In the run up to privatisation, Ian Stewart, the Chief Executive, is seeking to renegotiate important agreements about our conditions of service. Additional pressure to treat us less favourably is also signalled in the latest report from consultants PriceWaterhouse Coopers, in which both Councillors and Officers are said to be ‘afraid of the unions’. In order to strengthen our hand in the negotiations it is important to show that there is popular feeling within the Union against the government’s privatisation agenda.
Privatisation is still in an experimental phase and our conditions of service must not be the price of this experiment.There was a ray of hope when the Council’s Scrutiny Committee, which under the new cabinet style of local government looks again at decisions taken by the Executive Committee, voted to delay privatisation for a year. This was to allow changes made by the LEA in response to the OFSTED report to be evaluated. Unfortunately this has been ignored by the Council's Executive Committee who voted on Tuesday to recommend to full Council that the privatisation process should go ahead. Privatisation is not merely a local decision. PriceWaterhouse Coopers have been employed jointly by the DfEE and the Council and work to an agenda set principally by the DfEE. Any concessions that Bradford wins in terms of more local control over Education will have to be fought for - and public opinion will be important, especially in an election year.
We are advertising two events on this page, a demonstration in Leeds on Saturday November 18th, (apologies for the short notice), and a rally in Bradford on November 23rd. This is our chance to show the Council that we do not think Privatisation of Education in Bradford is the way forward.
Please help to get as many people as possible to these events - family, friends, everyone.
Saturday 18th November 2000
Assembly Point -Victoria Gardens
(outside Leeds Art Gallery)at 11 am.
Say NO to Privatisation!
Say NO to school closures!
Defend Comprehensive Education!
Demonstration called by Leeds CASE, Leeds TUC, UNISON, NUT & LCC Joint Trade Union Committee. For more information or to sponsor the demonstration contact 0113 245 8442
ST GEORGE'S HALL6:00pm on 23rd NOVEMBER
Bradford Council want to privatise education. They see it as a quick fix to solve Bradford's problems and it is being driven by central government policy. But all the signs from councils and other public services where it has been tried are that it has either failed to bring about the miracle cure claimed for it or it has been an expensive disaster, eg. housing benefits, railways, hospital PFIs, civil service ICT.
The tide of public opinion is turning against privatisation. Don't let Bradford suffer from another ill-conceived gimmick. Come to this important rallying event to build the campaign to save jobs and services.
Further details of speakers to be published soon.
Bradford Unison, Bradford Trades Council, Bradford NUT.
The NUT National Executive, in line with the Union’s March 1998 ballot on reducing bureaucratic burdens, has looked at various areas of performance management where the Union would seek to protect members from unreasonable bureaucratic demands.
The Union will give full support to members who find themselves in any dispute over the following:
The Union has identified four other issues which do not come under the rubric of the bureaucracy ballot. It is also prepared to give full support to members, involving if necessary industrial action subject to ballots under the Union’s rules, should they find themselves in dispute over these issues. They are :
This information has been sent to all Bradford Headteachers. It gives important protection against some of the excesses of Performance Management.
Please contact the Union Office if there are any difficulties in your school about getting agreement on these points.
NOVEMBER 15th, (Secondary) 17th, and 22nd (Primary)PLACES STILL AVAILABLE