Protecting Teachers Defending Education Sixth Form Colleges
NUT & NASUWT working together If the Government does not enter into meaningful discussions, NUT and NASUWT will start a rolling programme of strike action as follows: Strike action on 27 June 2013 in NW England; Further strikes in the autumn term; A national strike before Christmas.
Why this campaign? Never before have our pay, our pensions, our conditions of employment and our professionalism been under such direct attack It is not an accident: this Government is determined to break up democratically controlled public education as we know it This is a strategic response from the NUT and NASUWT - working together on an unprecedented joint campaign
NUT & NASUWT working together
What does the declaration cover? Workload pressures: damaging teachers’ health, threatening educational standards Pensions: unfair contribution increases and changes to pension ages Pay: proposals for local pay and performance related pay and the continuation of the pay freeze Conditions: attacks on national terms and conditions of service, including through academisation of schools Jobs: arising from funding cuts and curriculum reforms
NUT & NASUWT working together Joint declaration launched on 28 th May 2012 Joint letter to Government demanding talks NUT members vote for action short of strike action and discontinuous strike action NUT members and some NASUWT members in sixth form colleges commenced action short of strike action on 3 October The NUT pensions ballot is still valid and the pensions campaign continues in tandem
NUT & NASUWT working together Action short of strike action -the action instructions can be found at -their implementation is meant to reduce workload -they are about building teacher professionalism – by demanding trust -they are not a withdrawal of goodwill
Where do 6FCs fit in? Disputes for schools/academies and for 6FCs are both disputes with the Secretary of State Dispute for 6FCs focuses on –Requiring 6FCs to have pay and conditions as minimum equivalent to STPCD –Making this requirement a condition of funding –Limiting OFSTED inspections
Building the 6FC campaign NUT campaign has already highlighted the problems facing 6FCs and teachers Joint campaign takes forward the unanimous NUT Conference resolution on 6FCs by –continuing the pay and funding campaign –working towards pay comparability with schools –working with other unions –providing for action up to strike action Action against Government will further highlight the cuts - NUT & NASUWT represent majority of 6FC teachers NUT will continue to resist job cuts college by college
Who doesn’t support us? (1) Sir Michael Wilshaw: “If anyone says to you that 'staff morale is at an all-time low', you know you are doing something right." 2nd December 2011
Who doesn’t support us? (2) Michael Gove: those who object to the fragmentation of the system are "happy with failure" and are"enemies of promise” On average, 2 press notices have been issued every week this year which have demotivated and denigrated teachers – see the full list on the NUT website
Together We Can Win We can win more if we are united NUT & NASUWT together are 85% of teachers
A Giant Step
The Pensions Campaign We have already won concessions on pensions Teachers over 50 are protected A pension which would have been £10,000 will now be £10,800 (but should have been £15,000) Two days strike action has won £800 a year!
What are our demands? We want negotiations and agreements covering all schools and colleges to: provide protection on excessive workload limit inspections and observations defend the current pay arrangements and end the pay freeze
Summer term activities NUT/NASUW Rallies for Education in April and May Watch out for other activities!