and to set the priorities for a new Government
  • Visiting his old school, morale in the profession is at rock bottom due to the omni-crises of SEND, recruitment and retention, workload, critical funding shortfalls and the RAAC debacle – with no prospect of Government investment
  • Engaging with the Labour Party – on the basis that we work with them where we can and work against where we must
  • For the pre-election period, we’ve relaunched the School Cuts website and we’re seeking commitments from all Labour and Lib-Dem prospective parliamentary candidates for an education funding pledge – our aim is to encourage a national discourse about investing in our young people and the education system
  • Change will not come from cosy chats at the DFE but with the engagement of our members and the empowerment of our reps and officers to campaign and bring industrial pressure upon the government

Talks with NJC unions

The Union is clear that it must implement the annual conference 2023 resolution to, ‘End the undertaking not to actively or knowingly recruit support staff’.  To date this has involved active consideration of the complex matters of how and when to do so. Executive has been mindful that if we begin to actively or knowingly recruit support staff in the maintained sector, this could trigger another TUC dispute that would put the union in breach of TUC Principles 2 and 3. The NEU has participated in the TUC-brokered talks in good faith and positively engaged with the process. However, the stance of the NJC unions must be acknowledged and was noted by the Executive in the circulated correspondence.  The Executive agreed to establish a Task and Finish group to consider these complex matters and to bring proposals back to Executive by no later than July 2024.

Pay dispute

  • Briefing held for all regional/Organising field staff – maximum capacity for member-facing work; staff allocated to each branch
  • Activists and staff working closely to identify workplaces that need support; workplace visits in larger schools without reps
  • Online tool to address issues and questions being developed and will be shared with all reps/officers – activity at workplace level will boost turnout – by up to 20%
  • Regular evaluation of the communications/messages that land well
  • Government has delayed submitted evidence to the STRB – deliberate device to frustrate our indicative ballot – no pay offer to coalesce around
  • Need to acknowledge that members’ appetite for action is not yet where we need it to be – against a very different backdrop to 2022/3

In response to questions from the Executive about the framing of the dispute and the messaging, the General Secretary noted that the framework for the dispute and the roadmap had been agreed by the Executive in December, with further decisions in January and before the Executive at this meeting. 

The Executive then agreed the following in relation to the pay dispute/ballot matters:

Recommendation 1 – Teachers’ Ballot

That the ballot questions for the schoolteachers (England and Wales) and sixth form college teachers (England only) should be:

  • Do you agree that you should receive an above-inflation pay rise for 2024-25?
  • Would you vote “yes” to strike action for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise that constitutes a meaningful step towards a long-term correction in pay, and further funding to provide improved levels of staffing provision in schools, colleges and education services.

Further, to ratify the recommendation from the Wales Committee that schoolteachers in Wales should be asked a further question about their willingness to take strike action if the Welsh Government impose a change to the school year with a four-week summer holiday.

Recommendation 2 – Support Staff (England)

To conduct a support staff member consultation as soon as practicable after confirmation of the NJC unions’ pay demand, without further reference to the Executive, asking, at once, the following set of consultation questions:

CONSULTATION 1

  • Do you support the NJC unions 2024-25 pay demand of XXX?
  • Would you vote “Yes” to strike action alongside NJC unions in support of their 2024-25 pay demand?

CONSULTATION 2

  • Would you vote “yes” to strike action alongside NEU teacher colleagues for further school funding, that fully funds pay awards, fully protects support staff terms, conditions and job security and provides improved levels of staffing provision in schools, colleges and education services?

Recommendation 3 – Support Staff (Wales)

To accept the recommendation of the Wales Executive Committee members and include Wales support staff in the England Support Staff ballots, but when doing so ask them a further question about their willingness to take strike action if the Welsh Government impose a change to the school year with a four-week summer holiday.

Recommendation 4 – Communications

  • To issue press releases this week, ahead of the preliminary ballot going live, to secure media coverage of the re-launch industrial and political action around both pay and funding;
  • To use the Government’s submission of written evidence to the STRB as major comms push during the preliminary ballot (likely around the 6 March Budget)

Recommendation 5 – National Demonstration

That a final decision on the best way to take forward national/local days of action be made at the next Executive cycle once we know how the preliminary electronic ballot is progressing.

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

  • Task & Finish Group: Regional/Wales Council standing orders and constitution review 
  • to back to the next Union Strength meeting to discuss further and to produce proposals around:
  • How we can maximise member activity through regional and local meetings
  • How current rules allow for member participation and any proposed changes
  • Phil Clarke, Sarah Carter, Liz McLean, and Mairead Canavan were elected as delegates to the EI World Congress in Buenos Aires in July and the funding of two places, to be paid from the International Subvention Fund
  • Executive amendments were agreed to the following Conference motions: Motion 26 – Maternity Rights; Motion 17 – SEND in crisis and Motion 27: Menopause
  • Agreed a motion to TUC LGBT+ Conference 2024 and elected Denise Henry as an Executive delegate
  • noted the variance report noting the overall position is currently showing a surplus of £4,773,763 against a budgeted surplus of £5,688,158 (a negative variance of £914,395)
  • Subscription income is showing a positive variance of £65,316 against budgeted income.  (also reported under the financial report to Executive)
  • Noted the signed final accounts. As a result of an adjustment to the tax, the final reserves position has increased from £107.3 million to £108.2 million
  • That the Union’s AR21 would be filed with the Certification Officer shortly and the member statement circulated
  • The extension of our contract with the company which produces our summer membership renewal be extended until 31 December 2024 and that full tender exercise takes place to agree a new contract with effect from 1 January 2025
  • That the Executive is consulted on the proposal to amend Standing Orders to allow general motions to be debated before the full Executive, when appropriate, for further consideration by OSG
  • An annual donation of £500 to affiliate/donate to the Truth about Zane campaign
  • The motions “Boycott Barclays! Stop Banking on Apartheid” as amended and “Disability Equality Training” (unamended) were agreed by the Execuitve.

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).

Executive NEUs December 2023

GS Report

Daniel Kebede began his report by commenting on the number of fronts on which we’re fighting:

Education Funding and Pay Campaign

  • Joint Union letter sent on 9.11.23 sent to the Chancellor calling for an extra £1.7 billion into the education/school budget; and an extra £4.4bn for school buildings; and £4.6bn for SEND funding;
  • Not a penny for education in the announcement
  • Increase in Living Wage of 9.8% translates to support staff pay increase of 7.3%
  • Will further squeeze budgets – even before we factor in teachers’ pay increases, there’s a £500m school funding shortfall; from 2025 to 2029, the OBR project funding decline by 1.2% per year in real terms
  • Not yet ballot-ready to launch a national ballot – opening rate of member weekly update has fallen from 45-55% to 20-30%; fewer than 2k reps have held a meeting to discuss pay implementation (more detail on ballot plans under Urgent reports below)

Minimum Service Levels

  • Top secret talks with SoS about reaching a voluntary agreement on MSLs; never intended to agree voluntarily to surrender our members’ right to strike; presented with draconian proposals to allow 74% of pupils in school; all primary pupils; every child in exam year or with EHCP/SEN support; every child on FSM and eligible for pupil premium
  • Talks abruptly aborted by No.10 (and announced via the Sun Newspaper)
  • Special TUC Congress on 9 December and Joint Union meeting on 14 December

Support staff

  • initial meeting with Unite, GMB and UNISON about reforming the current arrangement
  • GS clear that the status quo cannot continue, and we need see some meaningful movement
  • All subject to Executive approval

Industrial strategy and member engagement

49 trade disputes since the beginning of term; Ten of these are TPS disputes in the independent sector; several over threatened redundancies, including 11 primary schools in Brighton and Hove; Teacher members in Northern Ireland took action on 29 November.  The Workload taskforce to report before Christmas with some victories for the Union’s action.  Successful launch of Beyond Ofsted report and gave evidence to the Education Select Committee on Ofsted at which there was clear cross-party support for change.  

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

  • The Early Career Teacher Strategy (US 8/021223)
  • Consultation on allocation of places/childcare at Equality Conferences with OF/districts;
  • Up to 8 delegates to Labor Notes, Chicago with funding from International Budget (max £20k)
  • Finance report – adverse variance of £129,605 due to some spending being front-loaded; agreed distribution of funds from National Strike Fund to districts; noted 179 district returns (of 217);
  • Following tender exercise, Civica to be re-engaged for ballots/elections with limited contract with UK Engage
  • To ratify the decision of the Officers to offer £850k for new SE Office in Three Bridges
  • Adopted revised Executive Standing Orders for in-person and virtual meetings
  • Rule changes to Annual Conference (GPC 9b/021223)
  • To donate £2.5k to Keep NHS Public; £6k to Hazards campaign and £100k to Hope not Hate from the Political Fund; and £10k to both the NEU/Save the Children and EI urgent fund for Palestine
  • Motion to TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference on the social model of disability
  • Annual Conference motion on AI in Education
  • That a draft General Election strategy plan be brought to the January Executive
  • That the Union support the workplace day of action on 7 December on solidarity with Palestine and that the Union to issue swiftly further practical advice about Prevent referrals for members

Funding and pay campaign

  • a staged pay and funding campaign with roadmap circulated to all local secretaries during w/c 4 December and an all-officer zoom with GS before Christmas; Reps briefings open to all activists to be held between 22 January and 2 February to build for the February indicative ballot with reps asked to hold member meetings to be held between 19th February and 1st March
  • That a report on Phase 1 activities and stress test outcomes is prepared for the January Executive to inform further discussion and decision regarding Phase 2 plans
  • That further work is undertaken, including discussion with sister unions, to prepare the scope and definition of a support staff ballot and ballot options in Wales and sixth forms

Minimum Service Levels

  1. A preference for “high level” union responses to the Government consultation; specifically not encouraging responses from the mass of our members;
  2. Guidance to specific sectors such as our leaders, Districts and Branches;
  3. Appropriate Bulletins and articles in Educate;
  4. Continuing the joint work with other unions , particularly now education unions;
  5. Working with sympathetic employers;
  6. Maintaining the option of possible judicial proceedings against anticipated regulations given their severity and disproportionate nature;
  7. Having this issue as an important part of our anticipated 2024 General Election campaign.
  8. The NEU should demand of all employers, but especially Labour authorities, that, like the Scottish government, they refuse to cooperate and refuse to issue work notices.
  9. The NEU must call on the TUC to implement the decisions it made at its September congress in full – including a mass trade union demonstration and 100% support for any union attacked – and should encourage NEU members to lobby the TUC Special Congress on 9 December to that effect.
  10. The NEU must demand that a Starmer-led government does not implement, and instead repeals, the MSL legislation – along with the other anti-trade union legislation. In the meantime, we should call on Starmer to pledge to underwrite any fines levied on unions this side of a general election.
  11. The NEU should make it clear to all members that any school group taking action will receive the full backing of the union in resisting MSLs and opposing any victimisation.
  12. Should the union receive a work notice, it should call an emergency Executive to plan next steps to defend our right to take industrial action without government and employer interference.
  13. To instruct the staff to bring a discussion paper to the January Member Defence Committee that explores possibilities for individuals, school level and union wide non-compliance.

Executive news September 2023

Phil Clarke, Vice-President, welcomed the newly elected Executive members to their first meeting of the cycle.  Phil explained that he was chairing the meeting in the President’s absence due to a family bereavement.  The Executive relayed their sincere condolences to Emma Rose.   Both Phil and Daniel Kebede paid tribute to the outgoing President, Louise Atkinson, for her able chairing of the Executive and superb representation of the Union both domestically and on the international stage during her Presidential year of office.

GS Report – Special Executive

Daniel Kebede gave the following report on campaign and policy initiatives:

The RAAC crisis in Schools/Colleges

  • On the eve of pupils returning for the autumn term, the DFE confirmed updated guidance in relation to RAAC (reinforced, autoclaved, aerated concrete) resulting in 104 schools being advised that some or all their buildings were unsafe and could not be used;
  • Far more schools could be affected – the National Audit Office reported in June 2023 that two in five school buildings were past their lifespan – the Union has been pushing the Government for years to address this issue;
  • Government compounding confusion by their delay in publishing list of affected schools
  • When the NEU exposed the failure of the Government to fund costs of temporary accommodation and pupil travel, the guidance was revised overnight, and Nick Gibb MP (Schools Minister) attempted to blame the Union for misinformation
  • The scale of 13 years of under-investment is vast – the Government have spent £35bn less than they would if they had maintained the spending of the last Government.

State of the Union

  • Mass member participation in 8 days’ strike action in spring and summer terms
  • Beaten the Government’s stringent ballot thresholds – twice
  • As a result, 70K members joined us in 6 months – now the third largest TUC affiliate and the biggest industry-specific Union in the country
  • Success down to member/rep and branch engagement
  • Have demonstrated the lack of STRB independence and forced Government’s hand in negotiating directly on pay
  • Moved the Government’s pay offer to 6.5% with increased funding – round one of the pay- restoration campaign

Pay campaigns – roadmap

  • Need to build on momentum and member-engagement
  • Record vacancies across schools and 1m pupils taught in classes of 31+
  • OECD average education funding is 5% of GDP – in the UK it’s 4.19%
  • Continue collaborative approach – currently working with ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT on a joint letter to Secretary of State
  • Stages on roadmap will include the Autumn Statement and the Government’s recommendations to the STRB in February 2024
  • In Northern Ireland – members have been taking ASOS since September 2022 and two days’ strike action
  • In Jersey – members have taken a day’s action with a further strike on 12 September
  • We have formal ballots in 8 FE Colleges and will be co-ordinating action with UCU
  • Will schedule meeting with Sixth Form Colleges Association (the employer body) when funding allocation for sixth form colleges known; if no pay offer, will seek agreement to re-ballot members in the sector (the current strike mandate expires at the end of October)

Value Education: Value Educators – autumn orientation

  • Focus on winning pay implementation across all workplaces and further eradication of PRP – led by STRB recommendations
  • Orientation – on the ground successes; encouraging school group meetings/raising issues with employers/collectively escalating concerns
  • Reps and Branch secretaries will be supported with Dashboard/checklist and resources
  • Vital that the Union engages with the Workload Task Force at the DFE – first meeting on 20 September; suspect Government’s approach to WL reduction will be Oak Academy/standardisation of lesson planning/AI approach – risking the further reduction in teacher professionalism and autonomy
  • Change will come from building from the base – will develop branch and district health checks supported by activate resources

Election results

A list of the results of the elections held at the Special Executive is attached.

Elections to the remaining vacancies on Committees, OF/NCs and Award Panels will be held at the October meeting. 

The limit on Executive membership of OF/NCs will be waived for future elections.

Executive NEUs July 23

JGS Report – Special Executive

The Joint General Secretaries reported on the recent developments in the pay campaign.

  • It has now been confirmed to us that the review body has recommended a 6.5% award for all teachers, and 6.5% on all allowances.
  • That the funding for the award makes it affordable for the vast majority of schools.  The government is committed to £500 million extra funding between now and April 2024, on top of the £2 billion the NEU achieved last October with the relaunch of its school cuts campaign.  And a further £900m for schools and £285m for FE/6th form collegesfor the next financial year 2024 to 2025 and each year thereafter.
  • It is the biggest pay award that our members would have received since the introduction of the Upper Pay Spine in 2000.
  • That the government has confirmed in writing that funding for the award would not come out of front-line school budgets, nor post 16 budgets, nor SEND budgets nor capital spending budgets for schools.

The JGSs emphasised that this offer will be realised only if it agrees to recommend it to members as the best achievable through negotiation.  If Executive makes no recommendation or recommends rejection of the offer it will be withdrawn by government.

The Executive agreed the following:

Recommendation 1

That the NEU is a lay led union and as such members have the democratic right to vote on whether they accept or reject the potential offer.

In order to put the offer to teacher members in England for their democratic decision, the Executive will recommend the offer to members as the best deal that can be achieved through negotiation.

To be clear with members that a rejection of the offer will necessitate a strong intensification of the pattern of action in the autumn term, which will be decided by the Executive at its meeting on 2September.

Recommendation 2

That support staff members will be consulted on the funding element only of the teacher pay offer.

Recommendation 3

That the Executive note that there is a separate discussion in government on post 16 funding.  If that results in increased funding for the sixth form college sector the NEU will recommence negotiations with the SFCA to improve its current pay offer to members.

If there is no increase in funding and no increased pay offer for sixth form college teacher members, a pattern of strike action for the autumn term will be agreed at the Executive meeting on 2 September. The Executive will also need to consider at that meeting the timescales for a re-ballot of teacher members in sixth form colleges.

Recommendation 4

If Executive agrees to the recommendations above, an all-member zoom meeting will be held on Monday 17th July at 5pm where the offer will be explained to them, and their questions answered.   The zoom will be supported by essential information on the NEU web page, including explanations on funding, FAQs and a revised set of pay scales.

The electronic consultative ballots (one for teacher members in England and one for support staff members in England) will open on Tuesday 18 July and close at 4pm on Friday 28 July.

The Executive also endorsed the recommendations from SC:B&N:

  • that a strong intensification of the pattern of action would entail, at least, a greater total number of days in a shorter period of time than previously and that our member communications throughout the pay consultation, including the all-member Zoom on Monday 17 July, should explain ‘strong intensification of the pattern of action’ in those terms.
  • member communications on the pay consultation also continue to remind members to vote in the teachers’ re-ballot and support staff ballots;

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

  • Powys Consultation Rerun – Supporting Moribund Districts – the Executive agreed that the union engage in a 12-month organising campaign to reinvigorate the branch and districts, with a view to a second consultation if required in Autumn 2024. 
  • The Finance Report showing that actual income has created a positive variance of £2,577,410 against the budgeted income. As total actual expenditure is higher than budgeted there is a small negative variance of £840,072.
  • the revisions to the draft budget following work carried out by the Finance Team the budgeted surplus has increased from £231,051 to £761,927 compared to the draft budget presented in June.
  • that communication is sent out to Treasurers and via the e-Bulletin alerting them to the National Strike Fund and inviting them to apply for payments out of the National Strike Fund to meet claims made to their Local Hardship Fund.
  • that the subsistence rates will increase from 1 September in line with the membership subscription rates increase (Breakfast £8.66; Lunch £12.47; Dinner £35.00)
  • Staff Pension Scheme Triennial Valuation – noted the initial valuation results proposed by the Trustees and what this could mean for Employer contributions; what the results might look like if we successfully challenge the prudence in some of the assumptions, and what this would mean for Employer contributions
  • that First Acturial are authorised to start negotiations with the Trustees on the basis the Employer is not seeking to increase aggregate contributions (between future service and deficit recovery).  First Actuarial will report back once we a response to the initial proposals has been received from the Trustees.
  • that an offer of 5% is made to the staff unions in full and final settlement of the 2023 pay award
  • In accordance with the 2023 Conference Resolution – Black Members’ Voices in the Union’s decision Making – Increasing Diversity, Inclusion, and the Voice of all members – the remit of the OSG amended to include the three equality and three sector seatholders with effect from September
  • In respect of the sale of the Wandsworth office (the old London Regional Office),  agreed to pursue the possibility of selling the property by auction.
  • Considered a prospective property to buy for the Yorkshire & Humberside regional office and adviceline and agreed that the Chair of GPC and the Treasurer are authorised to make a decision on the property once further information is available.  
  • Agreed the following timetable for the forthcoming officer elections: –
  • 1 September – timetable to be published by this date (circulated to local officers)
  • 1 November – nominations open
  • 15 December – close of nominations
  • 22 December – deadline for withdrawals (and election materials)
  • 1 February – election opens
  • 1 March (midday) – election closes
  • Noted the importance of implementing a smooth and intuitive process for joining the NEU; and agreed that the union enters into a contract with ‘Join Together’ to deliver a new online join process being satisfied that colleagues in the Recruitment, Membership & Advice directorate have properly considered possible suppliers in accordance with the Procurement Policy. 
  • Pulling together conference motions from 2022 and 2023 that include instructions around caseworker support, agreed a programme of work over the next year to produce a series of tools, guidance and best practice to better support NEU caseworkers.  A key part of that support will be the urgent exploration of clinical supervision with a further report going to the Executive in Autumn 2023.  
  • Agreed to submit TUC motions on BDS/Palestine and Ending Child Poverty and for the Office to submit relevant amendments including the pay dispute/education funding and to nominate Daniel Kebede, Niamh Sweeney and Louise Regan (elected by the Executive) for the 3 TUC General Council seats.

A weekend with the freedom flotilla boat, Handala which is sailing to the Gaza strip to try and break the blockade

RCT PSC and other PSC branches in Wales had a wonderful weekend , celebrating the work of Freedom Flotilla Coalition We welcomed the Handala to Cardiff on Friday July 7th followed by a public meeting in the Senedd. Saturday 8th was a very busy day with an emergency demo called “Hands off Jenin” where we had many amazing speakers and Kathleen Steelandt could help me fly the flag for the National Education Union: Wales International solidarity Network in solidarity with Palestine. We marched with banners to the BBC building where we handed in a letter protesting at their coverage of Palestine in the media.

During the demo, I shared the words of Mona directly from the ALTafawk center in Jenin which came via Bernard Regan and Sue Malpass

“We are not ok! They bombed homes, we are running outside, old people, women, some children are lost, we are sitting near hospitals in streets, no way to move, we could be shot! i don’t know about my brother

And huge numbers of children without families are sitting here! I wish i could explain but what is in the news is nothing compared with what is going here! If we just move, they shoot! We ran away without shoes, we just hope they don’t bomb the hospital and the places where we hide! We are in huge danger please do not leave us alone! All the world is silent! Dead bodies all over the camp no one knows them

Please please pray for us”

If you would like to help the children of Jenin, you can donate here https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-children-of-jenin

On Saturday night I chaired a public Palestine meeting at the Temple of Peace with Beth Winter MP, Summayya Ahmed a local Palestinian, and Zohar Chamberlaine Regev from the Flotilla organisation and currently part of the crew. They all spoke movingly about the situation in Palestine which has been so much worse recently and other members of the crew then came on stage and made contributions.

Lastly I was fascinated to learn from Alex McDonald (one of the Handala crew) that he was part of the crew for the “Mairead” in the 2018 “For a Just Future for Palestine” Flotilla, named after Mairead Corrigan/Maguire the peace activist from Northern Ireland