MINUTES OF THE 19th JUNE 2007 GENERAL MEETING 

Apologies : Denis White, Deane Narayn-Lee, Anwar Sheikh, John Howarth, Jane Rendle, Stuart Davies (arriving late)

Minutes : Agreed are a true record.

Matters arising :

Reports and Discussions
5 year pay freeze – STRB approached Government to request to be able to conduct a review of teachers pay. The Government declined.

Royal Mail will strike over 2 1/ 2% pay offer.

UNISON, 1 1/ 2% now, extra 1% in November/December.

Public Sector Unions trying to co-ordinate their response. Solid partnership is problematic for trade unions..

NUT faces a challenge.

In our indicative ballot, 90% voted for Individual action in Autumn.

Work to come to raise the profile of our campaign.

Discussed

• Strike action more effective than any other form of action
• Recruitment drive needed to awaken members of other unions.
• Petition NUT members & widen it to other Unions in staffrooms.
• Rally in Bradford with public sector workers, via Trades Council.

Performance Management

New policy on PM for cycle that begins next term. Progression up from UPS 2 – 3 and 1 – 2 depends on outcomes of PM.

RIGG group sent out a policy, lots of bad feedback, eg ‘drop ins’.

NUT version went to every school without these bad features.

Negotiated with EB for a better policy, this is recommended.

Staff Union Reps are supposed to be consulted. There is the potential for disputes in individual schools.

How to teach and stay sane

Poster drawn to peoples’ attention - opportunity to change it in next few days if there are sugggestions.

Nomination for National Officers

Vice President - Gill Goodswen - Moved Miriam Murch, Seconded Vernon Addision - Agreed

Roger King - Moved Stuart Davies, Seconded Miriam Murch - Agreed

Treasurer – Ian Murch - Moved Steve Pickles, Seconded Kev Greene - Agreed

Examiner of Accounts – Alyson Palmer - Moved Vernon Addison, Seconded Steve Pickles -Agreed

Academies & Trust Schools

Bradford Council is not campaigning against Trust Schools.

Bradford Cathedral will become Bradford Academy in September.

Rhodesway – EDUTRUST is trying to become an Academy at Rhodesway.

100% staff at Rhodesway are opposed.

A group is now campaigning for - Rhodesway Parents Action Group (RAPG).Their tactics are scurrilous.

Arshad Ali, Angela Ansell, Chris Cheetham from Rhodesway and Ian Murch went to House of Commons Committee of Enquiry on Academies on Friday 15 th June.

Messages of support should be sent to staff at Rhodesway.

Union will support the campaign against Academy at Rhodesway.

Spending

Linking Schools Project. A day of celebration had been organised, through Bradford Festival, to get pupils from the participating schools together at Cartwright Hall. Bradford NUT to sponsor the event now that there is no festival and funding has been lost. Donate £500 agreed.

Geoff Robinson Fund Report on progress given Tong and Grange.

Correspondence

• National Annual Black Teachers Conference – 3 rd & 4 th November at Stoke Rochford
• Annual Education Conference 30 th June & 1 st July.

A.O.B.

None.

Meeting closed 6.35 pm.

Next meeting 3rd Week in September.