Building Up Resistance to the GERM

Building Up Resistance to the GERM

On Saturday May 24th the NUT hosted a conference of some 100 members to consider the global attack on state education and teacher unions. This was by some distance the best international event the Union has held in my memory. For one thing it was worthwhile and meaningful because of what it wasn't. This was not, for example, a call to celebrate the progressive policies of otherwise autocratic and anti-union regimes or movements. This was not a carnival of populism. Nor was it an event where we were urged to petition and lobby the ruling classes of the world to be nicer to the developed world and provide some semblance of an education to the poor. No, this was different and refreshing. This was about solidarity.

Global Education 'Reform': Building Resistance and Solidarity (the title says it all) was organised around the principle that we should learn from the actual experiences of teacher trade unionists who have been and remain at the forefront of the fight to defend education from the GERM. After a brief plenary overview from Professor Susan Roberts of Bristol University we were offered the choice of eight workshops run, for the most part, by participants in the global resistance to neo-liberal education policies. Time allowed each of us to attend just three but all looked valuable and interesting. The sessions were genuinely global dealing with Ecuador, Sweden, Venezuela, Greece, India, Chicago, Mexico.

To come away with more hope than despair I should have reversed the order of my choices. The session on the Chicago Teachers Union was led by Kristine, a young teacher activist who became involved in her union because it was failing abjectly to defend the city's schools from closure and privatisation. Worse than that the union was led by people close to the very Democrat political machine responsible for the 'reform' agenda, people far more inclined to sell these policies than resist them. During the course of the teachers' struggle their opponents (Arne Duncan, Rahm Emanuel) became more rather than less powerful given their closeness to the Chicago-based first African-American President, Barack Obama. Against all these odds (a compliant union, powerful opponents) Chicago teachers set about organising to fight back. In a theme that was common in all the sessions I attended they had to take on their union so that they could more effectively take on their employers and political bosses. The lessons for militants in the UK are many. The transformation of the CTU started from the bottom up when activists got together to organise the Caucus of Radical Educators (CORE). They took their fight out into the community organising among parent and students to win the political arguments. They ensured that they were seen as the experts on education in the city producing an alternative vision in their handbook 'The Schools Chicago Students Deserve'. And crucially they used this painstaking organisational and campaigning work to set the ground work for a serious industrial action strategy which was designed from the start not to protest but to win. The inspiring story of how they did this can be found on their own website www.ctunet.com.

The session on Mexico echoed some of these themes but in a less hopeful vein. The Mexican teachers union has a history of corruption and political cronyism. Its leaders explicitly promoted neo-liberal reforms in alliance with the ruling parties. The most prominent recent leader Elba Esther Gordillo was recently imprisoned for embezzlement but her downfall was more to do with political score-settling within the ruling class than self-assertion by her members. There is a growing and courageous opposition within the National Education Workers Union (SNTE) but the speaker was  very sober about the chances of an imminent transformation. Of 52 regions in the union the opposition CNTE controls just 5. Alternative education for the poorest Mexicans is often organised and delivered in areas outside government control, eg the Zapatistas University of the Earth.

On the basis that I knew little about it I rounded off with India. I left this session doubting the extent to which any of the teacher unions were really independent in any meaningful sense. All are connected to one of the major political parties. The biggest, which is linked to the Left party, appears to have very limited local organisation under the national facade. The only hope for teachers facing that kind of barrier is organisation from  below and the stimulus this gets from the conditions at work and the lived experience of members on the ground and the communities they work in. If there is no meaningful local structure or means of engagement the prospects for resistance are so much harder. Not impossible though; people create their own structures where there are none and even in India there were signs of hope.

The day finished with some remarks from Lois Weiner, adviser to the Chicago Teachers amongst others and Professor of Education at New Jersey City University. A summary of Lois's comments can be seen here (http://newpol.org/content/reimagining-and-remaking-union-solidarity). She argued for a dynamic and bold approach to resistance encompassing, parents, students, the wider community served by public/state schools and educationalists who oppose the neo-liberal education project. I was pleased that she took the opportunity to counsel the NUT to move beyond one day protests and to consider bolder tactics, mentioning in particular the idea of extended school occupations with parents 'making schools sites of human emancipation'.

It was a real breath of fresh air and worth giving up the first Saturday of the half-term to see 100 NUT members engaging with such radical, transformative and at the same time concrete ideas. The message here was neither that everything is grim and hopeless nor that we are on the brink of victory if only we could learn from x. Instead we are involved in a titanic and multi-faceted struggle of immense importance to the future of children across the world and we need to remain in touch with each other and learn from each other constantly if we are to win it. We also need to start out understanding how important it is and believing we can win.

Patrick Murphy

Report from LANAC meeting 17th May

Campaign, Co-Ordinate, Escalate - a report from LANAC's Steering Committee

Twenty delegates and observers from fourteen different NUT Associations met in Coventry yesterday for LANAC's first national Steering Committee since Easter's NUT Conference (Those in attendance were from Lewisham, Rotherham, Central Notts, Dudley, Coventry, East London, Northampton, Central Bedfordshire, Hackney, Bristol, Barking and Dagenham, Leeds and Warwickshire NUT Associations).
Together with the apologies given from others busy at other NUT events and/or campaigning activities, this wide-ranging turnout confirmed that the Local Associations National Action Campaign is maintaining the momentum we generated at Annual Conference. LANAC's call for a calendar of ongoing strike action became a central part of Easter's debates - and will remain a key issue in the ongoing discussions about how to achieve our campaign objectives.

Campaign

First and foremost, we all agreed that LANAC needed to do everything it could to build the Union's immediate campaigning activities this term. As explained in our post-Conference bulletin (attached) , these include campaign stalls, the Parliamentary Lobby on 10th June and the People's Assembly demonstration on 21st June. Reports included confirmation of coaches being booked for the London demo, plans for both local lobbying and lobbying in Parliament on June 10th, as well as local campaign stalls and pre-strike rallies with parents.

Co-Ordinate

Of course, getting agreement to release colleagues to attend a Lobby is not always straightforward. To generate enthusiasm, the campaigning activities have to be linked to a wider plan to build for further strike action. That enthusiasm will hopefully be strengthened by the confirmation that support staff unions are also balloting for strike action over pay.
We understand that UNISON's ballot opens on May 23rd and closes a month later and that, if members vote 'Yes', then, as the TES reported today, July 10th is the date being discussed as the first one-day strike in their ongoing campaign.
With NUT Conference agreeing that we should show 'flexibility' on the timescale for our own one-day strike this term, this raises a real prospect of joint strike action by both teachers and support staff members at the end of term. Other unions like the PCS and FBU may also consider taking action alongside us too.
Obviously, support staff unions first have to win their ballot - and teachers can play a role in encouraging their colleagues to vote. Hopefully, the prospect of a joint strike will encourage support staff to vote for action. It would certainly have a bigger impact in closing schools than if unions strike separately on different days. It would also help build unity across school staff. It will also ask questions of the NASUWT leadership who, let's hope, might also agree to take action given the continuing lack of any obvious 'progress' in talks with Ministers and their DfE officials.
As the discussion at the LANAC meeting illustrated, there are still some complications with co-ordinating action. UNISON have not balloted Academies at this stage, although I understand that they have plans to do so in time for them to be included in any further action after the summer holidays. July 10th is also very close to the end of term in some Local Authorities and, if there is a chance for unions to discuss further before final legal notices are issued, a slightly earlier date might be beneficial. However overall, LANAC's meeting agreed that the benefits of co-ordinated action still outweighed these difficulties.
The NUT Executive will be meeting on Thursday (May 22nd) to confirm the Union's decision.

Escalate

The prospect of co-ordinated action before the summer break also raises the prospect of further co-ordinated action next term too. Certainly the UNISON Local Government newsletter sent to its branches makes clear that 10 July is planned to be "the first one-day strike as part of a programme of action". After all, other unions besides the NUT are also drawing conclusions about the need for a calendar of escalating action if they are to have a real impact on their employers.
It would be inexcusable to allow a situation to arise where other unions were looking to escalate action after the summer break but to find that the NUT, with all its potential strength, were holding back from action. Unfortunately, that would be the case if the Executive insisted on a long series of 'surveys' at the beginning of the Autumn Term.
Despite warnings from some delegates supporting LANAC, NUT Conference did vote for a clause which could be interpreted as requiring such a delay. However, the actual wording instructed the Executive to "consult with members about a series of strikes ... this should include putting the case for such action to members and consulting with them through random representative surveys and fact-finding from divisions, associations and regional briefings". This leaves flexibility for a range of consultation methods, not just 'surveys,' and could - and should - start this term.
LANAC's Committee recommended that members of the NUT Executive press for an earlier consultation process to allow the NUT to be ready to escalate action without unnecessary delay, particularly if the prospect of earlier co-ordination arises on a date or dates nearer the beginning of the Autumn Term. We also believe that our proposal of a calendar of escalating action, including the possibility of two-day strikes, should be an important option discussed with members as part of any consultation.
To be convinced to strike, members need to know that they are giving up pay for a reason. That means showing colleagues that they are taking part in action that is of sufficient strength to be able to win serious concessions from this Government.

Organising LANAC

The Committee also discussed a number of other proposals to organise LANAC including:
Setting a date for another LANAC Committee (provisionally October 4th) which, according to our rules, will also elect Steering Committee Officers (thanks were given to both Julie Lyon Taylor and Sally Kincaid who will be standing down as Chair and Vice-Chair).
Contacting Associations to invite reaffiliations - and new affiliations! - for 2014/15. The present annual affiliation fee of £10 will remain for now but we will discuss increasing this at our 'AGM' in October.
Planning a Conference later in the Autumn Term with a theme around organising strong Associations and supporting reps
Encouraging local LANAC meetings to bring together and support reps on a local basis
After the successful initiative in Brighton 2014, booking a 'LANAC' hotel for the 2015 Conference in Harrogate and also circulating draft motions in line with LANAC's agreed aims and policies
Finally, of course, plans were made for winning support for the candidates backed by LANAC for the GS and DGS - Martin Powell-Davies and Patrick Murphy.

http://nutlan.org.uk/?q=node/76518

Get your association to nominate now

Use this form to nominate after a vote at a quorate general meeting of your association 

NOMINATE PATRICK MURPHY FOR NUT DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY

• ·         FIGHT TO WIN

• ·        TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTION TO REDUCE WORKLOAD

• ·         PUT THE SCHOOL GROUP AT THE HEART OF THE UNION

• ·         ONE UNION FOR ALL SCHOOL WORKERS

• ·         TEACHERS’ LEADERS ON A TEACHERS SALARY

Why I am asking for support as NUT Deputy General Secretary

Winning our disputes

Teachers are not winning the dispute with Michael Gove. We have now felt the third consecutive increase in our pension contributions, national pay scales have been abolished and the retirement age for the vast majority of teachers has risen by several years.  Stupidity, as Einstein once said, is continuing to do the same thing and expecting different results. It is decision time for the NUT; it is time to give up or step up. With 40% of new teachers leaving the job within five years we need to step up the action to a level where the Secretary of State and our members can see that we are serious.

We need to combine the public campaigning, street stalls and political pressure with a plan for ongoing and escalating industrial action which can win serious improvements. We need precise demands instead of bland calls for Gove to "consider compromise".

I have proposed, argued and voted for such an approach at every stage in this campaign

The NUT has been right to turn outwards to parents and the public in the campaign to stand up for education. But, industrially, we built up momentum in 2011 only to allow it to dissipate.

 Three one day national strikes spread over three years, and one set of regional strikes, is not enough to beat Gove, or to put real pressure for improvements on a possible Labour government after 2015.

Reducing Workload

It is good that the STRB rejected Michael Gove’s plans to lengthen school terms and the working day.  But that prevented teacher workload from becoming even worse, it doesn’t make it any better. We need changes which enable us to come fresh to our classrooms, which free us from bureaucracy to focus on teaching, and which make teaching a tolerable job.

The NUT-NASUWT joint workload action achieved gains, but only in a small number of schools.

The DfE workload survey shows that teachers' average weekly hours have increased to 59 for primary and 56 for secondary.

The union should re-launch and step up the workload action, and focus it more tightly on a few key pressure points such as appraisal targets, data entry, requirements to submit lesson plans, meetings, and observations. Victories on those issues will rebuild union power to help us win on pay, pensions, etc.

We should fight, in alliance with parents and the wider public, for a national contract for decent conditions which cover all teachers in state-funded schools. 

Organising from the bottom

Maintain local divisions and associations but build workplace groups and academy chain committees.

I want to see local associations and divisions remain as the local democratic focus for members. It makes sense for me mbers to link up each other in the areas where they live and work. But they are no longer enough on their own.  With the growth of academies and the weakening of local authorities it is more important than ever that the workplace group is strengthened and empowered within union structures. School groups should be at the heart of the Union. The union should build committees to link school groups across Academy chains. Negotiations with academy chains should wherever possible be led and controlled by members working in those chains. Union decision-making should be more transparent, with the Executive discussing proposals from the rank and file and publishing its minutes.

One school workers’ union

With all teachers - and all support staff - in one union we can defend education and protect all our conditions more effectively.

Picking up on our message of "Fair Pensions For All", the union should also be politically active, working with the rest of the labour movement to advance social equality, social provision, workers' rights, and education which inspires and liberates.

A teachers’ leader on a teachers’ salary.

Union leaders should be much closer to their members and to the conditions they experience. If elected I would remain on my current teachers’ salary point. 

Patrick is the Division Secretary for Leeds NUT and National Executive member for district 4 (Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield). He is an active socialist, a supporter of the Local Associations National Action Campaign and a member of the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty.