The time to hesitate is through

Thanks to the help from supporting NUT Associations and other campaign supporters, and despite only a limited campaign budget, my campaign leaflet has been distributed to schools in many different parts of England and Wales - ahead of the ballot papers arriving at members' homes next week.

As we wait for the special meeting of the NUT National Executive on Friday, I think it's a good moment to highlight one paragraph that I included to make clear where I stand:

"We have to learn lessons. Pulling back from action on pensions in 2012 encouraged Michael Gove to attack our pay in 2013. Any further hesitation will invite worse attacks on our conditions in 2014".

A proud record of anti-racism

A much younger Martin marching against the BNP

Misplaced allegations from opponents are, perhaps, an inevitable part of an election campaign, and are often best ignored. However, now some opponents have questioned my record as an anti-racist, then I feel that I have to respond.

I should stress that this mud has not been thrown by the other candidates in the Vice-President election but by a prominent member of the Socialist Workers' Party from East London NUT who is also opposing my re-election onto the NUT National Executive from Inner London as well.

I attended a meeting last week to discuss the nomination process for the two Inner London seats on the National Executive which will be elected early in 2014. Since, if I am elected Vice-President this term, I would not then be contesting my existing seat on the National Executive next term, I had always understood that other candidates would wish to seek nominations for the Inner London seats for the 2014-16 elections. 

What was clear from the meeting was that, even if I am not successful in being elected as a National Officer, some others on the Left wish to challenge me for the National Executive seat. I respect the fact that, although it is unusual for a sitting member of the Executive to be challenged by others on the Left, other candidates have every right to stand against me. I have enough confidence in my record and standing in the Union to believe that I would be successfully re-elected to represent Inner London.  However, I would hope that my record would be honestly presented. 

Regrettably, at the meeting, a question was raised about my anti-racist credentials and particularly how, on June 1st, while others were demonstrating against the BNP and the English Defence League in Central London, I was supposedly "paddling my own canoe" in Lewisham. 

If such an accusation is being made to my face, then it concerns me what is being said behind my back! Let me try and put the record straight, using the articles on this blog which already fully explain why I was in Lewisham on June 1st and also explain the campaigning work that I and others in Lewisham Trades Council had carried out in the preceding days in response to the horrific murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

The posts that I made on May 24, http://electmartin1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/woolwich-stand-together-against-all.html, and on May 28, http://electmartin1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/lewisham-dont-let-bnp-divide-us.html , show how we immediately responded to condemn the attack and also to condemn anyone who wanted to try and use the attack to divide our community. 

Working with those at the Lewisham Islamic Centre who were being directly threatened by the BNP, who had accused them of 'training' the men responsible for the murder, we quickly organised a 'unity rally' to take place on the next Saturday and alerted the police that there could be a sizeable turnout from the local community. I hope that this publicity helped persuade the Police to then ban the BNP from marching in South-East London as they had planned on June 1st.

As my later post  http://electmartin1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/lewisham-united-community-defends.html makes clear that "while the LIC and NUT had felt able to call off our planned rally in the light of the ban on the BNP's march, leaving some of the protestors who would have rallied in Lewisham to travel to the Westminster counter-protests instead, three of us from Lewisham Trades Council kept our promise to provide protective stewarding outside the mosque, just in case of any attempted provocation from either the BNP or EDL". Indeed, to have left nobody looking out for any possible splinter groups attacking the Mosque would have been quite irresponsible.

The fact is that this is just one of a long record of anti-racist campaigns  that I have been involved in over decades. For example, other posts on this blog record marches against the EDL e.g http://electmartin1.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/english-defence-league-scurry-away-from.html and protests against far-right attacks e.g. http://electmartin1.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/jobs-pensions-and-services-not-racism.html

Long before blogs were even invented (!) I was involved in campaigns against racism, such as supporting educational materials produced by Youth Against Racism in Europe, and taking part in the successful campaign to make sure that the BNP's Headquarters in South-East London was closed down after the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

I also helped to lead one of the campaigns which I think that Lewisham NUT can still be most proud of, when, in 1998, we helped to make sure that the local community and trade union movement united in a show of strength to oppose the racist attack on Lewisham NUT member Alison Moore in the grounds of her primary school. Our campaign brought hundreds together to oppose racism in a mass rally in a local community centre and made sure that Alison had the confidence to return safely back to her place of work.

A video showing the campaign and with an interview I gave to London Tonight at the time is available here: http://youtu.be/VCndJTR0Cp8

In conclusion, I am experienced enough to know that not everyone will agree with my views, and that elections give an opportunity to test out the support for those views amongst union members. However, I hope that anyone making allegations about my record as an anti-racist will think again before repeating them as part of the upcoming election campaigns.

Look out for news on a national strike in November

The determined response to last week’s regional strike action again showed the depth of anger against Gove’s attacks on teachers and education.

My Vice-President campaign leaflet calling for the unions to now “Strike Together in November” certainly seemed to strike a chord. Thousands of leaflets were distributed – a well-timed intervention ahead of the ballot papers going out to home addresses from October 30.

Neither NUT nor NASUWT members want to find that the three solid regional strikes were just more days of protest after which the National Unions hesitate again. Teachers attending those vibrant rallies are expecting the NUT and NASUWT to now carry out their promise to call a united one-day national strike before Christmas. In the next week, we will find out whether they are going to hold their nerve, or delay again.

On Monday 21st, the NUT and NASUWT national negotiators are meeting to decide their next move. There are conflicting signals about what will be agreed. The fact that an emergency NUT Executive is being convened for Friday 25th may not be a good sign. If calling the national strike was a formality, this Executive meeting would not have been needed. However, some Executive members (in both Unions) have been discussing whether it might be best to 'preserve unity' and postpone the national action until the New Year in the hope that Gove will offer ‘talks’. Against that, the NUT negotiating team are certainly wanting the national strike to be confirmed. Chris Keates, the NASUWT General Secretary, was also reported in the press on Friday saying that the NASUWT were still preparing for the national strike this term as well. Hopefully, the response on October 17th will have answered any doubts.

Any delay would be a serious mistake. It would be a signal to teachers and Ministers alike that the teaching unions lack confidence and are backing away from their announced plan of action. There is no need to lack confidence. The energy and anger at all the rallies on Thursday showed the support that will be there from teachers for a clear plan of continuing strike action. Yes, as I said in my campaign leaflet, we will need to work hard to bring every school out, explaining our case to teachers and parents, and collecting for hardship funds so that every teacher feels that they can join the action. We should also warn Gove that we are preparing for further action in 2014, stepping up to a two-day strike if Gove refuses to back down from his attacks.

Hopefully, a date for joint national strike action this term will be agreed. If not, I hope that the NUT Executive still agrees to maintain our national strike at the end of November. A postponement to some unconfirmed date would only disorientate our members and invite Gove to carry out his attacks on conditions when he announces his response to the Review Body’s report on changes to national conditions in the New Year. We need not be striking alone. We can co-ordinate our action with other unions like the CWU, FBU, UCU and PCS – while pushing from below in schools for united action alongside the NASUWT again in the New Year.

Look out for news that may emerge from the negotiating meeting this week and make sure your NUT Executive member knows what you feel before Friday’s meeting of the NUT National Executive.

OCTOBER 17 - Determined, Angry and Striking Back Against Gove's Attacks

LONDON

Right across London, the South of England and in the North-East, tens of thousands of striking teachers took to the streets today to show their determination to stand up for education and to strike back against Gove's attacks on pay, pensions and conditions.

The size of the turnout answered anyone who might have thought that the mood of teachers was weakening. On the contrary, the atmosphere at the demonstrations showed that the mood is hardening.  

BRISTOL

2000 marched in Brighton and Durham, 3000 in Bristol, anything up to 15000 in London, where the march thronged down Whitehall and past the Department of Education. There were also other vibrant local rallies in towns like Plymouth and Canterbury too. The age of many of the marchers was also significant - many young teachers were to the fore, determined to march for their futures, and for the future of education too.

BRIGHTON

Teachers have had enough of being so denigrated, bullied and overworked that they end up having to leave the job they chose to enter. They have had enough of ideological attacks from a Secretary of State who wants to cut the costs of our pay and pensions to help his privatising friends - and, as all of today's chants made clear, they want Gove to go!

Today's determined mood and excellent turnout, building on the earlier regional strikes on June 27 and October 1, will help keep up the pressure on both the NASUWT and NUT Executives to carry out what we have promised - and call a one-day national strike before Christmas. Any delay would be a huge mistake - and a huge letdown after the buoyant mood of today's strike.

LONDON

As I wrote in a campaign leaflet that was handed out to teachers at all today's rallies: "Further hesitation would invite further attacks. Gove needs to know that we aren’t stepping back. The strong support for the regional strike action shows that teachers are determined to defend their pay, pensions, conditions - and children’s education. Teachers would prefer to be teaching, not striking. However, our campaign is part of a wider struggle to defend genuinely free, comprehensive education. We have a responsibility to teachers, and to the children we teach, to make sure that Gove retreats". 

ON THE PICKET LINE IN LEWISHAM

Gove CAN be beaten back - as long as we hold our nerve and step up our action. That's why I am campaigning for the following strategy:

• Work to get every school out on a united one-day national strike in November
• Call on other unions - like firefighters, postal workers, civil servants - to strike alongside us

  

  LONDON

• Build united NUT/NASUWT school committees to keep up the pressure for joint action
• Sharpen-up our communications - make sure that every colleague, every parent, understands why teachers are taking action to defend education
• Campaign in our communities to broaden the support for our fight against’s Gove’s attacks
• Collect for hardship funds so that no colleague feels unable to join our strike action 
• Continue our action next term; if Gove won't step back, then we should step up to a two-day strike

For a video of today's London march and rally, see my youtube channel via: http://youtu.be/ZZH3Bqk52Bk

... and there's even a picture of me on the Channel 4 news website ! :

October 17 strike - the facts are: OVERWHELMING SUPPORT

Undoubtedly, Michael Gove or one of his DfE spin-doctors will try and tell the media tomorrow that teachers aren't supporting the NUT / NASUWT strike action.

Well here are the facts from my borough, Lewisham - and I am sure that other boroughs will be able to tell a similar story:

SCHOOL OPEN 8%
PARTLY CLOSED (some classes out) 17%
SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED (e.g just Year 6 or Year 11) 31%
SCHOOL CLOSED 44%

This is not a post intended to exaggerate support, but to present an objective picture - a picture which shows the overwhelming support for the strike across the borough. All but a handful of small schools are affected by the action, three-quarters are either totally or largely closed because of the solid support from NUT and NASUWT members. 

Below is the list from which the figures are compiled. While there might be a small margin of error, the results are taken from such a large sample of schools that the picture is crystal clear - overwhelming support for strike action!

ABBEY MANOR COLLEGE               SCHOOL CLOSED

ADAMSRILL PRIMARY SCHOOL     SCHOOL CLOSED

ADDEY AND STANHOPE SCHOOL SCHOOL CLOSED

ASHMEAD PRIMARY SCHOOL       SCHOOL CLOSED

ATHELNEY PRIMARY SCHOOL       SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

BARING SCHOOL CLOSED

BEECROFT           SCHOOL CLOSED

BRENT KNOLL SCHOOL   SCHOOL CLOSED

BRINDISHE LEE  SCHOOL CLOSED

CHELWOOD NURSERY SCHOOL                  SCHOOL CLOSED

CHILDERIC PRIMARY SCHOOL      SCHOOL CLOSED

CHRIST CHURCH CE PRIMARY (LEWISHAM)            SCHOOL CLOSED

CLYDE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRE           SCHOOL CLOSED

CONISBOROUGH COLLEGE           SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

COOPERS LANE  SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

CTK AQUINAS     PARTLY CLOSED

DALMAIN            SCHOOL CLOSED

DEPTFORD GREEN SCHOOL          SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

DEPTFORD PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL           SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

DOWNDERRY PRIMARY SCHOOL SCHOOL CLOSED

DRUMBEAT         PARTLY CLOSED

EDMUND WALLER           SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

ELFRIDA PRIMARY SCHOOL           PARTLY CLOSED

ELIOT BANK PRIMARY SCHOOL    PARTLY CLOSED

FAIRLAWN PRIMARY SCHOOL      PARTLY CLOSED

FOREST HILL SCHOOL                     SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

FORSTER PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL              SCHOOL OPEN

GOOD SHEPHERD             SCHOOL CLOSED

GORDONBROCK PRIMARY SCHOOL           SCHOOL CLOSED

GREENVALE SCHOOL       PARTLY CLOSED

GRINLING GIBBONS PRIMARY SCHOOL    SCHOOL OPEN

HABERDASHERS ASKES HATCHAM COLLEGE           SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

HABERDASHERS ASKES KNIGHTS ACADEMY            PARTLY CLOSED

HASELTINE          SCHOOL OPEN

HOLBEACH PRIMARY SCHOOL      SCHOOL CLOSED

HOLY CROSS RC PRIMARY             SCHOOL OPEN

HORNIMAN        SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

JOHN BALL PRIMARY SCHOOL      PARTLY CLOSED

JOHN STAINER PRIMARY SCHOOL              SCHOOL CLOSED

KELVIN GROVE PRIMARY SCHOOL              SCHOOL OPEN

KENDER               PARTLY CLOSED

KILMORIE PRIMARY SCHOOL        SCHOOL CLOSED

KNIGHTS TEMPLE GROVE              PARTLY CLOSED

LAUNCELOT PRIMARY SCHOOL   PARTLY CLOSED

LEE MANOR PRIMARY SCHOOL    SCHOOL CLOSED

LUCAS VALE PRIMARY SCHOOL    SCHOOL CLOSED

MARVELS LANE PRIMARY SCHOOL             SCHOOL CLOSED

MYATT GARDEN PRIMARY SCHOOL           SCHOOL CLOSED

NEW WOODLANDS SCHOOL         SCHOOL CLOSED

PERRYMOUNT PRIMARY SCHOOL              SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

PRENDERGAST HILLYFIELDS SCHOOL        SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

PRENDERGAST LADYWELL FIELDS              SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

PRENDERGAST THE VALE SCHOOL             SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

RANGEFIELD       SCHOOL CLOSED

RATHFERN          SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

RUSHEY GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL            SCHOOL CLOSED

SANDHURST INFANT SCHOOL      SCHOOL CLOSED

SANDHURST JUNIOR SCHOOL      SCHOOL CLOSED

SEDGEHILL SCHOOL                        SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE PRIMARY      SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

ST AUGUSTINES RC PRIMARY       PARTLY CLOSED

ST BARTHOLOMEW'S CE PRIMARY             SCHOOL OPEN

St JAMES HATCHAM         SCHOOL OPEN

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST PRIMARY SCHOOL SCHOOL CLOSED

ST JOSEPHS RC PRIMARY (DEPTFORD)       SCHOOL CLOSED

ST MARY MAGDALENS RC PRIMARY          SCHOOL CLOSED

ST MARY'S LEWISHAM CE SCHOOL            SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

ST MICHAELS CE PRIMARY SCHOOL           PARTLY CLOSED

ST SAVIOURS RC PRIMARY (LEWISHAM)   SCHOOL CLOSED

ST WILLIAM OF YORK      SCHOOL CLOSED

ST WINIFREDS RC INFANTS           SCHOOL CLOSED

ST WINIFREDS RC JUNIOR SCHOOL           SCHOOL CLOSED

St.MATTHEWS ACADEMY              SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

STILLNESS INFANT           SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

STILLNESS JUNIOR SCHOOL          SCHOOL CLOSED

SYDENHAM SCHOOL        SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

TIDEMILL PRIMARY SCHOOL        SCHOOL CLOSED

TORRIDON INFANT SCHOOL         SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

TORRIDON JUNIOR SCHOOL        SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

TRINITY SCHOOL              SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

TURNHAM          SCHOOL MAINLY CLOSED

WATERGATE SCHOOL      PARTLY CLOSED

Determined mood as teachers build for action on October 17

Across all the areas building for action on October 17, thousands of debates are taking place, and battles with management fought, as teachers build support for the joint NUT/NASUWT regional strike action. 

Many schools have posted supportive letters or messages to parents explaining why teachers will be striking on October 17. However, compared with previous strikes, it is disappointing to see more schools trying to undermine the action by trying to pressurise staff not to strike or by pressurising support staff to take classes of striking colleagues. However, that pressure is failing. The strength of the strike in building. In fact, where that pressure is being applied, it is more often than not simply making teachers even more determined to make a stand on Thursday.

Reports from across London suggest that there will be a big turnout at the London march and rally, assembling at Malet Street at 10.30 am. The list of schools closing due to strike action in my borough of Lewisham certainly suggests that the action will be well supported. Teachers are determined to send a clear message to Michael Gove to stop his attacks on teachers' pensions, pay, conditions - and on children's education. 

If Gove won't step back, then we must step up that action too!

We're ALL under attack - so let's strike together in November

Yesterday, I attended a Steering Committee meeting of the NSSN*, the National Shop Stewards Network, at the RMT's National HQ. The Steering Committee brings together representatives from trade unions right across the public and private sector to discuss how we can support each other's disputes. As you would expect, everyone there wished teachers well for the regional strike action on Thursday this week.

The news that NHS workers might not even be paid their 1% pay award next year was just one example that was given of the attacks that keep coming from this Government. Instead of fighting our battles separately, it  makes obvious sense to link up the different struggles through co-ordinated strike action.

It's certainly not only teachers who are starting to organise against the attacks we face. It was reported that Probation Officers from NAPO recently held a mass Lobby of Parliament and are balloting for action against the effects of privatisation. Postal workers are doing the same. The RMT reported that they are engaged in a series of disputes against various employers nationally.

The UCU have just announced  the result of their ballot on action over pay in higher education. 62% of votes were in favour of strike action and 77% for action short of strike action.

The timescale of the different disputes doesn't mean that everyone will be ready to co-ordinate action immediately - but some will be. If plans are made, as they should be, an even stronger co-ordinated action would certainly be possible in 2014.

Teachers are already taking regional action and are awaiting confirmation of a date for national strike action in November. It is vital that we build on the momentum from those strikes - and what looks like a very strong turnout in London and elsewhere on Thursday - by naming that strike day. If we do, then other unions like the FBU, PCS, UCU and CWU could well be in a position to take action alongside us.

* For more information from the NSSN, visit their website on:  http://shopstewards.net/