Monday 1 March 2010

Hackney hustings debates 'what type of union do we need'

I was pleased to speak at the hustings meeting held tonight by Hackney NUT - one of my nominating Associations - alongside Alex Kenny and Sara Tomlinson, the other two candidates for the two Inner London seats.

I made clear that I am standing in the election to build a Union that can successfully defend teachers against workload, bullying, cutbacks and all the other attacks we face. Unfortunately, our national campaigns - on pay, workload and SATs -have lacked clear direction and strategy.

A lot of teachers wanted to know why a belated decision had been made to only ballot Heads, Deputies and Assistant Heads over boycotting SATs. Most agreed with me that the Union should have prepared for the campaign far earlier - issuing instructions to teachers not to prepare classes for the tests at the beginning of the year - not waiting to issue advice at this late stage. Nevertheless, we have to go out and convince as many NAHT and NUT Heads and Deputies as we can to support the boycott.

A wide range of other questions included equalities, democracy in the Union, fighting Trusts and Academies, fighting the BNP and even taking over the banks!

I was pleased at the support that I received and hope that teachers in Hackney - and across Inner London - will look out for their ballot papers this week and vote 'POWELL-DAVIES 1"

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