undaunted by miners' defeat
Teachers have been in dispute, over this year's pay claim, since January. Angry and frustrated at the arbitration settlement of 5.1% last year, NUT members had expressed their determination to fight for a better deal this year, at last September's Special Salaries Conference. This stressed the need to begin action early and rejected any move to arbitration. The "no arbitration" clause was even accepted by the National Executive, demonstrating that the major left force in the union, the Socialist Teachers Alliance, who had battled against arbitration in the 1984 campaign, had had their arguments proved correct.
Already, by the time of the NUT's Conference, the magic date of April Ist (from which date any settlement should take effect) had been reached. Escalation of action was vital as the membership, throughout the country, saw the action in existence as having little effect.
The end of the miners' strike, indicating that there would be no easy
secure the settlement Iequired, did not quell the membership or make them any less willing to fight. This pay campaign reflects anger at the gradual deterioration of educaresources, including jobs, is not torthcoming and teachers are increasingly undervalued for doing a more
The Tory argument to teachers is,
Othe same as that to other sections of workers: there are plenty of people on the dole who are willing to do the job at the present pay levels. All workers must resist the threat of tighting to improve, their standard of
The pay campaign was, therefore, the most important issue at Conference, and the debate took place on the first day. The Executive put forward a motion which talked of making teachers' pay a major issue in the May County Council elections; raising additional funds (through members donating a day's pay) to finance the campaign; varying the length of strikes from ½ day to three consecutive days in any one week and in consecutive weeks; as well as calling on members to refuse to complete reports, school records or pupil profiles, or to be involved in curricular innovations outside normal
By JANE AISBITT school sessions.
Campaigning in sensitive constituencies, to be selected by the Ex ecutive, and putting pressure on MPs was seen as the way to change the Government's attitude to financing a settlement. Stirring speeches were made by members of the Executive in moving this motion: "We are determined to see this fight through", , etc.
All amendments to the Executive's main motion were lost. An amendemt
Ffor a ballot on non cooperation with this year's public exams was defeated despite the fact that disruption of exams is undoubtedly one of teachers' trump cards. The Executive spoke against on the grounds
Othe membership would
The Executive could have organised such a withdrawal of co-operation. Had they acted earlier, plenty of time would have been available for Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to make alternative arrangements, teachers need feel no qualms nor
Tbe directed against the action. Pupils would not have suffered.
Nevertheless, the Executive did not act. At grass roots level members still saw this as a tool to be used even as
Another amendment, calling for a one day national strike "in conjunction with other unions if possible" was argued against on the grounds that it was a backward step.' "We are asking rou to consider action that will go o
Knot just for a day," said Malcolm Horne of the Executive, totally ignoring that active involvement of the whole membership is important to break the feelings of frustration and isolation felt by those not called upon to strike.
The old argument that this strike would merely save the employers money was also used by the Executive. They also successfully fought off an attempt to call for escalated action to determined locally and not by the Executive.
The implementation of an absolute "no cover" policy was rejected despite no cover having been Union policy for two years.
A move to substitute a levy for the voluntary donation of one day's pay Socialist Viewpoint, No. 6, June 1985. Page 22
was defeated on the grounds that members would pay voluntarily anc ssociations and divisions would b
liverted away from the dispute. (Th the no arbitration policy, by saying that arbitration would not be con-
"under the present conSecretary, also said that there would be no arbitration - because Keith Joesph wouldn't fund it!
The end of the first day of Conference saw the left demoralised. The lack of success was largely due to the bitty nature of the amendments which meant that the debate never really got underway. The Executive's motion, nevertheless, was a step forward, calling for escalation of strike action and links with other unions (NAS/UWT, EIS and NATFHE).
The demoralisation did not prevail for long and by the end of the week the STA had continued the fight on salaries and had collected a variety of signatures, from all areas of the country, of people prepared to argue in their Associations and Divisions for a
Conference Other important issues debated showed growing support for
A motion on superannuation, first of the prioritisations, showed evilent concern about teachers pen ions as well as pay, particularly i the light of the Tories idea of taxing the lump sum.
There was also a lively debate on ratecapping. Though the main motion was lost (after debate on the issue of illegality) the overall debate showed Conference moving to the left.
This was also evident in the close vote against strike action in the fight against teacher assessment as outlined in Keith Joseph's White Paper "Better Schools".
An important gain was made on the issue of Special Needs. Conference voted for strike action where suffiavailable to implement the Warnock
It was also agreed that strike action
arranged at Association/Division level (without involving the National Action Committee) on the issue of class size. In many areas of the country teachers are forced in-
BACHERS ARE ¡PORTANT TO OUR HILDREN to the position of teaching oversized classes despite Union policy of refusing to accept this. members can take action.
Once again Conference minority of women (although many thought that the best speeches were made by women s well as a mass of men on the ecutive platform. Nevertheless, Executive spoke against reserving 5 extra places for women, to be elected by women, arguing that this implied these women would only women's issues. (Approximately 70% of the membership are women and presumably this majority have some interest in all issues in which the Union is involved!)
The Salaries Campaign is still the main concern of teachers; its success or failure having implications for all other issues we face. Delegates lett Conference with the strategy for carrying on the salaries action. This fell short of the strategy wanted by the left but was nevertheless an escalation, with withdrawal of goodwill, and increased, politically selective strike action to approximately 100,000 strike days between then and half-term. (One member on strike for one day = one strike day.)
However, further developments have taken place since Conference and the Executive's claimed "determination to succeed" is beginning to seem hollow. The action has been seriously threatened by manouevres of the NUT leadership. Firstly, without the involvement of the National Executive they decided on a "sweet-heart" deal for the LEAs who have agreed to a 6 point statement and declared themselves in favour of re-opening serious They had action called off in their areas. In some areas, NUT members having prepared for or started strike action, have been called back by the union.
The latest position taken by those in control, is — as they put it — to adhere to the "intentions" of Conference, rather than policy voted on.
CROSSLEE SCHOOL SUPPORTS ANGI TEACHERS Now these saw a speakers the speak on Executive's extra to school to invigilate and to take the precedented docking of pay by some refusing to pay staff if they do go into school when on strike. negotiations. only teaches "saving against
LUNU ERS friends. well! stepped up. Conference. However, claim to strategy
They have issued a directive that when on strike members should go inclasses of 5th and 6th exam pupils! This is despire the continued, unauthorities for no cover action - including those that are Labour controlled. Indeed some authorities are
Imagine a person called out on a one day strike, on a day when she/he campaign
examination classes The national union seems to expect that teacher to strike only during free eriods (for which pay is sometimes already being docked!). It was the Executive at Conference who argued
Othe employers Committee. Socialist Viewpoint, No. 6, June 1985. Page 23
CAMDE N UT TEACHE ASSOCIAT NUT leader Jarvis - more waffle: Sir Keith explains his policies to a couple of money": now they seem to be arguing to save them money and to work as
Pockets of resistance are developing throughout the country. What is needed, and what many union branches are demanding, is that action be
We need to make the links with other unions, as agreed by
Othe NAS/UWT, the second biggest teachers union and the only other union affiliated to the TUC claim vot arbitationo* phe Nuts likelihood of an acceptance of any increased offer made by the employers. This would mean that the action would then be directed towards putting pressure on the Government to fund the increases.
The £1,200 that the Union is committed to fighting for would then be pushed into the background, in the same way as last year's claim was changed by some "leger de main" into a fight for arbitration!
Members must fight to maintain the
Tand push for further escalation. The alternative would be
membership totally disillusioned and left wide open to further attacks on conditions and, as Joseph has already threatened, the removal of the Union's majority on the Burnham