OVER 100 teachers from around the UK attended a Professional Unity conference last Saturday, organised by their trade unions.
Speakers were Mary Bousted, Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) general secretary by video address, John Vincent, National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), Christine Blower, National Union of Teachers (NUT) general secretary, Dilwyn Roberts-Young, Wales teachers union UCAC deputy general secretary, Howard Stevenson, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Nottingham and Ritva Semi, Special Advisor, OAJ – the trade union of education in Finland.
Advertising the conference, the NUT said: ‘One union – why now?
•Because teaching as a profession, and the value of qualified teacher status, must be defended;
• Because many current educational ‘reforms’ are harmful to children; and
• Because teachers deserve fair pay, pensions, conditions and a work/life balance.
‘The NUT has proudly collaborated with NASUWT, ATL, NAHT, UCAC and ASCL on different campaigns at different times to ensure the profession’s expert voice shapes education and schools policy.’
John Vincent told the conference: ‘NAHT do believe that working together is important, both now and in the future.
‘NAHT has applied to join the TUC.
‘There does need to be a way of speaking together on all of the issues.
‘The ASCL (Association of School and College Leaders) sends its greetings. All of us in the education service recognise the need to unite.’
He concluded: ‘There’s a need to be speaking with one voice.’
NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: ‘Our organisations have different issues.
‘What unites us is our concern for education.
‘The NUT believes one union for teachers is both right in theory and something we need to achieve.
‘At a time when unions are under attack, we need to stand together and fight together.
‘We have continued to work extensively with other unions, with the ATL and UCU in strike action over pensions.
‘That resulted in bringing in many other unions.’
She declared: ‘If there is not progress in current talks with the government, we will be taking national strike action on March 26.
‘Many of our members wonder why we are divided.
‘Trade unions are under attack and individual teachers are subject to tremendous pressures.
‘We need an increasing cohort of well trained and effective representatives in schools.
‘This is at a time when there’s an increasing need to defend members.’
Calling for ‘a huge union’, Blower said: ‘Given the challenges we face with this government, division between teachers is a worry.
‘There are tried and tested slogans in the trade union movement – united we stand, divided we fall – there is strength in unity, but also strength in a big organisation.
‘I would be very pleased to play a part in forming one organisation for all teachers.
‘Teachers’ and heads’ workloads have gone up – these are unsustainable and wrong.
‘If we want to win for teachers, surely we can best do that together.
‘Let’s make this the first step in winning together by working together.
‘I am confident this real prize can be won for all teachers.’
Dilwyn Roberts-Young of UCAC, said: ‘Let there be strength in unity.
‘We need to work together for the sake of our members and for the sake of our pupils.
‘UCAC is a full member of the TUC and TUC Wales.
‘Our aim is professional support, and to campaign for improving pay and conditions and independent education for Wales.
‘UCAC, along with the NUT, NASUWT and NAHT is in dispute with the government over pay and pensions.
‘Teachers and lecturers have much common ground. Professional unity is a reality. However, the majority of unions in Wales need to improve that discussion.’
Peter Pendle, ATL deputy general secretary introduced a video address by ATL general secretary Mary Bousted.
Pendle said: ‘ATL has been very clear that it wants to work with partners.
‘It is a very important debate and ATL are taking it very seriously.
‘It’s a move in the right direction.’
In her video address, Bousted said: ‘We have three unions here.
‘It has been said it is better if people have a choice of union. But times have changed.
‘We have to recognise that the coalition government is determined in its course to dismantle the state education system.
‘Policies have been assumed by the government.
‘The unions are strong because of their presence on the ground.
‘But in an increasingly atomised system, it is rarely the case that each of the individual unions can have a rep in each school.
‘We’d be better together.’
Bousted cautioned: ‘Every move to work together will have to be carefully programmed.
‘The first point is unity can be achieved if each union is prepared to change.
‘One union will be a new union with a new rule book.
‘It will take time and effort to rebuild and repair.’
She went on to say: ‘Teachers are not natural revolutionaries.
‘I understand industrial action is absolutely right when the cause is right and there is no other alternative. It is not the first resort.
‘We have to recognise we have different members, so a lot of work needs to be done.
‘But if we are serious about fighting for their rights, we need to get started.’
Ritva Semi of Finland’s OAJ, said the union ‘was founded from two big unions in the 1970s.
‘The process of becoming one union was difficult, but it is a most important benefit.
‘We had our last strike in 1984 … the 1984 strike won a pay agreement. We couldn’t have survived if we had only been a single union.’
In a question and answer session, teachers showed their impatience with their leaders.
Typical was ATL past president, Hank Roberts. He said: ‘I’m getting tired of long marches.
‘I’m hoping this will not be dragged out.
‘Members are looking forward to getting this join, they don’t want another long march.
‘Whatever differences on tactics, we should maintain a strategy of unity.’
Paul Castle of lecturers union UCU, asked: ‘Our members see themselves as part of the teaching profession. What part do you feel they can play?’
Peter Pendle of ATL answered: ‘ATL has a strategic plan signed off by the National Executive that is about working with other organisations – joint ventures, federations and possibly one union – that is ATL policy.
‘Merger is difficult and takes a long time.
‘We would be talking about a new organisation, we need to be careful.’
He added: ‘I’m pleased to see the UCU here and we’ll be pleased to see what can be done.’
He concluded: ‘I’d like to see one union for education.’
NUT leader Blower said issues that unite teachers are a hatred of Ofsted and parents’ need to know their children have a qualified teacher.
She praised the US teachers AFT union for having a closed shop with the slogan ‘if you’re in the school, you’re in the union’.
She said of the UK: ‘It would be helpful if there was a single voice for the profession.’
