Nutshells #73 Nov 07

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THE 73RD EDITION FOR ALL PLYMOUTH TEACHERS NOVEMBER2007

PAY If you believe your salary and that of your co-workers is too high and needs to be cut—do nothing

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Inflation now 4.2% Crude Oil @ $100 a barrel The average Plymouth mortgage is now £120 000 [see P4 for advice] PO workers achieve a 6.7% pay rise after taking strike action Electricity & gas prices to rise by at least 10% in January

Your pay “rise” this month is - 1.7% This is Ed Balls, the Minister for Children, Schools and Families. This is the man who is going to hold your pay rises down to 2% for the next three years while inflation runs at over 4%. This is the man who is going to continue to privatise education by forcing through Academies and trust schools. This is the man you should be contacting to tell him that you are not going to stand it any more. You have to make this man listen—or all your hard-won pay and conditions will be lost. Contact Ed Balls on: http://www.edballs.com/index.jsp?c=/p/feedback/ and tell him what you think about pay, work load, SATs, trust schools etc. It is essential that all Union members contact their City Councillors and Members of Parliament to let them know that teachers have had enough of being told how to do their jobs. Let them know that 10 years of below inflation pay rises is enough. Don't wait until tomorrow, do it now. Google will help you find your MP's address: try www.theyworkforyou.com DO IT NOW

ASBESTOS—SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED? See page 3

THE NUT: “We work up to a standard not down to a price” Independent of Government and not affiliated to any political party

“Boom and Bust” was the old way our pay was determined—when it lost its value a big campaign had to be launched with much government handwringing to grudgingly allow teachers’ pay to recover—looks like we’re going to suffer this again...unless we do something to restore its value before it falls even further.

Your standard of living is falling and will continue to fall unless you do something about it Steve Sinnott said, “You can’t value public servants if you cut their pay”

ASK YOUR ATL AND NASUWT COLLEAGUES TO JOIN US IN ACTION TO PROTECT OUR PAY Who said, “More tests means less stress?” Answer—see photo below

STRB Report on pay delayed—the government’s mouthpiece, the “independent” School Teachers’ Review Body, has delayed publishing its observations on the 3-year 2% pay imposition. When the Report finally emerges the NUT will make its rigorous and powerful response National Ballot Results…...Gill Goodswen and Martin Reed elected as V/Presidents with Alyson Palmer and Hilary Bills as examiners of accounts. Ian Murch was returned unopposed as Treasurer

IT’S 30,000 ! THERE ARE THIRTY THOUSAND FEWER TLRS THAN MANAGEMENT ALLOWANCES... [AND NO UPS4 & 5]

Ed Balls is asked to explain why a 2% pay rise for 3 years is a good deal for teachers and properly rewards them for the work they do

“We need a union not in partnership with government but in partnership with teachers”

The Plymouth Proprietary Library, (registered charity no. 1015700), at North Hill, is a traditional library with a unique atmosphere. It was established as a subscription library in 1812, making it one of the oldest surviving organisations in the city’s history. The library holds a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction texts with a special emphasis on late 19th and early 20th century novels. The library is open from 9.30am to 5pm each weekday, (excepting Wednesdays when traditional half-day closing is observed and the library shuts at 2pm), and is also open on Saturday from 9.30am till 12.30. Annual subscription rates are currently ₤ 25 and if any NUT member is interested in joining, the librarians would be pleased to offer a guided tour and answer any specific questions. The Head Librarian, John Smith can be contacted on 660515.

Asbestos – has your school been checked lately? From wonder material to deadly carcinogen, asbestos has had a rollercoaster ride as a material. Asbestos is now the greatest single killer of people in work related deaths, according to the Health and Safety Executive. About 4000 people die each year from asbestos related illnesses and this expected to rise before the effect of legislation is felt. Look up

Damaged Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB)

Teacher deaths on the increase Between 1991 and 2000 there were 79 asbestos-related teacher deaths. In the preceding decade there were less than 25. The NUT has called on governments from the 1980s to carry out an asbestos survey in every school, but to do so would “provoke panic” so successive governments have refused. They even refuse to debate the issue in parliament...

Where can you find asbestos? You may find asbestos in any school building that was built or refurbished before 2000 – yes, that is 2000. Despite the evidence of asbestos’ deadly nature, it was used in buildings as late as 2000. Common examples of asbestos use would be ceiling tiles, fire blankets in Technology and Science areas, asbestos cement roofs, guttering, fall pipes, asbestos lagging on pipes, sprayed asbestos coatings on walls and ceilings – even some vinyl floor tiles contain asbestos.

How safe am I? In most of the forms above, asbestos is safe as long as it not damaged. When broken, fibres can be released into the atmosphere and inhaled. There are three main diseases caused by asbestos: Mesothelioma (which is always fatal), lung cancer (almost always fatal) and asbestosis (not always fatal but it can be very debilitating).

Check your school Ask you Headteacher if and when the school was last checked.

FREE 1GB USB MEMORY STICK for every NQT joining before 1st January —just email your membership number and school address to get yours! [email protected]

Beating Stress How To Help Yourself A recent survey shows that teachers are now the most highly stressed group of workers in Britain. This news will be greeted with a resounding penny-dropping thud from most teachers—or at least those with time enough left to read the news! Stress is a Killer Make no bones about it, excessive stress can shorten your life considerably. Extended or repeated activation of the stress response takes a heavy toll on the body. The physical wear and tear it causes includes damage to the cardiovascular and immune systems. Stress compromises your ability to fight off disease and infection, makes it difficult to conceive a baby, and it can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to everyday pressures and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. This can lead to alcohol or substance abuse, insomnia, heart attack, stroke, eating disorders and many other physical effects of psychological stress. [Consult your GP as early as you can] Helping Yourself 1] Learn to say “No!” Don’t allow yourself to be bullied or blackmailed into accepting more work than you can reasonably do. 2] Make time for you. It’s not selfish—read a book, listen to music, go to the theatre, see a film, do something you enjoy. 3] Exercise regularly. Thirty minutes, three times a week is enough but more is better. Sport is good. 4] Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary burst of energy leads to a crash and extra fatigue later. 5] Stop beating yourself up. You can’t always change the world on your own. So do what you can and let the world look after itself the rest of the time. 6] Have a laugh. Watch a funny film or programme, listen to BBC 7. Some doctors believe laughter really does have therapeutic effects. A member writes, “Do I have to set work for my TA to deliver when I have my PPA time?” Answer: NO—it’s about workload reduction...

WE’RE WORKING MORE HOURS—Official The Office of Manpower Economics reports that the so-called workload “agreement” has failed spectacularly to reduce the hours teachers work. The downward pressure on our working hours is revealed as a joke as primary teachers now work 2 hours more—up to 52 hrs a week. It appears that the “partnership” with the government [that excludes the NUT] is unable to bring about the changes we so desperately need. Is it any wonder that half of all NQTs leave within 3 years of qualifying? Plymouth Division: [email protected] 01503 240527 Regional Office: [email protected],uk 01392 258028