LEICESTERSHIRE NUT

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LEICESTERSHIRE NUT SUPPLY BRIEFING

A successful event took place on Monday 9 January at the Peepul Centre in Leicester. Attended by a number of Supply members, the event discussed some key issues and provided an update on some important developments, including the recent Agency Working Regulations.

Leicestershire NUT is the only teacher organisation to organise this kind of local event for Supply members, with this being the third such event. 

Further information for supply members will be posted this term, but supply members should certainly check out the national website for details of a Behaviour Management course being organised in Nottingham in April.

 

LEICESTERSHIRE NUT GENERAL MEETING

Following the advance notice provided to members at the end of last term, a General Meeting was held at the Field Head Hotel in Markfield on 10 January.

As well as discussing academy issues and the continuing pension campaign, the meeting voted to prioritise the following mations for debate at the Easter Annual Conference:

Motion 1 Health & Safety

Motion 9 Supply Teachers

Motion 20 Local Authority Support Services

Motion 33 NUT 'Vision for Education'

Motion 65 Representing Members via a lay led union

Motion 72 Pensions

Motion 54 Racist Abuse & Discrimination

 

Conference Business Committee considers the results of this voting when it is deciding on the order of debate of motions at Conference.

The General Meeting also agreed to nominate Ian Leaver as our National Executive Member for the next period of office.

 

***PENSIONS CAMPAIGN UPDATE***

 

 As members may know, the NUT National Executive meets this week (Jan 12) to consider its response to the most recent changes proposed by the Government. The outcome of the meeting will appear on the NUT national website as soon as possible.

 

PENSIONS CAMPAIGN AND 30 NOV STRIKE - FAQs

 

Leicestershire NUT urges all members to support the strike on 30 November. We must continue to show that we are not prepared to accept the government proposals to worsen our pensions. Over 25 public sector unions will also be taking part in what is sure to be a historic event. There is now a clear and growing opposition to government plans to worsen public sector pensions.

Leicestershire NUT urges members to assemble in Leicester at the Holiday Inn end of High Street, and join the 11.30 march to the rally in the Athena Centre on Rutland Street, where there will be speakers and music. The NUT Deputy General Secretary, Kevin Courtney, will be one of the speakers.

You do not have to tell your Head in advance that you will be taking part. NUT members should not be intimidated into not supporting this strike. You do not have to contact the school on the morning of the strike. Try to get to the march and rally, hear the speakers, meet friends and colleagues, and show your opposition to the pension proposals.

 

Today (2 Nov) saw the Government try to create disunity by making an announcement of  alleged positive changes to its previous proposals on public sector pensions. This is the NUT Response:

"Dear Colleague

You will be aware that the Government has made a revised offer during today’s TUC-led discussions.  The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, also made a statement to the House of Commons.  The Government says this is a generous offer; we do not agree.

We have prepared a briefing note on today’s offer with information on the detail of the offer and how it impacts upon our members’ pensions – please see below.

The NUT will now be considering its response to the Government’s proposals and we will be in discussions with the TUC and with other teacher unions.  The NUT Executive meets next on 10 November providing an opportunity to give further consideration to the offer.

We remain committed, however, to action on 30 November in conjunction with other unions if the Government does not move further to secure a negotiated settlement on pensions.

Yours sincerely

CHRISTINE BLOWER                                           KEVIN COURTNEY

General Secretary                                                 Deputy General Secretary"

 

NUT Briefing on 2 November Government Offer

Powerpoint Presentation used at joint Leicestershire/City of Leicester Briefing event at The Peepul Centre, 2 November.

 

United first day of action – November 30

The NUT supports the call for a first day of industrial action on 30th November 2011. This follows a decision at the TUC for co-ordinated strike action against the cuts being proposed to public sector pensions.

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers union, said;

"The Government has time and again refused to listen to the growing anger about proposed changes to public sector pensions. Despite there being no evidence to suggest that our pensions are unaffordable, the Government persists in stating that cuts need to be made.

"This is an unacceptable and shameful way of conducting negotiations. The NUT will be giving its full support to this TUC-led day of action on November 30. The Government has given us, and the other unions taking part, no other option."

 

30 JUNE STRIKE

The rally was certainly an event to remember. A big screen enabled everyone to see and hear the speakers, all of whom made interesting and valuable contributions, and the atmosphere was very positive. Your Secretary, Ian leaver from City NUT, Ken Wheatley from ATL, Tony Church from PCS, Deputy Mayor Rory Palmer, and Di Campbell from UCU all spoke effectively, as did Rich Wrigley a young teacher from Gateway College, and Becki Heagney from Youth Fight For Jobs.

The rally was also certainly helped by the contributions of local musicians - all of whom had links to the NUT, PCS or UCU. Thanks to Kenny Wilson, Grace Petrie, KGB, and The Splitters.

Only time will tell whether this strike will have been successful in terms of persuading the coalition that they should withdraw their attack on teacher pensions. But this rally, along with countless others across the country, sent a powerful message to the government.

The speeches can be watched by following this link.

Pictures of the rally can be found on this link.

NUT members should be congratulated for taking part in the strike action. This was not an easy decision to make for many colleagues, but we have to protect our pensions and make it clear how angry we are about these proposals.

The campaign continues. Make sure you write to your MP, and keep the letters flowing to the local media.

Check out the Pensions Special Leicestershire Teacher

CHECK OUT HOW YOU WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE PENSIONS PROPOSALS HERE

PENSIONS CAMPAIGN

As members will know, the NUT 2011 Annual Conference voted unanimously to support the campaign to oppose the attacks on teacher pensions. All Leicestershire delegates supported the Executive Priority Motion, and the motion saw members being balloted.The NUT has been heartened by the decision of ATL, UCU, NASUWT, PCS, UNISON and other public sector unions to also support action to oppose these attacks, and we hope others will also support taking a firm and robust stance against government plans to worsen public sector pensions. This is an issue which unites all teachers, and all public sector workers, and co-ordinated action is clearly the best way forward.

FURTHER DETAILS AVAILABLE HERE

 

ACADEMIES FOR ALL?

The NUT is opposed to any extension of the Academies programme and is very worried about the proposals to make it 'easier' for schools to become Academies. 'Easier' will mean little public consultation about whether a community school should become an Academy, and less opportunity to oppose those proposals. The decision about what happens to our schools will be with a very small group of people indeed, which is profoundly undemocratic. While this is being proposed in the name of'parental choice', where will the choice be when all schools are Academies?

The Academies programme represents a significant attack on state education, local authorities, national pay, terms and conditions for teachers, and is a sustained attack on the democratic accountability of schools.

Find out more on the Academies Page.

 

GENERAL ELECTION

General Election Results for Leicestershire are here

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Leicestershire NUT is the largest teachers' union in the County. We have more than 2700 members in primary, secondary and special schools across the County, as well as members employed centrally by the Authority and working as Supply teachers. We also recruit student teachers.

QUALIFYING in 2011?

See further down page for how to get 4 terms membership for just a quid

WHAT WE DO

Our job is to represent and protect the interests of NUT members in the County. We do this by being part of the biggest teachers' union in Europe, and by representing individual members when required. We also negotiate agreements and policies at County Hall with the Local Authority, and try to agree documents which reflect national and local NUT policies. We then support our Reps in Schools.

HOW WE DO IT

The day to day work of the union is the responsibility of the Secretary, along with a number of voluntary union officers drawn from the Committee. The Secretary has the lead role in negotiations with Local Authority Officers, and is sometimes supported by Committee members who can act as delegates on various consultative bodies.

The Committee meets monthly to decide policy, formulate responses and discuss issues.

Leicestershire NUT is also supported by an invaluable network of School Representatives and Correspondents, all busily acting on behalf of members. Leicestershire NUT functions well because of the work done by these Reps and correspondents in schools.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

There are many ways in which you can get involved in Leicestershire NUT.

• You're involved by looking at this website!
• Read The Leicestershire Teacher and other NUT material
• Talk to your School Rep and other members
• Attend school NUT meetings
• Attend a General Meeting - times and agendas published on this site
• Contact the Secretary and attend Committee meetings
• Become more involved, get training and support members as an Officer, Rep, Correspondent, webpage author or Organiser.

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