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 to share refugee resource and celebrate/publicise events and good practice
- Discussion about the staffing review. There has been a period of informal consultation, 12 weeks forma consultation and every individual has had a one to one consultation. No compulsory redundancies, 5 years pay protection and enhanced voluntary package (one month for every year of service). Staff will have key specialisms/areas of policy but also need to be flexible to the respond to the union’s demands.
- Discussion on the Teaching Commission report that Mary Bousted will be taking to ministers (www.teachingcommission.co.uk/report)
- Discussion about “missing women” – increase in women delegates to national conference but several groups under-represented, including part-time women (25% of members, 18% of delegates) and women in primary sector (33% of members, 14% of delegates)
- Update on the Hearts and Minds campaign – pushing for a broad curriculum and will be a key campaign next term
- Agreed advice to members on Palestine Action
General Secretary’s Report
- Summary of staffing restructure – Daniel accepted that there have been mistakes made during the process, but he has had weekly meetings with Unite and GMB. GMB have not settled and agreed the new structure. Unite have been coming with new issues every time an agreement was reached on other issues.
- Daniel said he was proud on what the union had achieved this year and mentioned the increased pay award, the free school meals campaign and the Harris dispute amongst others, but pointed out there is still a lot more to be done
- On the dispute with the recognised support staff unions and TUC, he reported that the TUC have requested further information from the NEU.
NEC Meeting
Membership Report: Membership is fairly static.
Financial Report: Variance budget shows a larger surplus than budgeted due to higher than expected subs income and lower than expected expenditure.
Urgency Reports:
Policy, Research and Campaigns: Two amendments to TUC Congress on anti racism and a TUC led anti-austerity national demonstration
Bargaining and Negotiation: No urgency
Union Strength: No urgency
GPC: Agreed to increase subsistence rates in line with increase in membership rates, donation of £5,000 to Matchwomen’s festival and funding of up to £6,000 for an education trade unionist delegate from the Global South to attend the COP each year
Member Defence: Agreed to seek second opinion on the Supreme Court Ruling and to develop more anti racism training for case workers as well as recording discrimination cases more sytstematically.
International: Agreed donation of £5,000 to Nina Franklin Fund, £2,000 to the Hands Up Project and that any underspend of the International Budget be split between the Hebron International Network/Save the Children and Cuba Vive Medical Aid Appeal.
Action Committee
Since the start of the academic year, the action committee has authorised 368 indicative ballots and 204 formal ballots.
General Motion
Motion on raising awareness of the dangers of asbestos and how to organise around it was passed.
Debs Gwynn
District 4
Merseyside and Lancashire
Date: July 2025
email: deborah.gwynn@neu.org.uk