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.