Protecting TeachersDefending Education

Sixth Form Colleges

NUT & NASUWT working together

• If the Government does not enter into meaningful discussions, NUT and NASUWT will start a rolling programme of strike action as follows:

• Strike action on 27 June 2013 in NW England;

• Further strikes in the autumn term;

• A national strike before Christmas.

Why this campaign?

• Never before have our pay, our pensions, our conditions of employment and our professionalism been under such direct attack

• It is not an accident: this Government is determined to break up democratically controlled public education as we know it

• This is a strategic response from the NUT and NASUWT - working together on an unprecedented joint campaign

NUT & NASUWT working together

NUT & NASUWT working together

What does the declaration cover?• Workload pressures: damaging teachers’ health,

threatening educational standards• Pensions: unfair contribution increases and changes to

pension ages• Pay: proposals for local pay and performance related

pay and the continuation of the pay freeze• Conditions: attacks on national terms and conditions of

service, including through academisation of schools • Jobs: arising from funding cuts and curriculum reforms

NUT & NASUWT working together

Joint declaration launched on 28th May 2012Joint letter to Government demanding talksNUT members vote for action short of strike

action and discontinuous strike actionNUT members and some NASUWT members in

sixth form colleges commenced action short of strike action on 3 October

The NUT pensions ballot is still valid and the pensions campaign continues in tandem

NUT & NASUWT working together

Action short of strike action- the action instructions can be found at

http://www.teachers.org.uk/6fcs/campaign- their implementation is meant to reduce workload- they are about building teacher professionalism – by

demanding trust- they are not a withdrawal of goodwill

Where do 6FCs fit in?

• Disputes for schools/academies and for 6FCs are both disputes with the Secretary of State

• Dispute for 6FCs focuses on– Requiring 6FCs to have pay and conditions as

minimum equivalent to STPCD– Making this requirement a condition of funding – Limiting OFSTED inspections

Building the 6FC campaign

• NUT campaign has already highlighted the problems facing 6FCs and teachers

• Joint campaign takes forward the unanimous NUT Conference resolution on 6FCs by– continuing the pay and funding campaign– working towards pay comparability with schools– working with other unions– providing for action up to strike action

• Action against Government will further highlight the cuts - NUT & NASUWT represent majority of 6FC teachers

• NUT will continue to resist job cuts college by college

Who doesn’t support us? (1)

Sir Michael Wilshaw:

“If anyone says to you that 'staff morale is at an all-time low', you know you are doing something right."

2nd December 2011

Who doesn’t support us? (2)

Michael Gove:

those who object to the fragmentation of the system are "happy with failure" and are"enemies of promise” 

On average, 2 press notices have been issued every week this year which have demotivated and denigrated teachers – see the full list on the NUT website

Together We Can Win

We can win more if we are united• NUT & NASUWT together are 85% of teachers

A Giant Step

The Pensions Campaign

We have already won concessions on pensions• Teachers over 50 are protected• A pension which would have been £10,000 will

now be £10,800 (but should have been £15,000)• Two days strike action has won £800 a year!

What are our demands?

We want negotiations and agreements covering all schools and colleges to:

• provide protection on excessive workload• limit inspections and observations • defend the current pay arrangements and• end the pay freeze

Summer term activities

NUT/NASUW Rallies for Education in April and May

Watch out for other activities!