Sheila Caffrey, NEU National Executive member, personal capacity
The National Executive of the National Education Union (NEU) has unanimously passed a motion to “Support the International Youth Strike: ‘Fight for our future, not their wars’”.
In moving the motion, I was able to report that Socialist Students, the founding organisation initiating the N20 youth strikes in Britain, was already reporting dozens of local rallies around the country.
As well as expressing support, the Executive agreed to “provide advice, in line with safeguarding requirements, professional responsibilities and legal obligations, to NEU members who wish to volunteer as stewards at local student demonstrations”.
The union also pledged to “oppose disciplinary action against students participating in peaceful protest activity, including detentions or other sanctions, and to support campaigns defending students’ rights where required”.
I would encourage all NEU districts to discuss how they can support students as soon as possible, and make contact with Socialist Students in order to back the local action and offer assistance. The motion passed in my own NEU district is below. And I look forward to students getting in touch with our members all over the country!
This motion has been passed at Bristol NEU, and can be adapted for use at any NEU branch or district:
Support the International Youth Strike: ‘Fight for our future, not their wars’
Bristol NEU notes:
1. The International Youth Strike taking place on Friday 20 November, under the slogan “Fight for our future, not their wars”. The coalition, including Socialist Students in Britain, is calling for demonstrations and walkouts against war, re-armament and the erosion of young people’s prospects for a dignified future.
2. Young people across Europe are increasingly organising around the impact of militarisation, war and their future. In Germany, thousands of school students have protested against proposed changes to military service and thousands of school and university students have mobilised across France, raising concerns about staff shortages, overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating school buildings and anxiety about their future: all issues we recognise here.
3. The CGT (French TUC) has expressed solidarity with these student mobilisations, calling on its structures to protect students’ right to organise and protest, and providing practical support. It has also supported the safe stewarding of young people on the demonstrations.
4. The NEU has a proud tradition of defending the rights to protest, organise and campaign. As an education union, it also has a particular responsibility to ensure that support provided by members to young people is safe and consistent with safeguarding obligations.
Bristol NEU resolves:
1. To express the NEU’s solidarity with young people participating in the N20 Youth Strike, supporting their right to peacefully organise, protest and make their voices heard.
2. To offer practical support such as hi-viz jackets or to cover the cost of hiring a sound system.
3. To support NEU members who wish to volunteer as stewards at the demonstration on College Green at 1pm, if requested by organisers and appropriate safeguarding arrangements are in place. This could include staff organising delegations as ‘trips’ from schools and colleges.
4. To oppose disciplinary action against students participating in the N20 mobilisation, including detentions or other sanctions, and to support campaigns defending students’ rights where required.
5. To publicise the N20 International Youth Strike and the 1pm protest on College Green through Bristol NEU comms, providing members with information about how they can safely and responsibly support participating students.
