Unison, Unite and the National Education Union (NEU), all with school support staff members, have decided to ballot their members for strike action to win a decent, fully funded pay rise rather than facing even more cuts and redundancies in schools.
We need maximum unity and coordination between the unions to ensure that action is as strong as possible. But, following a complaint from Unison, Unite and GMB, the TUC General Council is looking to take disciplinary action against the NEU, on the basis that it is breaching previous TUC decisions.
GMB and Unison local government conferences have passed motions against the NEU campaigning among support staff. However, while that might be the lead given from the top, in practice this is out of kilter with the mood of members on the ground who, when it comes to a struggle, will want to fight in unity. At Unison conference a third of the conference voted against the motion.
Unison delegate Saffy Hill-Chambers said at the rostrum:
“The NEU has a presence in every school and far more reps than we do in schools but they are not allowed to collectively bargain for their 65,000 support staff. How will this motion seek to benefit those members? Do we not have a duty to think of the interests of the trade union movement as a whole, of the working class as a whole? If the NEU can’t nationally organise for their support staff, we are potentially creating 65,000 strike breakers, which doesn’t only betray them, but every one of our support staff members whose industrial action will be shot in the foot as a result.
“In Surrey, we have a great relationship between Unison and the NEU, working together for our members against the employers that do not care what union the members are part of. Creating resentment and driving a wedge between our unions will do nothing to support our members. We need solidarity and unity in schools to fight for all school staff.”
Sheila Caffrey, NEU National Executive member, says, in a personal capacity:
“The NEU has engaged in talks with the other unions in good faith and wants to continue to do so. But the NEU should continue to stand firm in fighting for all its members – this is not detrimental to the trade union movement but strengthens it, as thousands of previously unorganised workers have joined a union and become activists in schools.
“We’re in the middle of a battle over pay and funding, with the risk of thousands of support staff members losing their jobs – now is not the time to cause confusion or step back from that battle. Our indicative ballot results and vote at the special conference are the mood of our members.
“We must not fall into the trap of pitting members of different unions against each other – we are seeking a united struggle and appeal to members of the other unions to all stand together. The best way to work through all that is through discussion and collaborative campaigning, including being together on the picket line.
“Maximum unity as a position can be won at the TUC Congress. We need to reach out to other unions and wider membership and explain that this isn’t about division, but about maximum unity.”
