TUC needs to make sure we're "All Out Together in November" !

It  was a real privilege for me to be the opening speaker today at a rally addressed by leading members of some of the most determined trade unions in Britain.

Bob Crow, RMT, addresses the rally

The rally, organised by the National Shop Stewards Network, was held to bring together trade unionists who want to see this week's Trade Union Congress build for mass co-ordinated trade union action and for a 24-hour General Strike to oppose the Coalition's attacks.

It was a vibrant meeting with speakers like Bob Crow of the RMT, Janice Godrich of PCS, Steve Gillan of the POA, Ian Lawrence of NAPO and Ronnie Draper of the BFAWU making fighting speeches that had the hall echoing with applause.

Proud to be on the platform

I was able to confirm the dates of the regional action being taken by the NUT and NASUWT in October and our plans for a further one-day national strike across the whole of England and Wales before the end of term.

That confirmed plan of action was clearly a real encouragement to other trade unionists looking to co-ordinate action with us. Those trade unionists will also want to join our rallies in October and build public support for teachers' action.

I explained how the Government has pushed ahead with privatising our schools and making it harder for our youngsters to get the exam grades they’ve worked for. They have also pushed ahead with their attacks on teachers' pensions, pay and conditions.

Faced with these attacks, teachers have no choice but to take action. But is it any different for any other group of workers? 'Unity is strength' and we need to take action together!

However, I warned, there will be voices at the TUC that will argue that the call for general strike action has been and gone, that unions now just need to look ahead to the next general election.

NSSN Rally at TUC 2013, Bournemouth

But how much more damage will have been inflicted by this Government between now and then, and who can seriously expect the next Government to willingly reverse any of these attacks, whoever is elected?

I'm glad to report that in the TUC debate that followed, I understand that the RMT's Motion 54 was overwhelmingly carried (and with the backing of the NUT). It included the statement that "Congress believes it is incumbent upon us to do all within our power to fight back and believes that the consideration of the practicalities of a general strike should remain".

It went on to state that "A mid-week day of action and protest, coupled with the General Council assisting in coordinating any strike action on that day, would have a significant and different impact to those called on a Saturday. Congress agrees to hold what could be the first of a series of mid-week days of action involving communities throughout the country and for the General Council to urgently consult affiliates on the timing of such a day of action". 

The NUT and NASUWT have already pencilled in a date for national action in November. So let's make it a day of coordinated national strike action that can start to push this government back at last !

For a video of some of the speeches at the rally, visit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHssWdt8Bpc

Building for action - report from the September NUT Executive

The NUT Executive met yesterday, the day after the announcement of the two regional strikes in October. 

That strike announcement means that every union rep and local officer has plenty of urgent work to do in building that action. Above all, it means that every teacher knows that, this term, we're going to make a stand for teachers and education.

Of course, colleagues in the North-West successfully started this new round of regional strike action on June 27th and, as I had a chance to say in the new TES, "We saw strong support for our strike action in the North West and I see no reason why there won't be solid support for the next strikes. The momentum is building. The more unions we have out, the stronger the effect will be for everybody."

There were two points of clarification at yesterday's discussion on the Executive which are important to report.

Firstly, although the regional strike announcement only covers NUT and NASUWT members in England, that does not mean that Welsh schools will definitely be excluded in October. A decision will be made depending on whether further progress can be made in negotiations over aspects of teachers' conditions that can be determined by the Welsh Assembly. Of course, most of the powers being used to attack the pay, pensions and conditions of both English and Welsh teachers still lie with Gove and Westminster and that has to be a key consideration.

Secondly, although some centrally organised rallies will be held on the strike days promoted by the National NUT and NASUWT, Local NUT Associations may, of course, choose to organise additional local rallies.  That's because, while attending a big regional rally can be a good way to show strength and solidarity, travelling to, say, the Cambridge rally on October 1 or the rally in Bristol on October 17, simply may not be practical.

For colleagues in London, plans are already being finalised for a march and rally in Central London. Hopefully, the details can be announced at the London 'Rally for Education' next weekend.

The rest of the National Executive meeting concentrated on discussing the Union's position on some of the key debates taking place at the TUC Congress next week. I will report further in a separate blogpost after tomorrow's NSSN Rally and Lobby of the TUC in Bournemouth.

Strike dates announced for October 1 and 17

Today's national NUT and NASUWT press release has confirmed the dates of regional strike action as being:

Tuesday 1st October - strike action in the Eastern, East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside regions

Thursday 17th October - strike action in North East, London, South East and South West regions

The only unexpected change in plans was the announcement that "in contrast to the Secretary of State, the Welsh Government has been prepared to engage in constructive talks to seek to avoid the escalation of the rolling programme of strike action in Wales. A further announcement will be made on the situation in Wales in due course". 

The press release confirms that "plans are also in place for a one-day national strike before the end of the Autumn term". This is likely to be towards the end of November.

Now every school rep and Local Association needs to urgently get this news out to members and build for the firmest action possible on the two regional strike days.

To build momentum, school groups should start to meet and declare that they will be striking on the day of the regional action - and encouraging other local schools to do the same.

Back to school - and Gove's moving goalposts

Most youth in my borough are enjoying the last hours or days of their summer break and there's still a long last-minute queue at the school uniform shop around the corner. 

For their teachers, term has already begun with the usual INSET sessions of reflections, reports and routines. School management teams have been trying to encourage or cajole staff into meeting the latest set of targets. Of course, teachers in some schools will also be fearing that, under Gove's divisive new performance-pay legislation, 'failure' could mean their pay progression being denied.

One of the sessions I attended today should have carried a health warning. A member of the SMT decided it would be a good idea to show us all a video of Gove discussing his education policies ! 

The aim, to be fair, was to get teachers to question what Gove was aiming for with his curriculum changes. I resisted the urge to shout out 'privatisation' and 'failure'. However, one teacher concluded, accurately enough, that the outcome would certainly be 'confusion'.

Once again, school managers, staff and students  are all left to work out how to cope with ever-moving goalposts. For a secondary school like mine, what combination of exams now counts towards 5 A*-Cs? What counts towards the EBacc? What further curriculum changes are in the pipeline?

The changes might be more acceptable if teachers felt they were in the best interests of all our students. But Gove has a ideological agenda which is aimed at failing many of them.

The demand by Gove that post-16 students will have to keep studying English and Maths until they get a grade C will put further pressures on overstretched schools and staff. As the support and resources won't be provided to give students the individualised support that many will need to achieve that standard, Gove's plans will just enforce a feeling of failure on many of the youth being told that they have to remain in education.

No matter how critical they may be of Gove's regime in private, too many school managements seem prepared to just take their place in the chain of bullying and pass on the imposed demands - and divisive pay policies - on to staff and pupils. Yet, with grade boundaries and pass-rates also coming under political influence, Gove is making it harder to meet those demands. After all, half of the school population will still continue to be below national averages!

Meanwhile, Gove is ideologically insisting that privatised 'free schools' are the answer to the shortage in pupil places in areas like London, instead of providing the significant capital investment in Local Authority schooling that is the obvious and urgently-required solution.

Gove needs to be answered with action. When the dates for this term's strikes are finally announced later this week, NUT and NASUWT members can start to finalise plans for the action needed to defend teachers and education.
 
 

Look out, Gove - this term the unions strike back !

For too long, Cameron, Osborne and the rest of this Government have been allowed to get away with their attacks. This term, teachers need to be ready to strike back!

As I have consistently argued on the Executive ever since Gove announced his performance-pay attacks back in December, the intolerable pressures in most schools mean that teachers will overwhelmingly support a clear call from their unions to take action.

The solid strike across the North-West on June 27 has confirmed that to be the case. Now NUT and NASUWT members in the rest of England and Wales have their chance to build on that success in the two regional strike days in October. We must then aim for a complete shutdown of schools - and more besides if we can persuade other unions to join with us - when we take national strike action in November.

We must also make clear to Gove, and to teachers, that, this time, we’re not just going to make a protest and then step back. If Gove refuses to retreat, especially if he carries out his threat to remove the 1265 hours / 195 days limits as well, then we have to announce a further calendar of action for 2014, perhaps stepping up to a two-day national strike.

Urgent - build for action from the start of term

Teachers’ energies are inevitably taken up with new classes and new timetables at the start of term. So every Local NUT Association, and every school rep, needs to make sure teachers are ready for our strike days too. That means building for regional rallies and local reps’ briefings and, above all, encouraging members to meet in schools to plan for strike action.

We need to alert members to try and put aside funds to cover the loss of two days’ pay in October and November. Let’s also collect for hardship funds to help out colleagues who may find that more of a struggle. However, as long as teachers are assured that their unions are engaged in a serious battle, and as long as we’ve got the message out to every school about the threats to pay, pensions, conditions and education, then the action will be well supported.

Stand firm to oppose unacceptable pay policies

The harsh reality of Gove’s performance-pay regime may quickly be brought home to teachers when dates start being set for appraisal review meetings. Some colleagues will again be under pressure to accept objectives linked to unachievable targets or Ofsted observation grades. Under some pay policies, ‘failure’ could mean no pay progression in 2014.

We need to encourage staff to collectively refuse both unacceptable targets and unacceptable pay policies. If we end up trying to defend teachers just through individual pay appeals, we’ll collapse under an even greater mountain of casework. That’s why some Associations, including my own in Lewisham, are preparing for sustained local action over new pay policies, alongside the calendar of national action.

A divisive regime that pressurises more teachers to quit, and leaves those left behind feeling even more under stress, can only damage education. That’s why we have a responsibility to the children we teach to act together to stop Gove’s attacks. With a bold plan of action, reaching out to parents too, we can defeat this divided Government. 

KEY DATES FOR THIS MONTH :

FROM THE START OF TERM:
* CAMPAIGN mailings and emails going out to members from the National Union;
* Follow-up with calls to reps, school meetings and Local Association briefings;
* Make sure reps are also supported in opposing any unacceptable pay policies. 
 
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8: 
* National Shop Stewards Network LOBBY OF THE TUC in Bournemouth to call for united strike action.
 
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 14: 
* NUT / NASUWT RALLIES FOR EDUCATION, 11 am in London and Nottingham.
 
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 21:  
* NUT / NASUWT RALLIES FOR EDUCATION, 11 am in Cambridge and Exeter;
* LANAC National Steering Committee meeting in Leeds.
 
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29:  
* NHS Demonstration at TORY PARTY CONFERENCE in Manchester.
 
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30:  
* Closing date for receipt of NOMINATIONS for National Officers  at NUT HQ.
 
… then in OCTOBER:  
STRIKE ACTION in Eastern, East Mids, West Mids, Yorks and Humberside regions and in parts of Wales, then 
STRIKE ACTION in the North East, London, South East, South West and the rest of Wales.

Strike together to stop the Tories' attacks

I might be a physics teacher but it doesn't take rocket science to work out why the trade union movement needs to start taking united strike action.

The Coalition is pushing ahead with vicious cuts, privatisation of services and attacks on our pay, pensions, rights and conditions. It's high time that they were stopped.

There is a force that can do this - trade unions taking united strike action, backed up with support from the communities whose jobs and services we are struggling to defend.

Trade unions are strongest when we act together. It's about time that we did so. That's the message that the lobby of the Trades Union Congress being organised by the NSSN, the National Shop Stewards Network, will be taking to TUC delegates in Bournemouth on Sunday, 8 September.  

The NSSN Lobby of the TUC is becoming a part of the annual trade union calendar – and for good reason. In previous years, NSSN Lobbies have helped to apply pressure on the TUC to organise first a national demonstration against cuts and then to support the co-ordinated strike action that took place in 2011. Last year, the NSSN lobbied to help make sure that the POA’s motion calling on the TUC to consider the ‘practicalities of a general strike’ was carried. This year, we urgently need the TUC to move from just talking about co-ordinating action – to helping to organise it.
 
A number of trade unions are already battling in important local or national disputes. FBU members have been balloting on industrial action to defend firefighters' pensions. The CWU have agreed to hold a national ballot of Royal Mail workers against privatisation. UCU members in higher education are considering action over pay. PCS is consulting members across the civil service on the next stage of its campaign of industrial action.  

Teachers will be leading the way this autumn. A solid strike of both NUT and NASUWT members closed schools right across the North-West region in June. Now members of both unions in the rest of England and Wales will take part in one of two further days of regional strikes in September and October. That will be followed by a day's joint national strike action in November.  

Teachers have no choice but to take action. From September, the government is imposing divisive performance-pay arrangements that will allow school management to pick and choose who gets a pay-rise - and who doesn't. It's a scheme designed to cut the pay bill and to force teachers to work even longer hours. In the New Year, they're planning to announce more attacks on working conditions.  

There are other important events for trade unionists to support in September - not least to build a mass demonstration in Manchester outside the Tory party conference on 29 September to call a halt to the destruction of the NHS by this government in the interests of their big business backers.

However, demonstrations alone will not be enough. We need to call on the TUC to organise strike action coordinated right across our movement, a 24-hour general strike.

Some trade union leaders will continue to prevaricate but that makes it even more important that those who are up for the fight make plans for coordinated strike action. The NUT and NASUWT have already pencilled in a date for national action in November. Let's make it a day of coordinated national strike action that can start to push this government back at last.
 
NSSN rally at the TUC Congress at Bournemouth on September 8th:12.30pm-2.30pm Hardy Suite, Hermitage Hotel, Exeter Rd, followed by a lobby of Congress outside Bournemouth International Centre.

Confirmed speakers: Bob Crow, Mark Serwotka, Steve Gillan, Ronnie Draper and Ian Lawrence (RMT, PCS, POA, BFAWU and NAPO general secretaries respectively) Alec McFadden (North West representative on TUCJCC for trades councils and also President Merseyside County TUC), Teresa MacKay TUCJCC & Ipswich Trades Council and Linda Taaffe (NSSN).

GCSE Results - Gove pulls up the ladder once again

Protesting against GCSE grade robbery last summer

After last year's angry response to unexpected changes in GCSE grade boundaries, this year Ofqual and the Examining Boards made sure they had issued plenty of advance warning about another cut in GCSE grades. However, that advance notice will be of little comfort to those students who are disappointed by the exam results that they receive today.

Results released by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) confirm small drops in the proportion of students receiving A* to C grades for English and Maths. In science subjects, where syllabuses have been changed for this year’s exams, the fall was from 60.7% A* to C grades last year right down to 53.1%.

This further tightening up of GCSE grades will inevitably penalise students, schools and teachers whose success is judged on these A* to C results. While, in pursuit of privatisation, Government insists that schools reach ever-higher GCSE results, the new policy of effectively maintaining fixed pass rates makes these targets almost impossible to achieve.

The numbers of 'early entries' - where Year 10 pupils are entered for GCSEs alongside Year 11s, together with increases in numbers taking humanities and foreign languages, are all a consequence of schools reacting to meet the latest Government demands. While an increase in entries in these subjects is welcome, it doesn't stem from a proper debate about the importance of a balanced curriculum, just schools 'playing the game' of meeting the latest changes in targets. So, for example, at the same time I know of several schools cutting back on teaching less -favoured subjects like technology.

The debate that will now open up again around the technicalities of grade boundaries and pass rates must not be allowed to hide the fundamental truth - that the Government no longer wants so many of our youngsters to succeed. Faced with a protracted economic crisis, big business no longer requires a widely educated workforce. So now it's time for Gove and Co. to draw up the ladder once again so that only a select few youngsters are able to succeed.

Students, parents and teachers must expose these attempts to rob the next generation of a decent future and campaign for properly-paid employment, training and educational opportunities for every youngster.

Finally, these results must also be a further warning to teachers about the dangers of performance-related-pay. It's absolutely clear that the results that teachers will be judged upon are open to all sorts of influences outside a teachers' control - including direct interference in GCSE pass rates.

National Association of Head Teachers' General Secretary, Russell Hobby ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23759165) has commented that: "A lot of us assumed that there was more objectivity to the grades people get. Exams are often held up as being this objective standard, but there's a lot of subjectivity in the marking and grading of exams. It's quite shocking.". However, that hasn't stopped the NAHT issuing model pay policies that recommend that teachers' pay could be determined by exactly such subjective decisions!

For example, how many of my science teaching colleagues ( and I'm yet to find out how my Year 11s have got on * ) will be penalised for a drop in GCSE grades that had been imposed in advance by Ofqual ?

NUT and NASUWT members need to respond to today's news by resolving to make an even more determined effort to build Autumn's programme of strike action against performance-pay and other Government attacks, and to go out and explain to parents why we are fighting for the future of their youngsters' education as well.

 * I know the results now - so congratulations to any of my students who might come across this post!