Following last week’s day of industrial action by members of the NUT and NASUWT, this in from Dominic Coughlin, Assistant Secretary for the National Union of Teachers. Ed
In the Regional industrial action on Thursday 17th NUT and NASUWT went on strike for a single day. The strike was to protest against the Government’s plans for Teachers, not against individual Schools.
The Unions had been prepared to call off the strike provided that Mr. Gove agreed to:
- carry out and publish the agreed valuation of Teachers’ Pension Scheme;
- withdraw the plans he has already announced, which will worsen the Terms and Conditions for Teachers, and;
- open meaningful talks over these plans.
He has refused to discuss the worsening of Teachers’ Terms and Conditions, leaving Teachers with two choices:
- accept enormous and far-reaching worsening of their Terms and Conditions or;
- take action against his plans.
Unsurprisingly, Teachers chose the latter course. Which employees would welcome having their Terms and Conditions scrapped unilaterally? Some of the striking Teachers took part a rally in London, while others, representing one third of the Schools affected, met in the Riverside centre in Newport. After the meeting the IoW NUT Banner was taken to join the Rally in Portsmouth.
John McGee, the NUT Secretary for the Island, expressed concern at some of the tactics reportedly employed by some of the Schools in order to avoid closing. He said,
“Drafting in cohorts of people who are not trained as Teachers and who may not have the security clearance of Teachers to ‘look after groups of pupils,’ seemed reckless, insulting and potentially dangerous for children.
“In addition to breaking Trade Union regulations, such action could be interpreted as doing Mr. Gove’s job, of de-skilling the Profession, for him.
“Such efforts to undermine the strike are hardly likely to foster positive relations between School Leadership and their Staff.”
Image: alamosbasement under CC BY 2.0
