Protecting Teachers Defending Education Divisional Secretaries Briefing May 2012

Why this campaign? Never before have our pay, our pensions, our conditions of employment and our professionalism been under such direct attack This Government is also determined to break up democratically controlled public education as we know it A strategic response from the teacher unions: NUT and NASUWT working together on an unprecedented joint campaign

NUT & NASUWT working together

Press Launch of joint declaration 28 th May Joint press release, video, tweets Written to Government demanding talks NUT ballot in summer term Joint placards for demos on 14 th July If no movement from Government -joint non strike action in Sept -joint strike action later in the term

NUT & NASUWT working together What sort of non strike actions? -enhance teaching and learning -hit at over-the-top accountability not at learning. -not withdrawal of goodwill -Move beyond current NASUWT sanctions What sort of strike action? -both unions agree a rolling programme

NUT & NASUWT working together What does the declaration cover?  Workload pressures: damaging teachers’ health, threatening educational standards  Pensions: unfair contribution increases and changes to pension ages  Pay: proposals for local pay and performance related pay and the continuation of the pay freeze  Conditions: attacks on national terms and conditions of service, including due to the academisation of schools  Jobs: arising from funding cuts and curriculum reforms

Who doesn’t support us? (1) Sir Michael Wilshaw: 2nd December 2011 ‘If anyone says to you that 'staff morale is at an all-time low', you know you are doing something right".

Who doesn’t support us? (2) Michael Gove: those who object to the fragmentation of the system are "happy with failure" and "enemies of promise” There have been an average 2 press notices a week since the new year which have demotivated and denigrated teachers – see the full list on the NUT website

Together We Can Win We have already won concessions on pensions Teachers over 50 protected If your pension would have been £10,000 it is now £10,800 (but it should have been £15,000) Two days strike action wins £800 a year!  We can win more if we are united – NUT & NASUWT together are 85% of teachers

A Giant Step

NUT Ballot Ballot papers arrive from June 25 th Get the votes in before the end of term Actual close date is in September. Ballot question will allow us to keep focus on pensions but also allow us to address issues of workload, pay, job cuts

What reps need to do  Maximise the ‘YES’ vote in ballot  Hold a school based meeting  Check with members if ballots have arrived (make a checklist)  Check that members have returned their forms  Don’t forget part-timers  Start talking to other teachers about taking action together  Recruit any non-members

We Can Win NUT has made strides in building and encouraging activists and activity More members and more reps to mobilise Active members have stepped forward to do something – need to facilitate their activity through giving them the necessary skills and confidence Everything to fight for!

Summer term activities