NATIONAL EXECUTIVE PREPARES PLAN FOR FURTHER PENSIONS ACTION

The December meeting of the National Executive heard excellent reports from around the country from the united strike action on November 30 – one of the biggest for generations and probably the biggest strike in Britain ever by women.

The Executive congratulated members for their magnificent support. In every area, more schools were closed than in June, there were more rallies and demonstrations - and a bigger turnout at those events. Feedback showed that school reps particularly enjoyed the high level of public support and the feeling of trade union unity.

The Executive noted the "concessions" offered by the Government, but affirmed that they nowhere near meet our objectives of protecting fair pensions for our members without unjustified increases in contributions.

Kevin Courtney spelt out how Osborne had thrown down the gauntlet to us all in the Autumn Statement: further attacks on pay, even more public sector job cuts, attacks on TUPE and national pay bargaining as well as accelerating the increase in the pension age.

Kevin also reported from the on-going negotiations which had not, as yet, yielded any substantial concessions. Ministers are still lying about pension costs and the nature of their ‘offers’. Nick Gibb’s latest email message even claims that “it would not be a sensible use of public funds to undertake costly actuarial valuations”. Clearly, it’s cheaper just to make things up !

The various union legal challenges to the change from RPI to CPI had been thrown out - but the NUT has been granted leave to appeal against the ruling on one area where there was a split judgement. One judge - although in a minority - did agree with the Union’s view that the Government had chosen CPI over RPI basically because it would save money and not because it was a better method to calculate price increases.

We also noted the determination of Government to maintain its offensive and how it had now wheeled out Lord Hutton to justify its actions (obviously stung by the fact that his own Report confirmed our arguments and National Audit Office evidence that, far from being unaffordable, the cost of public sector pensions is actually set to fall).

But, if we are all agreed that we are going to resist that offensive - then we have to continue – and escalate - our campaign. That’s why the Executive agreed a motion setting out a series of steps to maintain and develop that campaign in order to protect teachers, particularly young teachers.

Some of the key points we agreed were to:

• Seek to maintain unity with other unions in negotiations to protect our existing schemes;

• Continue to work to retain and build the broadest possible coalition of unions to campaign and act against the Government’s proposals.  This could include private-sector workers as well as those in the public sector. For example, the NUT General Secretary supported my suggestion of sending a message of  support to members of UNITE in Unilever plants taking strike action against cuts to their pension scheme;

• Produce further campaigning materials, including material targeted at young teachers;

• Survey members on willingness to take further action of all kinds – national, regional, selective;

• Call on the TUC to call a further day of strike action early in the New Year, and to consider further action beyond that;

• Call on the TUC to draw up plans for a national demonstration on pensions/austerity;

• Hold public lobbying events where ministers speak and visit, and at MPs’ surgeries and to approach the Labour Party to clarify their views;

• Assess the feasibility of a levy of members through the Direct Debit system to support further action - e.g. to support hardship claims;

• Investigate what action short of strike action can be taken to further our campaign - e.g. to work in united action with NASUWT colleagues;

• Hold emergency Executive meetings if decisions need to be made on actions, negotiations etc;

• Approach other unions, including those with members in the private sector, and the National Pensions Convention, to develop the ‘Fair Pensions for All’ campaign as a high-profile public campaign, involving stalls and petitions.

We cannot let the Government get away with their pensions robbery. Together, we can defeat it. So enjoy your Xmas break - but prepare for more action - and tell National Executive members what you think is needed to win.

… and don’t forget to make sure staff sign and send-off the “All I want for Christmas  is our pensions back” Christmas Card for Mr Gove included in the latest national reps’ mailing from NUT Headquarters!

December NUT Executive Report - Workload and other issues

The Pensions dispute is only part of the battle we are facing to defend teachers and education. Here are some other issues we discussed:

Capability and Performance Management

The Executive heard an update on our campaign to oppose the Government’s plans to repeal the existing Performance Management Regulations, which includes getting rid of the ‘three hour yearly limit’ on classroom observations.

We are seeking to get a joint policy on capability, observations and performance management agreed with other unions that we will ask schools to adopt. This will be backed-up by a co-ordinated campaign of school-based action to support our demands.

Workload

The pressures on teachers have increased even further in many schools this term. With Ministers wanting teachers to work on until 68 or even older, the links with the pensions campaign are also clear.

We want to build as much united action as we can with other unions, notably the NASUWT who have issued advice to their members following their recent ballot. The NUT will be reissuing workload advice stressing what limits we can insist on within existing contractual rights, but also that the Union will move urgently to carry out ballots in schools where requested to protect against excessive workload.

Sixth Form Colleges

The Executive agreed to proceed with balloting NUT members in Sixth Form Colleges for strike action in opposition to the worsening of terms and conditions as a result of funding cuts to the sector.

Misuse of Temporary Contracts

The Executive agreed a motion to go to the TUC Young Members’ Conference challenging the misuse of fixed term and temporary contracts, particularly for younger staff.

Langdon School - members stand firm as support for strike strengthens

LATEST UPDATE FROM THE NUT REPS:

First, the strike itself. Last week we struck on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We're really pleased to be able to tell you that two NUT members who crossed picket lines the Thursday before have rejoined the strike. An NASUWT member and an NUT ex-member both joined the union this week and immediately struck with us. We're therefore stronger this weekend than we were last, which is really not what the head had in mind when she began the strike busting operation! Hats off to the new strikers - it's a credit to them in the face of relentless bullying and intimidation from management that they're with us.

On Tuesday we welcomed several first timers on the picket lines, as well as two National Executive members. The bin lorry refused to cross the line, as did Parcel Force drivers. Our strikers' meeting for the day took place at the Newham NUT association meeting, with over 50 strikers there. Colleagues from two secondary school groups moved a motion to spread the action to other Newham schools, as we consider that as the LA are issuing contracts to strike breakers, this means that our whole branch should be in dispute. The motion passed by 90 votes to nil and will now go to the Action Committee. Members from other schools joined us for the strikers' meeting.

Wednesday's picket was shared with Unite members at school, which was closed to pupils. NUT pickets then visited two PCS picket lines and Unison pickets at the town hall, then went into London for the demonstration. We were joined by delegations from four other Newham schools and two from Waltham Forest in putting thousands of leaflets (paid for by our supporters' donations) into the London demo urging solidarity for the strike.

Thursday saw 42 of our strikers on the gates. The strikers' meeting had 55 there, concentrating on building the meeting for parents due on Friday. We also worked out a collective strategy for staff briefing on Friday morning, which has in recent weeks consisted of the NUT being pilloried. There was a discussion of how best to escalate action if we're still out next term - three days a week to keep in touch with kids and parents and disrupt the scabbing, or five days a week?

Friday's staff briefing wasn't half as demoralising as usual, with sixty NUT members standing together with notebooks taking down the head's every word... The collective response lifted morale enormously. Senior managers spent the day demanding our planners so they can set cover for the scabs to do with our classes. We spent the day standing up to them. In the evening about 80 parents attended the NUT's meeting, despite LA attempts to get us to call it off. Our branch secretary has been accused of engaging in actions which are 'not legitimate trade union activity' and had his facility time threatened - another reason for a borough wide dispute, in our view. Kevin Courtney spoke for the union. Opinion in the meeting was clearly against the head and the Chair of Governors. Many parents and two parent governors supported the strike. This is work to be developed next week.

The school is open and running (just about) on scab labour when we're out, so next week's first strikers' meeting will concentrate on strategies for picketing. Three days on strike next week. We got about a thousand pounds in donations this week, with more on the way, and began to send out speakers to other schools.

Thanks to you all. Keep the messages coming in, invite us to speak, collect for us. Above all, forward this email to your associations, divisions and members and to any other union contacts you have and use us as an example. Let's fight together.

November 30 Reports on Classroom Teacher Blog

Teachers take their message to millionaire Maude in Horsham

There are lots of reports from rallies and marches posted on the Classroom Teacher blog on:

http://classroomteachers.blogspot.com/

For a great summary of our arguments against pensions robbery - and a call for further action - look for the video of Kevin Courtney's speech at the Leicester rally:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sndE9fhNEY

Court ruling leaves us no alternative but to strike again

The court ruling that it is 'lawful' to go ahead with the change from RPI to CPI for the indexation of pensions is no real surprise - the courts have rarely been a friend to the trade union movement.
But this is an unjust and unfair decision that hits all pensioners, not just public scetor trade unionists. In fact, as the NUT press release below explains, the Government won't even confirm whether state pensions will even go up by the low CPI rate next year. Are they planning even bigger cuts to our poverty-level state pensions?

Commenting on today’s High Court decision regarding the Government’s decision to change pension indexation from RPI to CPI inflation, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union said:

“The NUT took part in this action because the Government’s decision was simply wrong.  Cutting pensions to save money at pensioners’ expense is disgraceful and immoral.  

“All three judges agreed that a substantial motivation for the switch to CPI was deficit reduction.  It is disappointing that only one judge felt able to say that that was wrong.  It’s also disappointing that the arguments advanced by the other unions involved were treated so dismissively.  The NUT has obtained permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal.

“In the meantime, the Government has deliberately avoided saying whether public sector pensions will be increased even by CPI in 2012.  We call on George Osborne to make his position clear immediately and tell pensioners that he is not going to impose even bigger cuts next year.”

November 30 - Lewisham NUT on the March

In Lewisham, the day started early with a picket-line from 6.30 am outside Prendergast Ladywell Fields College of NUT and GMB members.

A reporter from LBC radio interviewed Fran, the school NUT rep, who explained how teachers could not work on until 68 and how education would suffer if we had to. The reporter tried to find a passer-by who was against the strikes - but couldn't find a single one! The toots from the car-horns of passing motorists made very clear the mood of the public - it's time someone stood up to this millionaire's government!

Picket lines were also mounted at several other schools - although the vast majority had been either totally or largely closed to pupils. Everyone then gathered at the Town Hall in Catford where UNISON pickets reported that the building was largely empty with very few staff reporting for work.

Then it was off to Charing Cross to meet hundreds more Lewisham staff. We walked behind the Lewisham banners - including a fantastic one from Sydenham School - up to Lincoln's Inn Fields for the start of the all-London joint union demonstration.

The square just wasn't big enough for the thousands that had gathered. It set-off at about 12.45 - and was still leaving the square two hours later. There must have been over 50,000 marching.

We marched along the Strand and down to the Embankment before listening to Christine Blower, Mark Serwotka and other speakers at the closing rally. 

One banner summed up the mood of many on the day: - "Work Till You Die - Or Strike Till You Win!"

November 30: A tsunami not a 'damp squib' !

November 30 was a momentous day that could prove to be a significant turning-point in the battle to defeat this Government's attacks on pensions, pay, jobs and public services.

 

Over 50,000 marched in London with the NUT leading the way through the streets to the rally at the Embankment. Reports from around the country describe huge turnouts in every area - over 30,000 in Manchester and 10,000 in Nottingham for example.


For a quick round-up of reports, visit http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/13257/30-11-2011/n30-millions-striking-back-at-con-dem-government


Cameron claimed the strike was a 'damp squib' - but he is only deluding himself! This was a huge show of strength bringing new trade unionists on strike across the country and linking together two million workers from many different unions in joint action.


Now we carry on until we win!


More reports and photos to follow.