MINUTES OF THE GENERAL AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS 1st MAY, 2001.
Apologies
Stuart Davies (union business), Jim Cartwright (union business), Jenny Taylor (late arrival), Dennis Farrell, Kevin Green.
Minutes
Minutes of March meeting were approved
Reports
Conference report
Several Bradford delegates moved or seconded motions.
Vernon moved the motion on Primary Education, which was passed unanimously.
More contentiously, John moved the Salaries motion which was lost by about 2000 votes, on the issue of actively imposing PRP.
Suspension of the Cover to Contract action was the main contentious issue of the conference.
The Green Paper, which sets out a division between specialist and non-specialist schools with £150,000 extra for the specialists was condemned, as was the intent to expand faith based education.
Contract to Cover
The Agenda had to be sent out before the holiday when we are about to ballot. However the action was called off in return for overtime payments (£20/hour or £5 extra per child per day in Primary) or time off in lieu for cover above what is required by contract, and talks on workload with the employers, which started today. The Union is hoping to be able to negotiate an independent enquiry as in Scotland.
Despite the end of the action we will act to protect schools where there is undue cover.
Supernumerary Teachers
Jane gave an update. The Authority are aiming to have permanently sorted out the future for the vast majority of supernumerary teachers by the end of this term.
Privatisation
Local Officers are convinced that this is not a good way forward. Jane and John reported on visits to the Docklands Light Railway and to the National Physics Laboratory. Jenny suggested there should be a meeting for Secondary Reps to explain what privatisation would mean.
T & A
Sue and Jenny agreed to co-operate with the Telegraph and Argus to produce teacher workload diaries to show the pressure we were under.
Leeds Day
Leeds NUT is holding a workshop on primary planning issues on Saturday 19th May. Jane is going to outline the results of our working group last year. Sue also agreed to go.
Committee
Budget
It was agreed to donate £50 to St. Augustine's Primary towards their trip to Boggle Hole which NUT member Patsy Hayes is organising. This has been particularly difficult this year.
It was also agreed to re-affiliate to Schools Out (£50); to sponsor the Hazards Campaign (£25); to support the Mechanics Institute Museum of Trades Union History - Manchester (£25); and to support the Container for Cuba appeal (£50).