Sunday, September 30, 2012

Local Associations for National Action

LANAC meeting 30 09 2012

http://nutlan.org.uk/

LANAC is the Local Associations for National Action Campaign. I attended this meeting on behalf of WSTA. 22 Associations were represented. Many were from urban areas but I did speak to a delegate from Leicestershire who clearly had many of the same issues as arise in spread-out areas like West Sussex.

There was a good businesslike discussion about the successes of the Action Short Of Strike Action. These successes are in advance of the actual date of the action and the result of discussions with sensible heads...and not-so-sensible ones.

Action has been taken in schools without a previous record of union activity and with bullying management styles in place. LANAC will share good practice and the union's action will educate heads into the notion that bullying is not necessary for school success.

Examples of the little victories will be posted onto the LANAC website – I was nominated to work on the website - and publicised on a facebook page and on twitter.

If there are cases of individual victimisation, it was thought that the ballot would enable schools to move straight to strike action, giving seven days' notice, without another ballot. It is likely that such action could be sustained so members are not out of pocket.

For the future, it is possible that such action could become generalised.

Meanwhile members of the NASUWT and the NUT are experiencing working together and improving the workload for teachers. This co-operation is despite the fact that some NASUWT members believe that they are forbidden to attend joint meetings with the NUT. An increasing number are turning a blind eye to this instruction.

The Action Short Of Strike Action is against the government and it was thought likely that it would be the prelude to national strike action.

LANAC will be seeking the widest possible support for the TUC demonstration on 20th October. It is likely that co-ordinated strike action involving public sector workers will be necessary to turn the tide against austerity.

There will be a LANAC conference on 8th December to review the state of the action.

Meanwhile here is a model resolution suggested by the vice-chair of the meeting, Sally Kincaid

Model resolution/petition on pensions/pay/workload
We welcome the overwhelming vote in the NUT ballot for action on workload and pay, to add to the existing NUT ballot for action in defence of our pensions, which mirrors the NASUWT votes over the same issues. Together these votes give both unions a clear mandate to defend teachers and education from the assault on all fronts we face from the Coalition government.
We welcome the joint statement by the NUT and NASUWT calling for non-strike action in all schools over workload as part of this battle, but we are worried that the statement contained no clear indication of a plan to move to national strike action.
We pledge ourselves to seek to coordinate the non strike sanctions and any local strikes with the widest layer of schools possible.
But we believe however that if we want to beat the government national strike action is by far our strongest weapon and is absolutely necessary.
We believe that there should be a move to a programme of such action as soon as possible, and certainly this term. We believe each union should do this alongside each other and/or other unions facing similar battles.
 We therefore call on both the NUT and NASUWT executives to pursue discussions with all these unions and agree dates for such national strike action starting this term at their next meetings in early October
NUT: Fax motions or completed petitions to 020 7387 8458 or email a scanned copy (for petitions) or motion with numbers attending the meeting to c.blower@nut.org.uk
NASUWT: Fax motions or completed petitions  to 0121 457 6208 or email a scanned copy (for petitions) or motion with numbers attending the meeting to chris.keates@mail.nasuwt.org.uk

Monday, September 24, 2012

We are all plebs as far as the ConDems are concerned

Mitchell has denied that he called the police officers plebs. Instead he has called them "liars". That is a charge for which they could lose their jobs. But of course he couldn't. Being a liar is more of a qualification for his job!