For the last few weeks we've been concentrating on getting the ballot won. If the ballot result allows the NUT Executive to confirm the June 30 action when we meet on Wednesday, we must then be ready to go all out to build for the biggest turnout possible.
Wandsworth NUT met tonight to discuss what needs to be done. I was there to introduce the discussion as a member of the National Executive. Here are some of the ideas that we came up with:
1. Agree with other striking unions where to assemble locally to go up to the join union Central London demonstration (assembling in Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A.)
2. Publicise your assembly point - along with any pickets and/or local rallies that parents and other trade unionists can also attend to show solidarity.
3. Get your committee members ready to ring every school rep as soon as the announcement is made. Pass on details of the agreed assembly points etc.
4. Ask reps to:
a. confirm that members will be taking strike action
b. tell their Head that NUT (and ATL) members will be on strike on June 30
c. let the NUT know as soon as possible if their school will be closing to pupils on the day
d. urge members to attend the demo - and whether they would like to join a picket line too
5. Keep updating a list of schools that are definitely taking action/closing to pupils and pass on the numbers to other reps to encourage them to join in too.
6. Write to local Heads to back up the information that will be sent from the National Union.
7. Write/email to NUT members encouraging them to take part on the day. It might be worth stressing:
a. Not to worry about the usual intimidating letter saying they will be 'in breach of contract' - we will be fully protected by a legal strike ballot.
b. That NUT advice has changed since the last change to pension regulations. We do NOT now have to advise teachers close to retirement to refrain from strike action.
c. You can take strike action whether you voted in the ballot or not - in fact non-members can join the NUT right up to June 30 in order to take action.
d. Some areas may also add details of any local hardship funds collected to help those who will really struggle with the loss of a day's pay for taking action on June 30.
8. Produce and distribute a leaflet to parents explaining why we are going on strike - Wandsworth NUT have already drafted one.
Look out for news on the ballot result and the NUT Executive's decision - then let's build a real show of strength on June 30!
Monday, 13 June 2011
Sunday, 12 June 2011
All out to stop the pensions robbery!
This Government thought they could get away with daylight robbery - but we're going to prove them wrong!
They want to steal away our services, our jobs, our NHS – everything that we have won over decades of struggle.
In particular, they want to steal our pensions, the money that we put aside from our salary to ensure at least some kind of a decent retirement.
These increased contributions won't be going to pay for retired colleagues – even the Government's own figures show that the costs of public sector pensions are falling - but to pay for Government debt.
They want to impose an extra tax on public sector workers – when the bankers who got us into this mess are getting away with billions in unpaid taxes.
The message in our campaign to win the strike ballot has been clear - either we strike or we'll end up paying more to get less pension - and be told to struggle on in work until we're 68!
What kind of education is it where children will have to wait for their teacher’s stair-lift to arrive before class starts?!
What's the logic in keeping over 60's in work while school leavers and university graduates are left without jobs to do?
In schools, all the signs are that the ballot will be won and that ATL and NUT members will be on strike on June 30th. Unfortunately, we won't be joined by the NASUWT, not by support staff unions.
Their leaders have told their members to wait - to wait for the outcome of negotiations. But that caution has only encouraged the Government.
That's why they felt bold enough to come to the negotiating table with even worse proposals. Their plans for career-average pensions on a miserly accrual rate would be a shattering blow to teacher pensions.
But we need to show the Con-Dems that they have made a serious misjudgement. The mounting anger of teachers on so many issues - on pay, bullying , workload, cuts, Academies - means that they are even more determined to make a stand on pensions.
Unions need to get our message across to parents and the public that "our fight is your fight" - that a defeat for the Government over pensions will be a blow against their whole savage cuts programme.
If we stand together, and mobilise the power of the union movement, it won’t be us but the Government that will have to retreat – just as the last Labour Government had to over their proposed pension 'reforms'.
100,000’s on the march on 26/3 sent a clear warning to the Con-Dems; 800,000 on strike on 30/6 will really start to make them think.
Cable may be making threats against the union movement - but they show his fear - fear that the trade union movement is starting to get organised.
It will take more than one day's action in June to force them back – which is why we need to escalate and extend our action in Autumn. We need every union to be put under such pressure that they have to ballot too – so that we can build from 800,000 to 4 million on strike together.
Together, we can build a mighty movement that can force this Government to retreat – on pensions, jobs and all their attacks.
They want to steal away our services, our jobs, our NHS – everything that we have won over decades of struggle.
In particular, they want to steal our pensions, the money that we put aside from our salary to ensure at least some kind of a decent retirement.
These increased contributions won't be going to pay for retired colleagues – even the Government's own figures show that the costs of public sector pensions are falling - but to pay for Government debt.
They want to impose an extra tax on public sector workers – when the bankers who got us into this mess are getting away with billions in unpaid taxes.
The message in our campaign to win the strike ballot has been clear - either we strike or we'll end up paying more to get less pension - and be told to struggle on in work until we're 68!
What kind of education is it where children will have to wait for their teacher’s stair-lift to arrive before class starts?!
What's the logic in keeping over 60's in work while school leavers and university graduates are left without jobs to do?
In schools, all the signs are that the ballot will be won and that ATL and NUT members will be on strike on June 30th. Unfortunately, we won't be joined by the NASUWT, not by support staff unions.
Their leaders have told their members to wait - to wait for the outcome of negotiations. But that caution has only encouraged the Government.
That's why they felt bold enough to come to the negotiating table with even worse proposals. Their plans for career-average pensions on a miserly accrual rate would be a shattering blow to teacher pensions.
But we need to show the Con-Dems that they have made a serious misjudgement. The mounting anger of teachers on so many issues - on pay, bullying , workload, cuts, Academies - means that they are even more determined to make a stand on pensions.
Unions need to get our message across to parents and the public that "our fight is your fight" - that a defeat for the Government over pensions will be a blow against their whole savage cuts programme.
If we stand together, and mobilise the power of the union movement, it won’t be us but the Government that will have to retreat – just as the last Labour Government had to over their proposed pension 'reforms'.
100,000’s on the march on 26/3 sent a clear warning to the Con-Dems; 800,000 on strike on 30/6 will really start to make them think.
Cable may be making threats against the union movement - but they show his fear - fear that the trade union movement is starting to get organised.
It will take more than one day's action in June to force them back – which is why we need to escalate and extend our action in Autumn. We need every union to be put under such pressure that they have to ballot too – so that we can build from 800,000 to 4 million on strike together.
Together, we can build a mighty movement that can force this Government to retreat – on pensions, jobs and all their attacks.
Austerity and Anger in Greece
Dear brothers and sisters,
I want to thank you for your invitation and to stress how important it is for me to be able to speak to British workers – workers who have provided excellent examples of determined class struggles. In particular, struggles like those of the Miners and against the Poll Tax have inspired many of us abroad.
Over the last two years, the Greek working class has faced a massive attack on its living standards and rights. It has been an unprecedented attack, worse even than that faced by the British working class at the time of Thatcher.
The Social-Democrat government of PASOK, together with the EU and the IMF, have cut the basic net wage from 670 € to 520 €. Our salaries are lower but the cost of living in Greece is no lower than that in Britain. Prices for food and clothing are the same. Petrol now costs 1.7 euros a litre. Neither do we have any rent subsidies or low-cost council housing for the low-paid and unemployed.
In the public sector, where wages are supposed to be better than the private sector, we have seen our wages cut by 30% on average over the last two years. Their plans are to cut them by a further 35% over the next two years. Before the intervention of the EU and the IMF, the take-home pay of a teacher with 10 years’ experience would only have been around 1300 euros a month. But now pay has been slashed to perhaps just 1000 euros.
At the same time they plan to sack 150,000 public-sector workers over the next 4 years. This is when official unemployment has already reached 800,000 - 16% of the labour force. But real levels of unemployment are about 1 ½ times the official estimates.
They have made huge expenditure cuts on education, health and social services. In our public hospitals, a third of beds have been cut – 13,000 out of 35,000. Many universities are forced to close down for certain periods of time because they cannot pay electricity bills, or in order to save on other costs.
What is the Government’s answer to this desperate crisis?
They are now planning to sell-off all our public utilities – electricity, water, railways, the docks.
They want to smash collective bargaining and change the law to make it easier to sack workers.
They are raising taxes – both direct and indirect. VAT has gone up by 4% - to 23%.
Pensions have been massively cut. The retirement age has been raised to 67. But, even then, you can only get a full pension if you have completed 40 years of work with paid social insurance.
I will give you an example to explain the terrible results of these attacks. Two months ago, Athens council workers occupied the city hall for 26 days, fighting for their jobs. Among them was a contract worker aged 72 who had no option but to continue working as he had not completed the working time needed to qualify for a full pension. Even if he manages to work on for long enough, his pension will only be 400 euros!
The attack of the IMF, EU and European Central Bank has no end. After a year of savage attacks they have now concluded that the huge cuts are still not deep enough. They are imposing a second ‘memorandum’ demanding further attacks on Greek workers.
Why is all this happening? Supposedly, in order to pay for the sovereign debt. This debt was created by the piling up of annual deficits. But who created these deficits? Various EU economic ‘experts’ claim that the debts were created because Greek workers were lazy and corrupt; because “we lived beyond our means”. But who has been living beyond their means? The one million Greek workers, nearly 25% of the labour force, who earn just 600 to 700 euros a month? The pensioners, 65% of whom earn less than 600 euros? The unemployed, who are only paid unemployment benefit of around 400 euros for 12 months before it stops altogether?
We have been facing repeated waves of austerity for the past 25 years. Austerity policies began back in 1985, in order, supposedly, to raise the competitiveness of the Greek economy. And the result is this new wave of barbaric attacks, worse than all the previous years of austerity put together.
The people who are lazy and corrupt, liars and thieves, are those in power, the ruling elite together with their friends the big capitalists, not Greek workers and pensioners!
They created the deficits, they created the debts. The governments did this consciously, particularly over the past two decades, by transferring wealth to the rich and to big capital, by using the state budget as a conveyor belt.
How was this done? Let me give you a simple example. In the mid ‘90s taxation on corporate profits was 45%. Today it is 20%. But even this 20% is only about 10% in reality. The capitalists receive ludicrous donations, “incentives”, and all sorts of hand-outs so that they can claim back about half of the taxes they have paid.
Government revenue was thus continuously undermined. This led to deficits, which in turn led to loans to cover them. But they want us to pay for them.
Here’s another example of how they are trying to make workers pay for their crisis. Since the start of the banking crisis in 2008, Greek governments, both PASOK and “New Democracy”, have provided the Greek bankers with hot cash or “guarantees” to a total of 108 billion euros. This equals about one-third of the total sovereign debt.
Where do Governments find such huge sums when they are on the verge of bankruptcy? They borrow them – from the EU, the ECB and the IMF. Then they squeeze it out of the Greek working class.
But take a note of the following. They have handed out 108 billion euros in cash or guarantees to the Greek banks when the total value of the Greek banking system on the Greek stock exchange is only about 15 billion euros. In short, the Greek government could have easily bought the whole banking sector, seven times over! But no! Why? Because if they did, they would be admitting that the private sector is hopeless, that capitalism is catastrophic, and that the bankers are parasites.
Now workers are told that, if the Government don’t get loans from the EU and the IMF – under the harsh terms imposed by the EU and the IMF – they won’t have money to pay for wages and pensions. Again, this is lies.
The only reason that they need new loans is to pay back the previous loans. For example, over the ten years between 2000 and 2009, the Greek governments received loans totalling 485 billion euros. Over the same period they paid back the lenders 450 billion euros. So, in 10 years, only 35 billion euros went into the economy. The vast majority just went back to the lenders, into the pockets of the bankers who make loans to the Greek state, into the pockets of the Greek, German, French Swiss, and British bankers. These parasites borrow money from the ECB at 1 – 1 ½ % interest rates and lend it to the Greek state at interest rates of between 5 and 7 %!
According to a recent poll, one year after the first IMF – EU memorandum was applied,
34% of Greek households live below the poverty line,
50% will not have sufficient heating next winter,
45% do not feed themselves properly,
29% are not in a position to pay their utility bills
So it is not a surprise that there is massive anger in Greek society. This is reflected in struggles.
At the moment, there are strikes taking place on a daily basis. There is a demonstration in the centre of Athens nearly every day – often two or three.
But these struggles have not been able to achieve victories. This is because Union leaderships have not been carrying out struggles with the intention of winning them. That’s because the overwhelming majority of union leaderships are under the control of the two political parties which alternate in power in Government, PASOK and New Democracy.
These union leaders call strikes but without a clear timescale, and without any clear plan – just to let off steam. For example, when the government recently announced the closure of nearly 2000 schools, the response of the Teachers’ Union was to call two 24hr strikes - but without any serious plan to continue action in order to stop the closures.
What is worse is that these Unions never coordinate the struggles between them. Every sector fights it out on its own. But, in the present period, no sector on its own can defeat the government, the EU and the IMF – who all work together. The trade union leaders know this very well.
The position taken by the national leaderships of the TU movement – the TUC, in both the private and in the public sector, has been particularly scandalous. Compared to what is happening in the rest of Europe, seven 24-hour general strikes last year and three this year, may seem huge. But, given the traditions of the Greek working class and, above all, compared to the scale of the attacks the Greek working class is facing, this is far from being enough.
Working people understand the treacherous role of the Greek TUC leadership and are boiling with anger. Last year, on the day of a general strike, the TUC leader Panagopoulos tried to make a speech at the workers’ rally but was physically attacked by strikers. He was chased through the crowds, but no trade unionist stepped in to defend him. Since then, he has only been seen in public accompanied by six bodyguards.
It isn’t just that the trade union leaders don’t respond to the needs of the situation – it is also that they systematically sabotage the development of the struggles.
Take the example of my Union, the Bus Workers’ Union of Athens and Piraeus, which has about 6,000 members. When the government began its attack against us last December, the leadership of the Union, under the control of PASOK and ND, tried to justify why they were not calling for militant strike action. Their excuse was to blame workers, saying that they were not willing to fight.
But, when the brutal cuts were announced, they were forced to call for strike action so as not to be completely exposed. Strike action took place over a period of about 3 months. But the leadership was not really determined, there was no plan of action, no escalation, and above all there was absolutely no attempt to coordinate the struggle with other sections of the wider public sector that were also under attack.
Towards the end of February, the majority in the leadership decided that it was time to call off the action. They launched a blatant coup d’état against the Union. They refused to call executive committee meetings, they refused to go the meetings called by other members of the Union executive, and they hid, so that a mass-meeting of the bus-workers would not be called. They knew that if it had been, it would have voted in favour of continuing the struggle.
They then went ahead with a fake ‘referendum’ planned to formalise the decision to stop the strikes. It wasn’t only against the Unions’ constitution, it was also against the law, since they forged the signatures of other members of the Executive Committee, in order to achieve the necessary majority required to call a referendum. All this was done in order to disappoint, to demoralise, to break the will of the bus workers to fight.
There had been three months of struggle. Our action inevitably caused a lot of disruption to the people of Athens and Piraeus who used public transport. But, despite this, they were on our side. Right up to the end of our dispute, 60% of people were in favour of the strike, despite all the massive government propaganda conducted through the mass media. They tried to present the bus workers as evil people determined to make ordinary people suffer so as not to lose our privileges. The public support showed their understanding of the situation and their class solidarity.
For these Trade Union leaders there is only one word: traitors. If my sector had been the only sector which had been sabotaged and betrayed, the damage would not be too great. But this is what they do everywhere.
Despite defeats like ours, the Greek working class will continue to fight. It has no other choice because the attacks that we face will continue and they will be immense.
The last development in the struggles of Greek society has been the movement of the “enraged”. They have followed the example of the Spanish ‘Indignados’ and inspired by the revolutions in the Arab world. Last Sunday, without any exaggeration, 500,000 assembled in the central square in Athens. This was perhaps the biggest gathering of people since 1981.
Greek society is at boiling-point. But in order for this anger to find a way forward and for our struggles to win, we have to do everything we can to rebuild our Trade Union movement.
Trade union organisations must pass into the hands of the rank and file. To be democratically controlled by the membership, the struggles must be in the hands of the movement itself.
At the same time we need to rebuild the political organisations of the working class, because today’s mass left parties have lost the plot. They have shown themselves to be absolutely and entirely inadequate for the tasks of this period. This is one of the reasons why in the most recent polls abstention has reached the unprecedented level for Greece of 50.9%, with support for the mass left parties stagnant.
These are the tasks that we have ahead of us. For these we shall fight in the next period with all our strength.
But there is another task that we must never forget. This is internationalism. This is not a struggle of the Greeks alone, but also of the Portuguese, the Spanish, the Irish, the British and more, because we are all being attacked at the same time.
All over Europe, big capital is united against us, but the working class is not able to put up a united resistance. This is the fault of the leadership. Our strength is immense but it is not put into action. We have to make sure that workers begin to realise their strength and fight together, in united struggles, across the continent.
Let me finish with a message of solidarity for all those taking action on June 30. Get out on the picket lines, on the streets and demonstrations, and show Cameron that, united in action, working people will defeat their attacks.
NSSN Conference builds support for united action
A packed hall at the South Camden Community School saw over 300 stewards and workplace reps from unions and workplaces across Britain gather for the fifth annual conference of the National Shop Stewards Network.
As I was able to say in my contribution in the opening session on the pensions battle, the hall may be full today but on June 30th, like thousands more schools, it will be empty if teachers , civil servants and lecturers walk out in united strike action.
The afternoon session heard from some of the blacklisted workers in the rail and construction industries and the battles to stop employers attacking trade union organisation.
The day finished with a rousing contribution from a Greek bus workers' leader who spelt out exactly the cost to working people when the IMF and EU demand 'austerity'. In the last two years, public sector wages have been cut by 30% on average - and the plans are to reduce them by a further 35% over the next two years! A teacher, perhaps already earning only 1300 euros a month before the cuts, would now only take home about 1000 euros.
Already the crisis in Greek state schools means that most parents have to find money to pay for their children to attend private 'frontistiria' for extra lessons. Typically, this might cost a family 500 euros a month out of their declining wages.
The retirement age is already 67 - but to get a full pension, a teacher would have to work on until their seventies. One of the engineers in his bus garage is still having to work at 78. As I said in my speech, if the Con-Dems get away with the same attacks here, classes will have to wait until the teachers' stair-lift has reached the end of the corridor!
But the message from the Conference was clear - we are not going to allow the Con-Dem Government to take away everything that we have won over decades - whether it be pensions, jobs, the NHS, or trade union rights. June 30th will be another important step forward in building united opposition to their savage cuts.
The afternoon session heard from some of the blacklisted workers in the rail and construction industries and the battles to stop employers attacking trade union organisation.
The day finished with a rousing contribution from a Greek bus workers' leader who spelt out exactly the cost to working people when the IMF and EU demand 'austerity'. In the last two years, public sector wages have been cut by 30% on average - and the plans are to reduce them by a further 35% over the next two years! A teacher, perhaps already earning only 1300 euros a month before the cuts, would now only take home about 1000 euros.
Already the crisis in Greek state schools means that most parents have to find money to pay for their children to attend private 'frontistiria' for extra lessons. Typically, this might cost a family 500 euros a month out of their declining wages.
The retirement age is already 67 - but to get a full pension, a teacher would have to work on until their seventies. One of the engineers in his bus garage is still having to work at 78. As I said in my speech, if the Con-Dems get away with the same attacks here, classes will have to wait until the teachers' stair-lift has reached the end of the corridor!
But the message from the Conference was clear - we are not going to allow the Con-Dem Government to take away everything that we have won over decades - whether it be pensions, jobs, the NHS, or trade union rights. June 30th will be another important step forward in building united opposition to their savage cuts.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Building unity in action between NUT and PCS unions
I was pleased to be able to take the opportunity to build links between the NUT and PCS unions when I spoke at the AGM of the Eastern Region of the PCS in Cambridge yesterday.
PCS reps present were keen to pick up some of our suggestions on how we were building for a strong YES vote in our strike ballot - and even more keen - once our ballots are won - to be taking joint strike action on June 30, alongside colleagues in ATL and UCU as well.
As I concluded, this isn't just a battle about pensions, it's about making sure that the Con-Dems don't succeed in pushing aside the force that has the greatest power to stand up to their attacks on jobs and services - the trade union movement.
As two of the best organised and fighting unions in the public sector, that means the PCS and NUT jointly have a huge responsibility on our shoulders - but it is a challenge that we can be confident that our reps and members will rise to.
There were lots of reports of plans for strike rallies and marches on June 30 right across the Eastern region. I reported on our plans for a march in London from Lincolns Inn Fields to Westminster Central Hall.
June 30 can be a real show of strength against the Con-Dem cuts - let's make sure it is!
PCS reps present were keen to pick up some of our suggestions on how we were building for a strong YES vote in our strike ballot - and even more keen - once our ballots are won - to be taking joint strike action on June 30, alongside colleagues in ATL and UCU as well.
As I concluded, this isn't just a battle about pensions, it's about making sure that the Con-Dems don't succeed in pushing aside the force that has the greatest power to stand up to their attacks on jobs and services - the trade union movement.
As two of the best organised and fighting unions in the public sector, that means the PCS and NUT jointly have a huge responsibility on our shoulders - but it is a challenge that we can be confident that our reps and members will rise to.
There were lots of reports of plans for strike rallies and marches on June 30 right across the Eastern region. I reported on our plans for a march in London from Lincolns Inn Fields to Westminster Central Hall.
June 30 can be a real show of strength against the Con-Dem cuts - let's make sure it is!
Thursday, 2 June 2011
COME TO THE NSSN CONFERENCE ON JUNE 11th
NSSN and Anti-Academies Conferences in London
There are two important Conferences taking place in London on Saturday June 11th - come to one or even both!
Anti-Academies campaigns will be discussed at the SERTUC/AAA Conference: One year on from the Academies Act being held from 10.30am – 3.30pm, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS
But don't miss the chance to plan and discuss united action on pensions - and beyond - at the National Shop Stewards Network Conference 2011 "Strike together to defend jobs and pensions". Speakers include: Alex Gordon RMT President and Janice Godrich PCS President. I will also update Conference on the latest from the NUT's struggle on pensions.
The Conference takes place between 11:30am and 4:00pm at South Camden Community School, London NW1 1RG. Registration: will open at 10:30am
There are two important Conferences taking place in London on Saturday June 11th - come to one or even both!
Anti-Academies campaigns will be discussed at the SERTUC/AAA Conference: One year on from the Academies Act being held from 10.30am – 3.30pm, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS
But don't miss the chance to plan and discuss united action on pensions - and beyond - at the National Shop Stewards Network Conference 2011 "Strike together to defend jobs and pensions". Speakers include: Alex Gordon RMT President and Janice Godrich PCS President. I will also update Conference on the latest from the NUT's struggle on pensions.
The Conference takes place between 11:30am and 4:00pm at South Camden Community School, London NW1 1RG. Registration: will open at 10:30am
Make June 30 a massive show of strength
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NUT AND ATL MEMBERS have been voting to support a programme of discontinuous action to defend teachers’ pensions. Positive responses from schools around the country give every indication that the ballots will be won. That will allow unions to call a first national strike on Thursday June 30, joined in action by civil servants in PCS and UCU members in many colleges as well.
We have no alternative but to take action. Leaked reports have confirmed that the Government has made no attempt to reach any genuine agreement in their supposed ‘negotiations’. Instead, they have tabled plans for career-average schemes that are worse than anything that even Lord Hutton suggested - they could mean slashing teachers’ pensions in half!
It’s clear that this Government of millionaires wants to destroy our pensions scheme - and smash the public sector unions that stand in the way of their plans to slash jobs and cut and privatise education, health and all our public services.
Make no mistake, we are in for a serious battle that may well require a series of escalating actions, hopefully bringing others on board who have mistakenly stood aside like the NASUWT as well. But, together we are strong. It is the Con-Dems that are divided. We can force them to retreat. That’s why June 30 needs to be a massive show of our strength and determination to stand firm until we win!
Get ready for action:
1. Chase up the last strike votes
We’re going to get a big YES vote - but let’s make sure we get as big a turnout as we can too. Talk to your colleagues, give a reminder at staff briefing. Ballot papers have to be returned by June 14 at the latest.
2. Talk to NASUWT members
The NASUWT’s failure to ballot this term could be used by some Heads to keep schools open on June 30. Rather than go into work, NASUWT members can join the NUT for free up until June 30 and join the strike.
3. Encourage other schools too
Some school groups - perhaps where there is no active rep or in Academies with bullying managers - may not be confident about taking action. Local Associations need to make contact with all schools and reassure members that - once action is sanctioned by our legal ballots - they have every right to take part in this national strike.
4. Organise a hardship fund
A day’s pay is a small loss compared to what we stand to lose from our pensions. However, a hardship fund can avoid any colleague feeling they can’t strike because their finances are already too tight.
5. Ask Heads to close schools
NAHT and ASCL Headteacher unions have supported the joint “Save our Pensions - Now is the Time” poster. We hope that most Heads will agree that schools will need to close if NUT & ATL members are on strike. Staff in other unions cannot be asked to do any work that would have been done by their striking colleagues.
6. Get everyone involved on 30/6
June 30th will be a day for everyone to stand together in action - not stay at home to catch up on your marking! Even if your school is closed to pupils, a morning picket line is a good way to get everyone together - and to make an impact locally - at the start of the day’s activities.
7. Join your local strike rally
Striking unions - NUT, ATL, PCS and UCU - will be putting plans together for local and regional rallies. Just like March 26, these will hit the headlines and raise everyone’s confidence for the ongoing battle. Parents, anti-cuts campaigners and representatives of other unions and should be invited to take part too.
8. Get our message to parents
We need to leaflet parents to say sorry for disruption but to explain:
* Our fight is your fight - forcing the Con-Dems back on pensions helps defeat the rest of their cuts too.
* A fight for education - should classes be taught by a 68-year old?
* A fight for jobs - young workers will have no jobs but grandparents will be forced to stay in work.
We have no alternative but to take action. Leaked reports have confirmed that the Government has made no attempt to reach any genuine agreement in their supposed ‘negotiations’. Instead, they have tabled plans for career-average schemes that are worse than anything that even Lord Hutton suggested - they could mean slashing teachers’ pensions in half!
It’s clear that this Government of millionaires wants to destroy our pensions scheme - and smash the public sector unions that stand in the way of their plans to slash jobs and cut and privatise education, health and all our public services.
Make no mistake, we are in for a serious battle that may well require a series of escalating actions, hopefully bringing others on board who have mistakenly stood aside like the NASUWT as well. But, together we are strong. It is the Con-Dems that are divided. We can force them to retreat. That’s why June 30 needs to be a massive show of our strength and determination to stand firm until we win!
Get ready for action:
1. Chase up the last strike votes
We’re going to get a big YES vote - but let’s make sure we get as big a turnout as we can too. Talk to your colleagues, give a reminder at staff briefing. Ballot papers have to be returned by June 14 at the latest.
2. Talk to NASUWT members
The NASUWT’s failure to ballot this term could be used by some Heads to keep schools open on June 30. Rather than go into work, NASUWT members can join the NUT for free up until June 30 and join the strike.
3. Encourage other schools too
Some school groups - perhaps where there is no active rep or in Academies with bullying managers - may not be confident about taking action. Local Associations need to make contact with all schools and reassure members that - once action is sanctioned by our legal ballots - they have every right to take part in this national strike.
4. Organise a hardship fund
A day’s pay is a small loss compared to what we stand to lose from our pensions. However, a hardship fund can avoid any colleague feeling they can’t strike because their finances are already too tight.
5. Ask Heads to close schools
NAHT and ASCL Headteacher unions have supported the joint “Save our Pensions - Now is the Time” poster. We hope that most Heads will agree that schools will need to close if NUT & ATL members are on strike. Staff in other unions cannot be asked to do any work that would have been done by their striking colleagues.
6. Get everyone involved on 30/6
June 30th will be a day for everyone to stand together in action - not stay at home to catch up on your marking! Even if your school is closed to pupils, a morning picket line is a good way to get everyone together - and to make an impact locally - at the start of the day’s activities.
7. Join your local strike rally
Striking unions - NUT, ATL, PCS and UCU - will be putting plans together for local and regional rallies. Just like March 26, these will hit the headlines and raise everyone’s confidence for the ongoing battle. Parents, anti-cuts campaigners and representatives of other unions and should be invited to take part too.
8. Get our message to parents
We need to leaflet parents to say sorry for disruption but to explain:
* Our fight is your fight - forcing the Con-Dems back on pensions helps defeat the rest of their cuts too.
* A fight for education - should classes be taught by a 68-year old?
* A fight for jobs - young workers will have no jobs but grandparents will be forced to stay in work.
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