At Sheffield NUT executive meeting we passed a motion with near unanimous support to state that we not only support the National Executives decision to stand firm and continue action, but that if we are not to squander the action taken so far, that we need a strike day named soon, and further, that action should escalate. This could be to a two-day strike next, or two named strike days in two months.

Photo Gallery 30 November 2011

Photo Gallery 2: School-banners

Video of the Strike Day by Occupy Sheffield

(External links do not directly represent Sheffield NUT)

Congratulations to all the strikers and supporters who made this historic strike a success

Some FAQs:

If the Headteacher asks me if I am striking, do I have to answer:

Emphatically not. Heads are entitled to ask. We are not obliged to answer. All the unions will give the same guidance on this. All we are obliged to do by law is to give the number of our members at school. As a gesture of goodwill we might provide a list of members. But beyond that we simply say that we have an expectation that all our members will be supporting the democratic decision we have taken to strike. We advise members to reply either “Please discuss that with my rep” or if you prefer “I have not made my mind up yet.”

Are there any exemptions from the strike, such as for those in the last year of service or approaching maternity leave.

Those approaching retirement need no longer worry about striking as they had to before 2007. The changes to pension that came in last year altered the calculation from “last year of service” to best of the following 2 options: “last year of service not including strike days” and “best 3 of the last 10 years of service.”

Those within 3 months of an expected maternity leave may suffer a very slight reduction in maternity pay but this is unlikely to be significant. Members who are pregnant are advised to check the detailed advice available on the NUT website.

Is there any strike pay?

No. The union cannot afford to give strike pay for national action in the way that we sometimes do for school-by-school action. There is, however, a local hardship fund. All teachers facing particular hardship need to submit an application for assistance to the union office before 25th November if they would like confirmation of the amount we are able to pay before the strike day. Please contact the office for an application form. Please be aware

that the deadline for submitting applications is 9th December.

For members who are able to contribute towards the hardship fund please send any cheques payable to “NUT Sheffield”

Aren’t the Government making concessions?

Yes and No. Yes, they have made some concessions to the over 50s and moved slightly on the accrual rate (from 1/65 to 1/60). This means that the action we have taken has already proved worthwhile and that striking can and does make a difference. However, the concessions are still very small compared to the scale of the attack on our pension scheme. Even those over 50 will still have to pay the increased contributions and will have their pensions heavily devalued by the switch from RPI to CPI. The rest of us will also have to pay more, and face a huge reduction in pension if they can’t remain in the classroom until the age of 68.

Cutting pensions is worse than cutting wages. A wage cut is a one-off, but continuous attacks on our pension scheme undermine its integrity and the confidence of younger teachers which is the key to its survival.

I have just joined the NUT and I wasn’t balloted in June. Can I still strike?

Yes. You are protected by the NUT in taking strike action even if you join on the day of the action. However, you must be part of the Teachers Pension Scheme or LGPS to take part. This therefore excludes many supply teacher.

June 30 Joint Strike Day photo album click here

WHY WE ARE IN A CAMPAIGN OF STRIKE ACTION

The government isn't listening. We believe that only united-action can win any concessions from this government.

What a member might lose from a day's strike is a drop in the ocean compared with what we stand to lose- use the pensions calculator and be prepared for a shock!

How much would I lose from the governments tax on our pensions? Use the NUT pensions loss calculator

Resources for reps are above-left in the sidebar of this webpage

Use the poster below or adapt it from this file

TUC MARCH FOR THE ALTERNATIVE

26 March 2011

Up to half a million people attended this historic march on Saturday 26 March. These photos only hint at the scale and diversity of the demonstration

Sheffield NUT is proud to have been represented in large numbers, with NUT members and their families, and the atmosphere was carnival-like!

We believe that this undeniable huge protest, with trade unionists at its core, will give more confidence to the ongoing battle against devastating public-sector cuts.

Anti-Cuts Protest at Lib Dem Conference

March 12th: 5000 people turned up to protest against Con-Dem Cuts

RAWMARSH VICTORY

The members of the NUT at Rawmarsh Community school, Rotherham took a number of days of discontinuous strike action, in response to a programme of savage staff cuts being proposed by the new Headteacher and Governing body at Rawmarsh Community School.

Initially over 30 redundancies were proposed including 20 teachers with staff losing jobs in the middle of the school year causing massive disruption to children taking exams.

Following the action by the NUT, no compulsory redundancies were made.

School, College and Uni Student Walkouts Against Cuts

(image- Bristol walkout)

24th Nov 2010: The Guardian reported that in Sheffield 2500 students from schools, college and the universities joined the national walkout protest against cuts in EMA and rises to tuition fees.

Read the Guardian Report here

Read the Sheffield Star report here

Sheffield University Student Occupation

Sheffield NUT supported the December occupation protest at Sheffield University.

Their action to protest against the scrapping of EMA and the rises in tuition fees is inspirational.

They have forged strong solidarity with Sheffield trade-union groups, and at the rally pictured above Bill Greenshields, ex-NUT President, spoke passionately about how students and workers can unite to fight the Tory cuts.

Sheffield Joint-Union Demo Against Cuts

A rainy Saturday (Oct 23rd) failed to deter a large march and rally in Sheffield, called by the Regional TUC. The NUT banner joined banners from UNISON, UNITE, FBU and Sheffield Students Union, amongst many others. This was part of a day of protests across the country. Read the BBC report here.

‘Free’ Schools project flounders

Michael Gove’s ‘Free’ School proposals are running into widespread opposition. Click here

Budget Cut-Backs- all in the same boat?

Unsurprisingly, the bankers whose mistakes we are now meant to start paying for, are still doing well from their self-made crisis. The Financial Times reports that banks 'drew sighs of relief' after the budget was announced. Meanwhile, public sector workers face 20% VAT, a pay-freeze and cuts. 'We're all in the same boat' only if you mean the Titanic, with the top-deck escaping the icy-seas we'll be thrown into.

The good news is that on budget day, protests called around the country by the Right to Work campaign, and supported by the NUT and other unions, set the tone of unity and resistance which will need to guide us through the months and years to come. Read the Right to Work web-report here, on all the protests (scroll-down to Sheffield)

Too much Planning?

Are you being asked to provide lesson plans for lessons which aren't being observed?

Did you know that nationally agreed guidance says that notes in your planner can be acceptable evidence of planning, in conjunction with a scheme of work? Read more here

For advice, contact our Sheffield office

Tackling Workload

The NUT has produced a suite of advice and guidance documents which you may find useful in tackling workload problems in your school. This can be found in the 'Stronger Together' section of the NUT website at www.teachers.org.uk/strongertogether.

Growing opposition to Academies

The Children’s Services Network and Local Government Information Unit have produced a useful briefing.
Read more on our Academies Page

Anti-Academies Alliance warning on 'Swedish/Free' Schools

Below floor target schools NOT failing- Sheffield NUT report

Ben Morris, Membership Secretary on Sheffield NUT Exec, and a primary school teacher, has produced a report exposing the deception and bullying of labelling some Sheffield schools as failing. Read his informative and revealing report here

PRIORITY CAMPAIGN:

RESISTING BULLYING BY MANAGERS

Read our newsletter article here- how the pressure of workload and observations is destroying teaching, and what we can do to resist this deluge from above

This will be the focus of our general meeting on January 31st. Please come along- together we are stronger!

5pm, Tuesday 31st Jan

Speaker- John Illingworth

Quaker Meeting House

(town centre- near the Cathedral)

PENSIONS CAMPAIGN UPDATES