NEWSLETTER - July 2005

NUT PRESSURE WINS SAFEGUARDING
VICTORY - BUT MORE STILL TO BE DONE

The teacher unions in the RIG group (ATL, NASUWT, PAT and SHA) had agreed to sign away permanent safeguarding of salaries after re-organisation, closure etc. and reduce it to a maximum of 3 years from 1st January 2006.

NUT pressure has managed to claw back some of this signing away of teachers’ entitlements. 200 teachers in Bradford district schools are on safeguarded salaries following the re-organisation of 2000. Their safeguarding was at risk of being ended by 31st December 2008 at the latest. Thanks to NUT pressure (see NUT News 17) the Government is accepting that historic safeguarding and any that occurs before 1st January 2006 will remain permanent as long as teachers remain in their present post.

This protects all the 200 teachers and also those affected in the 2 Fresh Start schools proposed for this September in Bradford. It is a victory for the Union that will not sign teachers’ rights away.

However, there is more still to be done, because the Government intends to go ahead with the maximum of 3 years salary protection for all future re-organisations and for the move from management allowances to TLRs. It also intends to end the payment of Social Priority Area Allowances by the end of 2008.

The time-limiting of safeguarding will affect teachers in the Special School re-organisation and in other schools which close after 2005.

What to do?

The NUT has provided postcards to school reps to be sent to Ruth Kelly demanding that teachers should not suffer pay cuts as a result of actions beyond their control such as re-organisation or the move to TLRs. Complete them and send your own letters. Talk about the issue with colleagues and get school letters sent to the Secretary of State.

TLRs - IS YOUR SCHOOL PLAYING THE GAME?

Schools should by now have started to talk to staff and Union representatives about how they intend to implement the change from Management Allowances to Teaching and Learning Responsibility payments.

At this stage, we would expect a timetable for consultation with staff on how the process will take place to have been agreed. Decisions on a new structure should be in the latter part of next term. If any school is jumping the gun, or is proposing something which would leave teachers with reduced payments, or no payments, or increased responsibilities for their existing payments, we need to know as quickly as possible.

School Representatives have been sent guides to the process by both ourselves and the National Union. Further copies are available if necessary. We are always ready to come into school to talk to members on this or any other subject.

The NUT position is clear: No Pay Cuts! No responsibilities without payment!

Are you on UPS 1, 2 or 3?
Then beware of a cynical plan to increase your workload being pushed by Cambridge Education Associates and the NAHT.
Questions have arisen which reflect a natural consequence of the abolition of Management Allowances.
What about the real and important jobs done by teachers who hold Management Allowances? Who will do those jobs when the Allowances no longer exist?
Their answer – share the jobs out amongst teachers on the Upper Pay Spine at no extra cost!
This is actually being considered in some schools.
UPS status has nothing to do with extra responsibilities. Do not accept any.

NEW OFSTED ADVICE NOW IN SCHOOLS

Bradford NUT’s updated Advice to Members Facing Ofsted Inspections has been sent to schools with this Newsletter. Please ask your School Rep if you would like to read it, but if you don’t want to give yourself bad dreams unnecessarily, you could just wait until your school has an inspection when you will be sent your own copy. If, of course, you are reading this on our website you can access this advice from our home page under "Current Issues".
From September schools will receive only 2-5 days warning of an inspection.
Please ring the office as soon as you know you are being inspected so that we can get the Advice out to you in time. Schools will now be inspected every three years, so you could tell us if you are in an inspection year and we will send the Advice to you in advance.

G8 DEMONSTRATION- EDINBURGH

A large contingent of NUT members joined the Make Poverty History demonstration in Edinburgh on July 2nd.
Teachers from all around the country marched with the national NUT banner, with banners from local branches and banners made by pupils.
Bradford was represented by teachers from Rhodesway, Greenhead, Buttershaw, High Craggs Primary, and by local union officers. There were also lots there from local community and church groups, such as the children from Eldwick pictured here.
Many schools also did project work during the weeks leading up to the G8 summit. At Rhodesway School, Year 9 students researched the causes of world poverty, looking into aid, trade, and debt relief.

A NEW VIOLENCE AT WORK REPORTING SYSTEM

The NUT is at present working with the other teacher unions, the LEA and Education Bradford to improve the reporting of violence at work incidents. Something like the reporting form currently in use will be retained, but we hope to improve the response and level of support which victims of violence receive.
If you are unfortunate enough to have been assaulted at work, and you have any ideas about what would have helped you at the time, please let us know and we will try to get them incorporated into the new procedures.

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