National Executive Meeting Report
Strategic Committees met in the morning prior to the full NEC in the afternoon. I sit on the Policy, Research and Campaigns Committee
Committee – Policy, Research and Campaigns
- Agreed motion to TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference, which calls for more a more inclusive education system to increase the number of disabled workers in the sector
- Agreed motion to TUC LGBT+ Workers’ Conference, which challenges anti-woke rhetoric in the media
- Highlighted the Stand Up to Racism Conference on 4th February and the NEU Leadership Convention on 9th March – ideally want every district represented at the leadership convention. One of our Executive members, Siobhan Collingwood is on the programme for this convention.
- Agreed to support Care for Calais’s Safe Passage Campaign
- Agreed some campaign messaging in the event of a successful pay ballot
- Long discussion on a proposed definition of transphobia. A working definition was voted for by a majority of the committee. The union will seek legal advice to ensure it is within the law and it will then go to other committees to agree how it will be implemented, before final discussion at full executive.
Joint General Secretaries Report
- Discussion around pay and ballot
- Results will be shared with Executive and Officers on Monday at 3pm then with members at 5pm via live zoom/facebook events
- Whatever the result, the data shows that our reps, officers and lay activists have been key
- Recruitment is a big difficulty and the media are always shocked when JGS talk about the Government not hitting their own targets for recruitment of trainee teachers
- A document on recruitment is coming out next week, which will detail the recruitment crisis with figures and it can be used for media interviews
- Education unions met with Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State. When challenged on recruitment, she said there were workforce shortages across all employment sectors. She refused to discuss pay and made it clear there was no additional funding
- Confirmation that the White Paper is not processing and mass academisation is therefore not imminent
NEC Meeting
Treasurer’s Report
The variance report is showing a negative but that is mostly down to the agreed spending on the ballot. Draft budget shows a small operating surplus. There has been an increase in local reserves from £13.5million to £15million. Let’s use it to support our actions if we reach the strike thresholds.
Membership Report
Membership has grown in all areas compared to this time last year.
Urgency Reports:
Policy, Research and Campaigns
- TUC Workers motions as discussed
- Safe Passage campaign as discussed
- Pay campaign messaging as discussed
- Transphobia definition as discussed
Bargaining and Negotiation
- Agreed escalating pattern of strike action if thresholds met – one day with other unions on 1st Feb, regional rolling action throughout Feb (North West would be out with Northern and Yorkshire on 28th February) then 2 days on 15th and 16th March with view to getting members to London to demonstrate on the 15th March as it is budget day.
- Agreed messaging to members especially supply staff
- Agreed to approach other education unions to discuss potential boycott of STRB process as health unions are doing with their independent pay review body
General Purposes Committee
- Where districts are moribund or have not had a quorate meeting and agreed to have a hardship fund, regional office and executive members will support to enable hardship fund to be established
- Agreed donation of £80,000 to Stand up to Racism
Member Defence
- Agreed nominations of to the Executive Working Group on Black Lives Matter
- AWR tool launched in December and is being accessed by members
Union Strength
- Agreed timetable of meetings, briefings, comms etc. if thresholds met
- Agreed motion to TUC Young Workers Conference on Poverty and Free School Meals for All
- Agreed that members can only hold one type of membership even if they hold two or more roles in one or more settings
Action Committee Report
- Since last Executive, the committee has agreed 9 indicative ballots and 4 formal ballots
- Northern Ireland members’ indicative ballot on pay was strong and they will now move to a formal ballot
International Committee Urgency
- Agreed to affiliate to European Trade Union Network for Palestine
- Agreed Cuba and Palestine delegations will take place 23-27 October 2023
Other Matters
- At the end of the meeting, the NASUWT ballot results had been published. Turnout of 42% with 9 out of 10 supporting action.
To contact me:
email: deborah.gwynn@neu.org.uk
Tel: 07740927603