Nutshells #69 June 07

6/ 7 20 0 ER N W IN R D A W A SH IP ER EM B M N A L A TI O N

THE 69TH EDITION FOR ALL PLYMOUTH TEACHERS JUNE 2007

A CHARITABLE GESTURE OR PATRONISING?

PAY

Alan Johnson’s “great idea” to send excellent SUPPORT NURSES, teachers from private MIDWIVES, AND OTHER schools into state schools has received PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS WHO ARE HAVING THEIR PAY UNFAIRLY lukewarm support. Do SUPPRESSED we really believe that the best teachers work “You can’t value public servants in schools that have the if you cut their pay” best academic results?

INFLATION 4.8% Teachers’ pay rise? 2½% Work it out—a 2.3% pay cut IS THIS YOU? A teacher on UPS3 will lose about £3000 over the next three years if we do nothing. This same teacher has already lost £1236 in the last 3 years. The purchasing power of a new teacher’s salary has been cut by £724 in the same period.

“Your standard of living must fall”

A QUALIFIED TEACHER IN EVERY CLASS—Baroness Fookes visits Courtlands School with Division Secretary David Smale to award the first Plymouth NUT Kite Mark—see P4

Independent of Government and not affiliated to any political party Call the Joining Hotline 0845 300 1669

Photo by Andy Woolley

Martin Edmonds [Plymouth’s immediate past President] speaking at the 2007 Conference. Martin also appears in this month’s TEACHER magazine.

Performance Management Training For NUT Reps: Where? China Fleet Club Saltash Details—see enclosed flyer Additional NUT members welcome

“Unity in action at workplace level can really work” A member writes, “I’ve been interviewed for a HoD post at school, on a temporary TLR, to “see how I get on.” Is this allowed?” Answer: No, this is unlawful as TLRs cannot be awarded on a temporary basis unless you are covering for a sick colleague or someone on maternity leave. A TLR, once awarded is permanent. A member writes, “A colleague has approached our HT and asked for more responsibility—unpaid—in order to enhance their CV. Should I do the same?” Answer: No. I suspect your colleague d o e s n 't f u l l y a p p r e c i a t e t h e unprofessional nature of their action. It could also set a precedent where no one is paid for any responsibility in your school...barring the HT and DHT. How strange it would be if your HT announced at a staff meeting that they would now cut their pay to UPS3 and do their HT duties for nothing...it’ll never happen—so why should other teachers take on these additional and essential tasks for no remuneration?

A member asks, “My partner has a TLR for numeracy in his school. I don’t have one for literacy in my school. How can this be fair?” Answer: It isn’t. The LA are currently looking at the pay and job descriptions of all council employees [but not teachers] to ensure that equal pay is awarded for equal work. The STP&CD explains why you should receive a TLR, in detail. Just request a TLR from your HT. Ask them to write down the reason(s) why you are undeserving. Then contact the NUT. Remember, in most cases the LA employ you, not the school, and they want to see that you are properly remunerated.

Concerned about HT drop-ins? Is classroom observation an issue? Worried about “negotiating” your school’s performance management policy? Make sure your Rep or a couple of other members attend the training course

Question—how many excellent teachers are there? You know—the reason why UPS4 and UPS5 were done away with. Answer on P4

dID you read this ?

Conference 2007 Steve Sinnott Calls For Strike Action Over Pay The General Secretary called for a one day strike across the public sector in response to Gordon Browns’ pay freeze, “as a first stage of any industrial action which is required to protect the pay of teachers and other public sector workers.”

A 2½% pay rise this year and 2% for the following 3 years when inflation is currently 4.8% is a pay cut in anyone’s language. Do you deserve it?

OUR PAY IS GOING DOWN...

Since 2004 our pay has been falling behind inflation. The NUT was the first teacher union to trigger reopening pay talks as inflation went above 3¼%. So far, however, Alan Johnson seems to have had other things on his mind and has yet to respond to our legitimate request. If he continues with his silence, or he turns down our Steve claim, we need to show the government we are not Sinnott prepared to be treated unfairly. announces a This is an issue for both older and younger teachers. 10% pay claim or Council tax has risen above inflation; petrol and utility £3 000 for all teachers to redress bills are increasing way beyond our September pay rise. 100% of homes in the SW are now unaffordable to the shortfall over the past 3 years and teachers and other essential workers. the next 3 years. Public workers need each other’s support. By standing up PLYMOUTH to this unfair treatment you can defend the nurses [for example] whose pay will rise by just 1.8% over the NUT coming year. Their case could be weakened if we don’t GENERAL support them by challenging our own below inflation pay MEETING rises. JUNE 14th Ask NASUWT and ATL members to join the debate in China House the staffroom. Don’t forget your support staff in Sutton Quay UNISON, TGWU and GMB whose pay is comparatively much lower. Buffet 1700 WHAT CAN I DO? Agenda: “Performance If you believe your salary and that of your co-workers is too high and needs to be cut back—do nothing. If you Management” & think these low pay awards are unfair and undeserved, “Pay” make sure you take an active part in the pay debate.

The HERALD picture shows pupils with Dr Who books, Head teacher John Dunkerley and Plymouth NUT has awarded Courtlands special school a kite mark for Baroness Fookes guaranteeing to use only qualified teachers to teach whole classes. This outholding the kite mark standing school has excellent support staff but parents expect their children to be taught by qualified teachers. As the kite mark says, “Our Close-up photo by pledge to children and parents in this school,” they deserve nothing less. Martin Edmonds

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Plymouth Division: [email protected] 01503 240527 Regional Office: [email protected],uk 01392 258028

“It’s possible to look at the context of poverty and physical progress at 22 months and accurately predict academic achievement at age 26”

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