CWU March and Rally on You Tube

The Midlands TUC broke new ground at the Communication Workers march and rally in Birmingham with our first attempt at recording the proceedings for You Tube. Click on the links below to see footage of the march and two of the speeches:

http://www.youtube.com/user/alanatthetuc#p/a/u/0/cG8jKIexFp8

http://www.youtube.com/user/alanatthetuc#p/a/u/1/DHysHvS9qpg

http://www.youtube.com/user/alanatthetuc#p/a/u/2/A_wAO3SSjvw

http://www.youtube.com/user/alanatthetuc#p/u/3/7l8ewGw2KiU

Hundreds of trade unionists marched through Birmingham on Saturday as members of the Communication Workers Union took their campaign to keep the post public onto the streets. The Birmingham leg of the CWU campaign took place on the same day as young people protested about attacks on the education system in both London and Manchester.

Following the march there was a rally in Birmingham's Town Hall, a stunning building which resonated to the speakers contributions which detailed the threat to the universal postal service and the effect of government cuts on jobs and services.

Speakers included CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes, Cheryl Pidgeon, TUC Midlands Regional Secretary, and Jack Dromey MP for Erdington.

The message today was clear - the trade union movement would not abandon the CWU or the vital services they deliver to the public.

For more on the campaign visit:

http://www.cwu.org/keep-the-post-public.html

Education reforms will divert resources away from schools in greatest need

TUC Regional Secretary, Cheryl Pidgeon

Commenting on the publication of the Education Bill today (Thursday), Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said: “Many of the provisions in this Bill are a direct attack on our democratically accountable school system.
“Extending academies and introducing free schools will fail to serve the interests of the majority of families and pupils, and will instead divert resources away from the schools in greatest need of support.
“Abolishing the negotiating body for school support staff will deprive employees of a means to achieve minimum standards in pay and working conditions.
“However it is welcome to see new safeguards for teachers facing allegations of abuse or improper behaviour from pupils.”

Government’s forestry proposals are ‘barking up the wrong tree’, says TUC

Major Oak in Sherwood Forest

Government proposals announced today (Thursday) to sell off England’s forests and woodlands to private companies or transfer them to charitable trusts could make it much harder for the public to enjoy the countryside, leave charities out of pocket, and will raise little revenue from the public purse, says the TUC. Commenting on the publication of the consultation document on the future ownership of woodlands like Sherwood Forest and the Forest of Dean, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said:
“The government is barking up the wrong tree with these proposals. Quite rightly public alarm is growing at the privatisation of our most treasured natural assets.
“People appreciate the way our forests are managed for the nation by the professional staff of the Forestry Commission. Volunteer foresters or private companies won’t do the job as well and the careful balance between timber, public amenity, bio-diversity and conservation will be lost.
“Everyone who lives or works in our forests, or simply enjoys walking in our woodlands, will want to join with environment, community and trade union campaigners to resist these ill-thought out ideas.”

Northampton anti cuts meeting update

Northampton trades union council packed The Guildhall this week for an anti cuts meeting. See the photos here: http://www.againstthecuts.blogspot.com/

And a report on the PCS website here: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/pcs_comment/index.cfm/id/98C57FA3-0A79-4794-944C2F7280D826B2

Government urgently needs a plan B, warns TUC

Brendan Barber,
TUC General Secretary

Commenting today (Wednesday) on the recent economic data on inflation, unemployment and growth, along with the speech by the Governor of the Bank of England last night, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “Yesterday’s dismal growth figures and the Governor’s revelation that ordinary people are paying a heavy price for the government’s economic policies, on top of huge cuts in vital services, make a plan B even more necessary.
“In his budget the Chancellor must change course.
“Above all the government needs a growth strategy that can get people back to work and the tax receipts flowing again to close the deficit.
“Companies and consumers will not invest or spend if they expect the economy to go from bad to worse, and confidence will have been hit for six by yesterday’s growth figures.
“Restoring confidence to business and consumers will require bold action.
“The Chancellor should reverse the VAT increase. We were worried it would choke off recovery, but now we find the government has managed to do that even before the VAT hike has kicked in.
“He needs to call a halt to spending cuts that depress growth and take demand out of the wider economy.
“Next the Chancellor should end the public sector pay freeze. Holding back pay when inflation is rising is hitting the living standards of millions of low paid workers and depressing the wider economy. As a priority the Chancellor should ensure the government’s stated policy of a flat rate increase for low paid workers is made a reality.
“Ministers should also ignore the siren voices calling for the stripping away of basic employment rights at work. If people are even more fearful of losing their job or suffering pay cuts then that will harm the economy.
“Ministers are fond of calling their critics deficit-deniers. This is completely untrue. The problem is that the Chancellor fails to get the most basic lesson of 20th century economics – that the way out of a recession and depressed growth is by increasing demand in the economy. In the words of Nobel prize winner Paul Krugman, he’s a demand denier.
“Lastly the Bank’s MPC needs to build on Mervyn King’s strong defence of low interest rates by making even more clear that they are here until jobs and growth have been secured.”

Keep the Post Public March and Rally

Billy Hayes, CWU General Secretary

The Communication Workers Union are holding a march and rally in Birmingham as part of their national campaign to keep the post public.
Speakers include CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes, and Jack Dromey, Labour MP for Erdington.

Assemble Victoria Square, Birmingham B1 1BD from 11.30 a.m.
March from 12 midday
Rally in Birmingham Town Hall

Supported by the Midlands TUC

Government has a reverse Midas touch on economic growth, says TUC

Cheryl Pidgeon

Commenting on the first estimate of GDP growth in Q4 2010 published today (Tuesday) by the Office for National Statistics – which shows that GDP output fell by 0.5 percentage points on the quarter –  Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said: “Bad weather or not, these are truly awful figures, much worse than anyone expected. The government has a reverse Midas touch turning respectable growth figures into one of the sharpest falls on record.
“When this collapse works its way into the jobs market the impact will be severe. To implement drastic spending cuts when every sector bar production is in decline will hit business, send unemployment spiralling and make closing the deficit more difficult, not less.
“These figures underline the need for the government to develop a strategy for economic growth. Richard Lambert was absolutely right to identify this gaping hole in government strategy.”

The ONS GDP preliminary estimate is available at www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/gdp0111.pdf 

Choose Youth rally, 12th February, Solihull

Youth services across the country are under severe threat from government cuts. Vital services that support young people are being pulled apart by the devastating cuts in public spending. At the centre of this new focused assault on young people’s services is the potential demolition of the youth service and youth work.
The youth service was created 50 years ago when the national debt was much higher but when there was a political consensus that society needed quality public services and needed to treasure the voice of the young.
Now, with around a million young people officially unemployed and many more in need of support, the very projects and programmes that bring hope to our young people are being broken up.
Youth clubs, youth programmes, Connexions centres and youth counselling services - to name but a few - find themselves on the front line of cuts.
We say Choose Youth, it is a false economy to cut young people’s services.
A national rally will be taking place on 12 February in the West Midlands. The event will show why these cuts are deeply damaging and unnecessary.
Celebrities, entertainers and most importantly young people and their youth workers and organisations will be there. Make sure every councillor, budget holder and MP knows that we mean business and that services for young people are not for closure or sale. Our young people deserve better.

TO BOOK A PLACE ONLINE,VISIT www.chooseyouth.org  to guarantee your place.

Benefits claimants protest at 38% cut

Protest outside the Jobcentre Plus offices in Chesterfield

Chesterfield benefits claimants protested against huge cuts to allowances today as the government continues its' unprecedented attack on welfare reciepients. Midlands TUC  Regional Secretary said, "These cuts of £25 a week constitute a 38% cut from £90 to just £65 a week. How can the government expect the poorest in society to cope with such cuts to the family income? Benefits are cut as bankers continue to award themselves obscenly huge bonusus - so much for all being in it together."

Cheryl Pidgeon and Colin Hampton address
 the claimants outside JobCentre Plus

Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centre Coordinater Colin Hampton said, "We know that direct appeals to this government will fall on deaf ears but we shall not go away. We will continue to protest at these savage cuts to ensure people are aware of the damage being done to family incomes."

GMB research shows scale of local authority job cuts

The GMB’s latest list shows that a total of 125,894 posts are under threat of being made redundant at 165 councils and authorities across Britain. In nearly all these councils a 90 day statutory consultation period is underway on how to deal with these job losses. Councils have given notice that they plan to delete vacant posts and seek volunteers for early retirements and redundancy.
Under the Trades Union and Labour Relations(Consolidation) Act 1992 employers are required to give the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills an advance(HR1) notification of potential redundancies and to send copies to recognized trades unions. Section 6 of the HR1 form sets out the number of possible redundancies and the date on the form triggers the 90 day consultation period. The information below on the levels of posts under threat is mainly drawn from this source. Section 4 deals with timing of redundancies and the most common date on the HR1 forms is 31 March 2011. Some volunteers have already left.
There are a total of 353 councils in England, 22 in Wales and 32 in Scotland plus a total of 90 other authorities including national parks, police, fire and waste. For a total of 332 authorities GMB has not yet established the number of posts under threat.

Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, said “This rise in the number of people unemployed at a time when the economy is recovering from the bankers recession is linked to not filling vacancies right across the public sector and to people of working age volunteering for redundancy being added to the dole queues. The government is in denial that it is deliberately creating unemployment but the fact is that it is driving up the level of unemployment."

GMB tracks the number of job losses in the local authority sector. To date the cumulative number of job losses is 125,894 for 165 authorities. In the current circumstances it is hard to see the private sector creating enough new jobs to make up for these job losses.
The purchasing power of people in work is being badly affected by the hike in VAT and other inflationary pressures on the economy as pay is not keeping up. Pay freezes in the public sector and the threatened increase in pension contributions will make matters worse. GMB has accused the coalition government of taking an almighty gamble with the economy and that accusation stands. It is not possible to deflate your way to growth and a balanced budget.”
East Midlands
Derbyshire CC 2,000

Leicestershire County Council 1,000
Lincolnshire County Council 1,000
Nottingham City Council 800
Derby City Council 750
Northamptonshire County Council 600
Nottinghamshire Combined Fire Authority 150
Northamptonshire Police Authority 100
Lincolnshire Police Authority 60
Peak District National Park Authority 44
Derbyshire Dales Council 40


East Midlands total 6,544



West Midlands
Birmingham City Council 5,000
Stoke on Trent 2,500
Shropshire CC 2,400
West Midlands Police Authority 2,200
Warwickshire 1,855
Sandwell 1,000
Coventry City Council 1,000
Dudley Borough Council 800
Staffordshire Police Authority 600
Telford & Wrekin 530
Warwickshire Police Authority 450
West Mercia Police Authority 287
Wyre Forest District Council 24

West Midlands total 18,646

Email blunder reveals job cuts plan in Northampton and Hinkley

Union leaders have been seeking urgent talks with power giant National Grid after an email sent by mistake raised fears of 400 job losses in the East Midlands.
The GMB said the message made it clear the company was drawing up plans to cut jobs at its sites in Northampton and Hinckley.
A company spokesman said: "National Grid has the goal to be the most effective and efficient of Britain's local gas distribution networks. To help achieve this, National Grid has been looking at a number of different options for the future structure of its customers operations team based at Northampton and Hinckley. We are still developing final proposals and plan to present them to staff and their representatives shortly for consultation. Unfortunately, an unfinished draft document was emailed inadvertently to a number of employees. "It would not be appropriate for us to comment on the contents of this working draft, save to say that no decisions have been made by National Grid about our final proposals. We are committed to meaningful consultation with our staff and their representatives."


GMB official Gary Smith said: "We don't believe there can be meaningful consultation. We know National Grid have already expressed a preference for the option they intend to pursue. We have a Government claiming the private sector will create thousands of new jobs as they decimate the public sector, and we have a Government regulator, Ofgem, driving companies to slash jobs."


Mr Smith continued, "These job cuts will come at a time when the gas infrastructure is creaking with the number of gas escapes. We have had record numbers of gas leaks and we have a real worry about the impact of these cuts."


Original source:http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=7336963

Stewarding the March for the Alternative

The March for the Alternative is going to be huge!
That means we are going to need lots of volunteer stewards to help make the day a well-run, family-friendly event. Good events need about one steward for every 50 people attending, so that tells you how many we will need. We are asking for people to nominate themselves via this website for two steward roles. They are very different and people can do both. (We are recruiting senior stewards directly from unions).


But first it's worth stressing what the job doesn't involve, as we know a wrong impression can put people off volunteering.


Volunteer stewards are not being asked to deal with any trouble-makers the event might attract. Of course we are planning this to be a massive, peaceful and friendly event, but in the unlikely event that a few fringe trouble-makers do cause difficulties, our volunteers are not expected to do anything other than report problems to senior stewards.
So if that's what the job isn't about, what do these two roles involve?

Travel stewards
We are asking every group of people travelling together to the event to nominate at least one person as a travel steward.
The travel steward's role is to make sure that people get to the right place at the start, can brief people on what to expect during the day and know how to get home again. We will make sure that you have any last-minute information you need, and will be able to keep in touch on the day by text.
We know that anyone organising a coach or block booking to the event will already be fulfilling most of this, but we would like to know who you are and make it easier for you to your job.
If you want to register as a travel steward, please do so here.
Travel stewards do not have to help steward the march, but it would make sense to also volunteer to be a route steward as well - as the people travelling with you will already know who you are.
Route stewards
The job of route stewards is straightforward. The main task is simply to keep the march moving. There's a terrible tendency for marches like this to slow down, but we need to keep people moving briskly so that everyone can get into Hyde Park for at least some of the rally.
The next job is to be able to answer questions and deal with issues raised by those attending. We will be providing briefing sessions in advance all round the country, and providing written briefing notes.
Next stewards will be briefed on what to do if any problems arise. Common examples of such issues are a lost child, someone being taken ill or injuring themselves. The answers to most of these will be to contact a senior steward or the march control centre, and full briefings will be given on different contingencies and what to do. As we have said this does not include any intervention if there is any disruption beyond polite requests to keep moving. This would be when you hand over responsibility to senior stewards and the police.
Again we will use text messages to send any urgent information to stewards, and senior stewards will be in radio contact with each other and the march control centre.
So what's needed is common-sense, a mobile phone and a desire to help make this the most effective and efficiently organised demonstration against the cuts that is possible.
If you want to be a route steward sign up here.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-19001-f0.cfm/formbuilder/118/p/1

Unions into Schools launch event

Unions into Schools is a new set of on-line teaching resources for use in secondary school classrooms, bringing pupils into contact with trade unions, their history and their role in the contemporary workplace, wider society and around the globe. Featuring teaching notes, lesson plans, a range of audio-visual presentations and classroom activity, these resources are ideal for use by teachers delivering citizenship, PSHE, history, business studies and other subjects at Key Stage 4 and 6th Form.
You are welcome to join us at the launch event to find out more and to see how we might help bring these materials to your schools and communities.
These resources have been developed by the TUC in partnership with unionlearn, UNISON, NASUWT, NUT, Unite, DFID and the TUC Library Collections at London Metropolitan University.
To register your attendance, please contact Joanne Adams at jadams@tuc.org.uk
Date: Monday 14th February 2011
Venue: Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS

Care Home protesters excluded from Council debate

Derby Silk Mill march passes the Council House

Care Home and Children's Centre  protesters who wished to listen to the debate at Derby City Council were excluded as council officials blamed health and safety as a reason to limit attendance. Many people had demonstrated their opposition to reductions in service but when it came to hearing the justifications - they were not all allowed in.
To see the report from the ThisisDerbyshire website go to: http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Emotions-run-high-dozens-locked-key-meeting/article-3124145-detail/article.html

West Midlands sees biggest rise in unemployment - followed by East Midlands

The West Midlands has seen the biggest rise in unemployment in the country, with an increase of 48,000 in the quarter to November, official figures have revealed.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), a total of264,000 people were unemployed in the region between September and November.
The region's unemployment rate was 9.9% and saw a rise of 22.2% during the period.
Nationally, unemployment rose by 49,000, with 2.5 million people out of work.
The unemployment rate is now 7.9%, but for 16 to 24-year-olds it is 20.3%. One in five 16 to 24-year-olds are jobless after an increase of 32,000 in the quarter to November to 951,000, the highest figure since records began in 1992.
 
Unemployment in the East Midlands has increased by 15,000 in the same quarter. A total of 186,000 people were unemployed in the region between September and November.
The region's unemployment rate was 8.1% and saw a rise of 8.7% during the period.


The region with the worst rate was the West Midlands, which saw the biggest increase in people out of work at 22.2%, followed by the East Midlands. There were 157,000 redundancies in the latest quarter, up by 14,000 on the previous three months.
Original source:
http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=7332036

Nil Points

Colin Hampton

Claimants with disabilities will be staging a demonstration outside Chesterfield Jobcentre on Monday January 24th at 2pm. They will be joining in on a National Day of Protest Against Benefit Cuts. The demonstration, organised by the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers’ Centres, will see 30 claimants and supporters holding cards awarding nil points to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) for the cuts they have received in benefits since the introduction of the new Employment and Support Allowance. Many of the protestors had received nil points from Atos Healthcare, the company that carries out disability analysis for the DWP. Only if they reach 15 points are people able to claim the new benefit. If not they lose at least £25 per week and have to join the growing queue looking for work. ‘Many people continue to receive benefit cuts’ said Tim Wilkinson adviser at the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers’ Centres. ‘These are people who have heath conditions which mean that employers are highly unlikely to give them a job. With more and more people looking for work with the Governments cut back’s those with physical and mental health problems will fall further to the back of the queue for jobs. Losing benefits and having to live on £65 per week does not help anyone’s health or chances of moving back into work.’
Derbyshire Unemployed Workers’ Centres are waiting to represent 700 people across Derbyshire at Appeals Tribunals many of which are challenging decisions to award nil points to people seeking ESA. Nationally 2½ million incapacity benefit claimants will be migrated on to the new benefit.

‘Derbyshire Unemployed Workers’ Centres will continue to give a voice to those under attack from benefit cuts’ said Colin Hampton co-ordinator of Derbyshire Unemployed Workers’ Centres, ‘If the County Council thinks it can stamp out dissenting voices by stopping grant aid to our organisation – it couldn’t be more wrong. Our job is not just to give advice and representation but to raise the social policy issues that arise from our work’.
Further information from Colin Hampton: colin.hampton@duwc.org.uk

Retired members look to the future

Retired members meeting in Leicester

The Midland's TUC retired members network met in Leicester today (Wednesday) to consider their work programme for the coming year.
High on the list of priorities was campaigning against government cuts to public services. Libraries, health care and pensions were all in he spotlight as details of the cuts become ever more apparent. The network considered how best to inform retired people, and indeed all of us who aspire to be retired on day, of the threats to services and jobs.
The meeting considered how to best use new media opportunities as well as the more traditional printed outlets such as newspapers and branch newsletters.
Further discussion's will be held in February where the network expect to finalise their work programme and communications strategy.

High inflation will make a tough year for workers even harder, says TUC

Cheryl Pidgeon, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary

Commenting on the latest inflation figures published today (Tuesday) by the Office for National Statistics, which show the Retail Prices Index (RPI) increased to 4.8 per cent in December and the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose to 3.7 per cent, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said: “The alarming rise in inflation means prices are running well ahead of pay deals. This will make a tough year for workers even harder to bear, particularly for public servants suffering a sharp real terms pay cut."
“Fuelling inflation with a VAT hike will hit workers in their wage packets and shopping receipts. This tax rise is bad for working families and damaging for the economy too.
“Surely it is now time for the Chancellor to use the budget to reconsider the VAT increase.”

UNISON campaign to protect Nottinghamshire's Country parks

The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest

Notts County Council claims it has to cut £186 million from its budget over the next four years. They plan to make over three thousand County Council employees redundant – a huge blow not only to those individuals who stand to lose their livelihood, but to the services they provide and to the Nottinghamshire economy as a whole.
The country parks’ budget is being particularly badly affected. Amongst the County Council’s proposals for the future of this service are:
• A cut of 47%, nearly half, of the current budget
• The abolition of the park rangers’ service entirely
• Their replacement with a reduced number of unskilled park wardens
The implications of these cuts will be devastating if allowed to go ahead. Many of the activities at the parks will simply have to end. Health and safety will be greatly compromised, and an increase in anti-social behaviour is inevitable with such vastly reduced staffing levels. Staff who work at the parks have queried whether or not the council will even manage to meet basic legal obligations in some areas. Workers at Bestwood Country Park have told us that the Council’s proposed axing of the budget will mean that Bestwood will effectively be “mothballed”.
If you haven’t done so already, please consider doing the following:

• Take part in Nottinghamshire County Council’s online budget consultation which closes Friday 21 January 2011. The section including the budget proposals for country parks can be found at http://www3.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/thecouncil/budgetproposals/communities/?assetdetesctl1980952=55856.
• Contact your local County Councillor and/or MP with your objections. You can find your County Councillor at: http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/your_council/councillorsandtheirrole/councillors/whoisyourcllr.htm. Alternatively, ‘phone the Council on (0115) 9823823 and say you want to know your local County Councillor’s details.
• Come to the demonstration UNISON is planning on 24 February to coincide with the council meeting which sets the budget for the next financial year. Further details will be available nearer the time from the Notts UNISON website: http://www.nottsunison.org.uk/

TUC welcomes abolition of the default retirement age

Welcoming the government’s decision today (Thursday) to abolish the default retirement age, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon said:
“This will stop employers from dismissing people on an arbitrary basis just because they have reached 65.
“Employees should be judged on their ability to do the job, not their age.”

Trades council links - new on the site

We have added links for the Midlands trade union councils - you can use these links to see what local trades unions are doing in your area. The links are on the left hand side bar. Have you set up a website or blog for your trades council? Let me know at: midlands@tuc.org.uk and we shall include the link.

DUFFIELD TEACHERS STRIKE OVER ACADEMY MOVE

Teachers at Ecclesbourne School in Duffield, Derbyshire, are taking industrial action on two days this week against proposals to convert the school into an ‘academy’. Members of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, are walking out on Tuesday 11 and Thursday 13 January over their serious concerns about the governors’ consideration of becoming one of the Coalition Government’s controversial academy schools.
Concerns raised include:
• Evidence from Sweden and the United States that have adopted similar systems shows that educational standards were NOT raised.
• Removing teachers from the National Pay and Conditions framework. Academy schools do not have to adhere to national pay frameworks. A national system ensures that schools don’t compete against each other for staff, and staff can concentrate on raising standards at the school.
• Taking the school out of local authority control is dismantling this country’s state education system. Academy schools are effectively private schools, funded directly by the Government.
• By opting out of a local authority system, education becomes fragmented. Local authorities’ ability to provide specialist services for disadvantaged children across the area will be impaired.
• Once converted, there is no going back.


Parents, governors and members of the public are being urged to look carefully at, and query, all proposals concerning the academy. There is also the opportunity to  raise the issue with the local MP, and write to them expressing specific concerns.




Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, said: “The teachers at Ecclesbourne taking strike action are doing the right thing by standing up for what they believe in – maintaining the excellent education they provide under a state-run school system.
“They don’t want to see this school handed over to the Coalition Government’s sweeping reforms that effectively open the floodgates to the private sector. Do people in Derbyshire want their local schools to be privatised?
“I’ll be joining the staff in their action later this week to support them, and show how seriously the Union takes their concerns.”
Dave Wilkinson, NASUWT Local Secretary, said: “Teachers at Ecclesbourne have serious concerns about the future of education for the pupils here. We don’t think that becoming an academy is right – so far, all the evidence suggests that academies don’t improve educational standards.
“This peaceful action is quite simply to demonstrate concern and urge governors to look carefully at the plans and make the right decision for Ecclesbourne – don’t convert to academy status, because it’s effectively being privatised. We should be asking ourselves - Do we really want to break up the state education system?”

Unions united on assessment reform

The Midlands TUC passed a resolution calling for an end to SAT's (Standard Assessment Tests) in 2008. Below is the most recent posting on the National Union of Teachers website regarding SATs. The government is currently consulting on primary assessment and accountability, and the link to this is reproduced below.

Three of the country’s biggest education unions are calling for reform of SATs and league tables.
The NUT teamed up with the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) on 15 December 2010 to launch a joint publication, Common Ground on Assessment and Accountability in Primary Schools. In it, the three unions set out their thinking on a way forward for assessment, school improvement and inspection that will benefit all.
The unions believe SATs should be scrapped in favour of teacher assessment that is subject to external scrutiny. National sampling, where a representative sample of pupils is assessed yearly, is well established in other countries and could replace SATs in England as the main measure of national education standards. Such tests would be anonymous, and results not published in league tables, drastically reducing the pressure and stress currently experienced by Year 6 pupils, teachers and school leaders.
NUT Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney said: “We need intelligent accountability – government must trust the professionals.”
The NUT, ATL and NAHT also agree that inspections should be supportive of schools – a shared professional experience between all those involved, rather than an external invasion.
Government review of primary assessment and accountability
The Government has now launched its review of primary assessment and accountability.
If you or your school would like to make a response to the review, go to the DfE consultation website: http://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/
This will give you full details of how and where to send your comments. The closing date for responses is Thursday 17 February 2011.
It is particularly important to tell the review about your personal experiences of the current testing and accountability systems – their impact on schools you have worked in, pupils you have taught and on you personally and professionally.
You may also want to include ideas about how you think assessment and accountability should be reformed to improve teaching and learning.
If you wish to reflect NUT policy in your own response, links to documents which explain the reasons behind the NUT’s opposition to the SATs and to the school league tables are provided below, as are joint policy documents written with other teacher associations.
The most important thing, however, is that you do respond to the review – it is essential to let the Government know the profession’s views on this issue, so that it is fully informed by primary teachers’ experience and expertise, before the proposals for reform of primary assessment and accountability are published next year.

For assessment reform campaign materials and resources, please go to: http://www.teachers.org.uk/assessment

UNISON Connexions members to take industrial action on Thursday 6th January

180 UNISON members in Birmingham Connexions will stage a half day Industrial Action from 1pm on Thursday 6th January to fight the planned 24% job cuts- the first industrial action in the biggest local authority in the country directly against spending cuts in public services.
UNISON members make up around 70% of the Connexions Birmingham workforce so union leaders are expecting a significant impact. Managers have yet to announce whether Connexions Advice Centres in Broad Street, Kings Heath and Northfield will close.
UNISON members will protest outside these Connexions Centres from 12.30pm on Thursday and then move onto a Rally in the BMI, 9 Margaret Street, B3 3BS at 3pm. Shabana Mahmood MP for Ladywood and Roger McKenzie UNISON West Midlands Regional Secretary will speak at the Rally of members and supporters.