NUT REPS BRIEFINGS WALES AUTUMN TERM 2013

Autumn term activities What is the action for? Can we win? CONTENTS Autumn term activities What is the action for? Can we win? What should reps do?

AUTUMN TERM ACTIVITIES: 1 Rallies for Education LONDON - 14th September NOTTINGHAM - 14th September CAMBRIDGE – 21st September EXETER – 21st September Carrying on a series of rallies, reaching out to parents, heads, governors and the general public. The Cardiff rally was a great success.

AUTUMN TERM ACTIVITIES: 2 England and Wales Continuation of action short of strike and school level escalation to paid strike action Action instructions are on website In particular we want to focus on school pay policies and school appraisal policies including number of observations.

AUTUMN TERM ACTIVITIES: 3 If Gove doesn’t show he is serious about settling the dispute: National, England and Wales one day, all out strike after half term All NUT and NASUWT members in schools and 6th Form Colleges in England and Wales will be called on to take action

WHAT IS THE ACTION FOR?: 1 The dispute is with Gove and Wales Government With Gove, it covers PENSIONS (especially working to 68 to get full pension, no valuation) DEREGULATION OF PAY (end of national scales, loss of portability) PERFORMANCE RELATED PAY (different in every school, huge power for heads) and now includes DEREGULATION OF SCHOOL DAY, WORKING HOURS ETC….. We want to force negotiations and concessions, we want to influence all parties whilst they are vulnerable because of elections

WHAT IS THE ACTION FOR?: 2 With Wales Government it covers in particular performance management, observation, inspection.

WHAT IS THE ACTION FOR?: 3 STRB reports in Jan/Feb over terms and conditions If they give Gove what he wants, as they did over pay then: School level determination of number of members’ working days, length of holidays, schools days and even Saturdays Removal of cover protection Removal of lunch duty protection Weakening of PPA protection Don’t believe it will happen? Sir Michael Wilshaw says “teachers at my old school, Mossbourne, liked coming in on Saturday morning”

CAN WE WIN? We did win concessions through pensions strikes Protection for those 50 + Increase of 8% in Government’s offer This 8% increase worth more in every year of retirement that most strike pay We are winning in many schools on pay policies etc... Parental opinion is anti-Gove and parties are vulnerable in the run up to the election NUT and NASUWT together are a vast majority of teachers

WHAT PROGRESS HAVE WE MADE IN WALES? Wales Government acknowledges schools can adopt our PM policy, superseding the Chris Tweedle letter Wales Government issues the observation policy with emphasis on quality not quantity NUT/NASUWT now pressing for every Local Authority and school to adopt our limit of 3 observations/3 hours

WHAT SHOULD REPS DO? The most important thing– Talk with colleagues in schools. Work out best way to do this with your NASUWT colleague 2. Press school to adopt our performance management and pay policies 3. On days when others are on strike encourage sticker wearing, take photos to upload, encourage letter writing

WHAT SHOULD REPS DO? In the run up to the national strike: a) Encourage members to take action, get a small team working on this b) Tell the head that all NUT and NASUWT members are called on to take action c) As soon as you are clear what your school is doing let your NUT division secretary know

WHAT SHOULD REPS DO? 5) If your school pay policy or appraisal policy don’t meet our check list: Discuss with members of NUT and NASUWT Tell the head teacher members aren’t happy Approach the Div Sec to talk to the head Escalate to paid strike action Or – if there are other elements of our ASOS instructions that the school isn’t meeting

WHAT SHOULD REPS DO? Last but not least: Encourage new teachers and non members to join to NUT Note: Teachers on School Direct, Teach First can join free whilst on their training courses This is more important than ever because of lack of union contact at PGCE courses for Schools Direct etc