TLR Campaign shows action works

Posted in ClassroomSolidarity's blog on ,

Without the NUT hundreds of teachers across England and Wales would have been worse off as a result of the introduction of TLRs, and the problem is not just financial. Many teachers have faced the double whammy of cuts in pay and increases in workload.
The response of the NUT has been a model of basic trade union principles. Invariably heads in bullish mood believed they could roll over teachers without so much as a by your leave. But local officers supported by the national union soon disabused them of this illusion.
Over 200 indicative ballots have taken place. In many cases indicative ballots have been enough to secure concessions from management. In other cases formal strike ballots have met with management capitulation at the 11th hour. In a small number of cases, for example in Calderdale, Waltham Forest, Oldham, Leeds and Notts, to name some examples, continued strike action has been necessary to defend members from arbitrary management measures.
The TLR campaign, despite the stress and uncertainty placed on members, has seen a tremendous resurgence in the understanding amongst members of why they need a trade union to represent their interests. The process of balloting, the sight of management conceding major concessions on pay and the invigorating impact of strike action have all played their part in illustrating the importance of collective strength.
But the campaign, which is by no means over, also illustrates the rise of a new breed of school management. Trained here in Nottingham at the National College of School Leadership, these heads, deputies and assistants have become experts in management speak. They believe they can get away with anything, that they have all the answers, that consultation is telling staff what to do. They are often colourless, charmless people who spout the DfES line with a singular monotony. They are invariably hostile to trade unions and because the unions have appeared so weak in recent years they have successfully been able to get away with murder because they rule by fear and exhortation.
An interesting example of this came up in the strike at Colonel Frank Seely School in Calverton, Nottingham. The teachers struck there in the last week of term. We gave out leaflets to teachers, students and parents at the school gate. We had excellent media coverage, which for a change highlighted overwhelming support for teachers. At a meeting afterwards teachers spoke of the atmosphere of fear and mistrust in the school.
What the teachers were going through at the school was quickly brought home to me by students who attend the school who had been our Central Notts banner and giving out leaflets. Central TV interviewed one student, Rebecca Barnett, and part of the interview was broadcast that evening. On Friday, April 7th, the last day of term, she was summoned to the head of 6th form’s office and told she had behaved irresponsibly, that it was inappropriate for her to be giving out leaflets in support of her teachers. She stood firm against this bullying and we will take it up further next term, but this illustrates the kind of management increasingly common in schools.
There are of course lots of honourable exceptions and it has been heartening that, without the intervention of the Union, heads and governors in many schools have refused to undermine the morale of teachers by cutting pay and conditions.
Sadly we have a government that wants all schools managed by androids who toe the DfES line unquestioningly. If the Education Bill becomes law we may even lose negotiating rights in many schools as they seek to break away from local authority control
The response by the national union has worked, and is working, over TLRs to an extent. The campaign shows that members are prepared to fight for collective interests but we will need to have more generalised action over the Education Bill if we are to retain the gains made on TLRs.

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