This year's conference met in the shadow of Healey's massive social services The impact of these cuts (lopping dor million ott the educational in the years ahead) is beyond Class sizes will climb upwards. school building programme will grind to a halt and many school leavers, ing due to poor job prospects, inadequate resources.
Worse than this, the cuts will have an immediate impact on teachers' job prosalready estimated jobless lolai Sianas at 5, 000. backs will ensure that this figure jumps to 15,000 by September as newly qualified teachers cannot get a post and older teachers are 'phased out! under the new ¡redundancy' scheme (discussed at Conference).
Faced with this large-scale attack by the government, une man task the Conference was clear:to work out a red strategy inal could begin to challenge the government's priotities by calling on the labour movement as a whole to help defend educational standards. Jobless Figure What was startlingly obvious, was that teacher leaders such as Fred Jarvis had no coherent policy at all in fighting the cuts that are looming ahead. While deploring them verbally (as done the TUC), their main role at Conference was to stifle any potential osition among the rank and threaten them with new 'disciplinary' procedures.
This was most clearly seen on the issue of teacher unemployment which, many newly-qualified teachers unable to find a post, is assuming quite serious proportions.
budget arspute.
The Fred Mulley.
return- At present, will tace that the The cutfor smaller classes Need of a job.
icy, before their own members.
Ference schemes tor however, has Wages opp- TIle & ers' jobs, Will TC While aware that the present figure will escalate beyond 15, 000 the years to come, teacher leaders did their utmost to stifle any concrete action that would jeopardise their working 'relation' with Education Minister in only 3 out of 104 LEA's does the NUT operate its policy of refuSing to 'cover for members absent more than 3 days. Union leaders refused even to support the minimal action of extending this nationally which would have helped to 'soak up! many young teachers at present on the dole queues. Certainly, there was not even a mention of fighting as the only wav of ensuring that all teachers are guarantkather than challenge dovernment nol_ the Executive was, it seemed, looking for every way of applying it against This was revealed In is attempt to smuggle through Confer.
'compulsory redundancy! of teachers over 50. At first, they tried to suggest that this was merely question of 'early retirement! not worthy Only when the left managed to gain the suspension of standing orders did the Executive admit that it would give the local authorities the right to dismiss teachers as iney saw tit.
Not content with bartering away teachthe Executive stance proposed 3% wage norm (now 42%) was even shabbier. They refused to debate it. Despite the fact that the left tried raise ine issue by calling tor the suspension of standing orders, the Execut -Photo• John Sturrock (Report)
IIACHiN by Dave Picton ive resisted the challenge and managed to pull a majority of delegates.
The refusal of the Executive to debate out this key issue was quite obvious. was to avold naving to show that wages' policy (calling for increases ' to nothing more than bluff that would dropped as soon We can be sure that they will, in submit a claim within the 47% norm cooked up by the TUC and government Jarvis has been a foremost defender ' uv policy.
Such a position will, teachers exposed in the months ahead to an ever-eroded pay packet as 'inflation' increases. hit more than other workers since increases in social security payments have halved the £6 limit received last year. More inan ever betore to raise the issue of an lescalator! clause (protecting wages automatically against price rises) which was posed in the LamDem wai resolution.
Discipline There can be no doubt that the Exec -utive's ability to ram through these policies was due, apathy existing among the delegates. This apathy still exists partly because the education cuts have not yet begun to bite and partly because the recent Houghton award has partly cushioned many against the real effects of inflation, over ine past year The Executive is obviously aware, how ever, that this apathy could easily begin lo break down in ine wage packets are further eroded and unanyhem begins to escalate. to stifle growing opposition against their toothless policies, inev same time a major attack against the democratic rights of union members. This was most clearly revealed in the 'disciplinary! procedures outlined which were accompanied by the left in the union (described by Jarvis as 'diversionary elements by minority & seclarian groups')
Under the De suspended Dy otticers it they consider there is a prime facie case against them. From that moment, they are barred trom attending union meetings; are denied any of changes nical colleges.
April 23rd, their was be as Conterence was over Reform? since of of course, leave lines' for ney will, in many ways, be it was important teaching.
needs.
students. above all, to the relative Outburst OT Kennec ally early as March, coming period in order wider support for launched at the by the left, пс И a major attack new rules, union members can serious, large attempt to Runticular.
teacners' union.
rike and, The 'left!, Support This, of course, be demonstrations, and will increasingly and SP.
action by policies 1968 explosion, real losing the battle. pose a real In contrast, to extend the strike time, attempting demands.