NUT conference

"No More SATS!"

DELEGATES TO the National Union of Teachers (NUT) annual conference stood up and chanted: "No More SATS, No More SATS!" when the resolution to boycott SATS was passed unanimously. The boycott of these tests, taken by children at ages seven, eleven and fourteen, is planned to start in 2004.

Delegates' mood was if the other teacher unions don't go in with the boycott, the NUT should go it alone. Speaker after speaker spoke about how damaging the tests were - labelling children 'failures' as young as seven.

They said there's so much anger against SATS, members of other teaching unions would join the action on the ground anyway.

Socialist Party member Linda Taaffe, a member of the NUT's national executive, spoke at a fringe meeting on fighting SATS. Linda warned that the executive committee would only put the conference decision on SATS into action, by organising the ballot and an effective campaign, if pressure was put on them from grass roots level. She explained how the campaign has to be built involving all teachers, parents, governors and school students.

The boycott will have a knock-on effect on the whole basis of New Labour's education agenda - the league tables and performance-related pay, so an effective campaign has to be built before and after the ballot.

On the question of cuts and redundancies because of the shortfall in school budgets, the mood was overwhelmingly that strike action would have to be organised if any teachers were sacked. Delegates gave endless examples of schools where teachers' jobs were at risk and there was a determined mood to fight back and defend jobs.

Jane James

USDAW conference

Fighting For Low-Paid Workers

THIS YEAR'S shopworkers' union USDAW conference takes place at the end of a horrendous war for oil and influence in the Middle East. Tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians have died and £ billions of taxpayers' money has been spent, whilst the majority of the trade union leaders did nothing!

Robbie Segal, USDAW executive council, personal capacity

USDAW's executive council supported the TUC's call for a second UN resolution. But the president of USDAW told us to participate in the anti-war demonstrations as individuals.

The British National Party (BNP) are standing 200 candidates the local elections in England and Wales. USDAW is helping to teach activists how to answer questions on the doorstep about the BNP and has also affiliated to anti-fascist magazine Searchlight.

Yet six years after the election of a New Labour government we have seen little or no improvement for those living in absolute poverty. It is New Labour's lack of a real alternative and its slavish worship of big business that has helped the rise of the BNP.

Conference will debate the change of rule agreed by the executive council relating to contributions. 95% will go to central funds and 5% will remain in the branch.

All training of shop stewards and one conference delegate's expenses will be paid from central funds.

This will be seen as a real attack on the sovereignty of the branches. Most branches' money is already administered by the local union offices, apart from the industrial branches.

We must demand transparency of all accounts so that members see where the officials are spending our money.

USDAW has made representations on the government's pensions green paper. As a union representing low-paid workers, we have seen closures of good final salary schemes and fundamental changes to provision for all members.

Companies have gone into liquidation, leaving pension schemes under-funded. Many companies use our pension funds for their own use.

We must have protection for our deferred wages and a good secure, universal state pension.

We must campaign together with young people to make sure that our retirement is not in poverty.

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