NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 2005

TLRs, PPA, UPS -
MAKING SURE WE GET A FAIR DEAL!

Welcome back to old and new members, and to teachers who are new to Bradford. This term holds challenges in the form of new systems such as Teaching and Learning Responsibility points and Planning and Preparation Time, and in established ones like the Upper Pay Spine. The NUT will be working hard to make sure that members' rights are protected.

We have sent quite a lot of information into schools during the last few months about all of the initiatives mentioned above, including a detailed letter to school reps from Bradford Secretary Ian Murch regarding the movement from Management Allowances to TLRs. This Newsletter contains a summary of what you can expect to happen in your school this term.

TEACHING AND
LEARNING
RESPONSIBILITY POINTS

By January 1st each school has to have conducted a staffing review, and decided on the value and nature of its TLR posts. These posts have to be introduced over the next 3 years.
TLRs can be awarded from January 1st, and after that date no new Management Allowances can be awarded.

What happens to teachers who have previously held a non-paid post of responsibility?
This is very common in primary schools. The NUT sees no reason why, with this new staffing structure, any teacher should be expected to have a non-paid post of responsibility. There is one bit of the advice sent to schools by RIG we agree with.(There are other things in the advice we don’t agree with – so treat it with caution)
The advice says:
"A structure should not be based on the assumption that teachers who have previously had additional unremunerated responsibilities focused on teaching and learning will continue to carry them out.”

If proposals for the new structure put to the Governing body do not have the agreement of NUT members, there must be the opportunity for their views to be presented in writing – and, if desired, verbally – to the Governors before they make a decision. This applies to individual as well as collective concerns.

The Union is able to provide advice and representation at all stages in the process. We want to know when any changes are proposed that would worsen the pay of NUT members, or increase their responsibilities without appropriate increase in payment.

 

PLANNING PREPARATION AND ASSESSMENT TIME

Every teacher should now have at least 10% of the teaching time of the school designated as PPA time. It must be awarded in slots of no less than 30 minutes, and rounded up if necessary to make up the 10%.
PPA time must be designated on the timetable. It cannot be an unspecified part of general non-contact time to be allocated on a day by day basis.
If PPA time has not been organised as it should at your school - let us know.

 

MOVEMENT ON THE
UPPER PAY SPINE

Schools are required by October 31st to make a decision about which teachers will move up to points 2 and 3 on the Upper Pay Scale. Remember – you do not have to apply. Heads have to make their recommendations to the Governors.
If you are dissatisfied with the decision – contact the NUT office.

 

 

 

PAY AND JOBS
INJUSTICE AT
BRADFORD COLLEGE

School teachers have understandably felt under threat in recent times from various initiatives which, according to spin, is to improve education, but which in reality will serve to downgrade what children learn in the classroom (the replacement of qualified teachers by non-teachers), and to reduce the salary bill (the abolition of management allowances).

Attacks on teachers, however, are not confined to schools.

For more than a year now, union members at Bradford College have been fighting for pay and jobs justice. Lecturers, belonging mainly to NATFHE with some in the NUT, have staged a series of strikes to defend themselves against attacks from the management on two fronts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2003 a group of colleges, including Bradford, agreed a pay deal which would change a 14 point scale to 8 points, with a maximum of £30,000 at the top, thus allowing lecturers to move towards parity with school teachers. Bradford College reneged on this deal, claiming it was “discretionary”.

Their offer for 2004/5 was – nothing!

This generous offer was made against a recently discovered “financial hole” in the College’s finances.
On top of this, lecturers were faced with 122 job cuts – by compulsory redundancy if voluntary redundancy proved insufficient.
Union members resisted with a series of well-supported one-day strikes during the winter of 2004 and the spring of this year.

Then, in the summer term, a ballot for strike action returned an 87% majority (on a 61% turnout) in favour of stepping up the strikes. The College management became keen to negotiate.

The latest situation is:
On jobs - the threat of compulsory redundancies has been withdrawn.
On pay - the latest offer for 2004/5 of 3% with 3 months back pay, and no restructuring, has been rejected. The offer of 2.8% for 2005/6 has also been rejected.

The ballot for increased strike action is still “live”, so the lecturers fight on. Developments will be reported in future newsletters.

 

MAKE POVERTY HISTORY

Like to do some display work on Make Poverty History? (Or just like to see some photos?) Photographs taken by NUT members who went to the Make Poverty History demonstration, in Edinburgh in July, are now on our web site.

They can be downloaded. If you went on the demo and can’t find a particular photo, the explanation is that it has been removed in order to protect the innocent.

Find them on www.bradfordnut.org (go to campaigns, then G8 summit)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Would you like to attend the
NUT's National Black
Teachers' Conference?

Bradford NUT will pay for up to four delegates to attend the conference
at
the National College for
School Leadership
in Nottingham,
on
Saturday 15th
and Sunday 16th October.

Delegates are asked to give feedback so we can keep members up to date

Please ring the Bradford NUT office urgently if you are
interested

 

APPROACHING THE GREAT DAY?

The Authority runs a programme of pre-retirement workshops for all those approaching the great day. You can attend all the sessions, or just whichever you would find useful.
They are all held at The Centre for Learning, St Peter’s House, on Tuesdays from 9.30 to 12 o’clock.
Sessions are on
October 4th, October 11th
October 18th, October 25th
November1st, November 8th
November 15th

For details go to:
http://hr.bradford.gov.uk/orgdevu/employee/

themes/dwnlds/preretworkshop.doc

Application form is same address up to uk, then
Dwnlds/trgeventappform..asp

If you haven't the patience for marathon web site addresses,

ring
01274 432130

 

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