My strategy to defend teachers and education

Gove attacks, Unions hesitate ... We Can't Let Things Carry On Like This !

http://goo.gl/jKaHeV

Teachers are being ground down by:
* Relentless workload
* Criticism instead of genuine support
* OFSTED, observations, academisation
* Education determined by politicians' prejudices instead of children's needs - with Labour’s Tristram Hunt joining Gove and Wilshaw in blaming teachers

Worse is to come - unless we make a stand:
* More colleagues bullied out
* Divisive, discriminatory performance pay cuts
* Struggling beyond 60 to claim enough pension
* Even longer hours as Gove deregulates conditions

Teachers have supported every strike but seen their unions prevaricate over what follows next:
* London NUT took action in 2012 - nothing followed
* Regional action restarted in 2013  - then national action promised for November was postponed
* Teachers were told we had won talks with Gove - but no talks have taken place, no progress made
* The NUT and NASUWT announced that, if Gove didn’t listen, there would be national action before February 13 - but that action hasn’t been called

MY STRATEGY TO DEFEND TEACHERS:

Further hesitation just invites further attacks. Teachers, of all people, should know that if you  issue an ultimatum, then you should stick to it !  If we are to stop Gove, we have to organise:
* A calendar of national action - not just isolated strike days
* Collections for hardship funds so all can strike
* Escalation from one to two-day action - warning Gove that more could follow
* A national work-to-rule to resist any attempt to worsen conditions
* A public campaign to defend children’s education with leaflets, meetings, a national demonstration

YES we need to fight for Professional Unity but we can’t afford to wait if others won’t act
* Encourage NASUWT members to demand joint action alongside their NUT colleagues
* Let’s coordinate strikes with other trade unions too

LET’S SET CLEAR OBJECTIVES !

* A life outside school - we need a minimum 20% PPA in all sectors
* Retirement at 60 - not 68
* No more than 1265 directed hours, 195 days
* Abolish OFSTED and league tables
* Guaranteed mainscale pay progression
* A £2,000 increase on all pay points

VOTE POWELL-DAVIES 1 in the NUT Executive elections in Inner London this March