NUT activists prepare for action

NUT members on the 30 June coordinated strike action with PCS, ATL and UCU teaching unions, photo Paul Mattsson

NUT members on the 30 June coordinated strike action with PCS, ATL and UCU teaching unions, photo Paul Mattsson   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Delegates from 23 different National Union of Teachers (NUT) associations met in Leeds on 29 September for the first steering committee of LANAC – the Local Associations Network Action Campaign.

LANAC was launched after two packed meetings of NUT delegates at the annual conference. It brings together affiliated NUT Associations on the basis of a founding statement which included the following aims:

  • To continue to work at every level in the NUT for the earliest possible return to collective industrial action in opposition to the attacks on pensions and for a calendar of action that can secure further concessions from this weakened government.
  • Develop a fightback on workload.
  • Working to ensure that the joint NUT/NASUWT initiative includes joint national strike action; clearly and explicitly addresses the issue of pensions and demands the re-opening of talks with government; leads to the development of rank and file links between the NUT and NASUWT including across schools; is not used to justify further unnecessary delay in taking action alongside other trade unions seeking to build coordinated strike action; includes far more effective sanctions than those in the existing NASUWT ‘action-short-of-strike-action’.

Delegates welcomed the fact that the last objective had already been secured, with the jointly agreed action instructions already securing confidence-boosting victories.

Delegates reported that while the action short of strike action was starting to achieve small victories, and bringing new reps and school groups into activity across the country, teachers were rightly asking when the national strike action was to be called.

Regrettably, there was, as yet, no sign of agreement on this, particularly from the NASUWT leadership.

It was agreed to publicise model petitions and model motions for school groups and NUT Associations to pass, calling on the NUT executive to urgently seek agreement for dates for joint strike action with other unions including, if necessary, without waiting further for the NASUWT.

In the absence of nationally-called action, LANAC is, however, also keen to develop the possibilities of locally coordinated strike action to oppose unacceptable appraisal and observation policies being imposed by schools and/or local authorities.

Plans were agreed to circulate stories of local successes and to produce LANAC leaflets to help build the action short of strike action campaign, while also calling for dates for national strike action to be set.

Details of the 8 December LANAC conference will be circulated as soon as the venue is confirmed.

For a full version of this report see: electmartin1.blogspot.com