http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/layout/set/print/content/view/full/116422 – Government thinks that it’s over …………..
Vote by Wednesday 14th and to get a survey call: 0207 3806300 early tomorrow (Monday) or email action@nut.org.uk
The National Executive meets on Thursday so also email: C.Blower@nut.org.uk or your Inner London Executive members: alex@elta.demon.co.uk and martinpd_uk@yahoo.co.uk (Alex Kenny and Martin Powell Davis). if you are unable to get a survey paper in time to vote then email these two to tell them your views about strike action on 28th March (please do this in advance of the Exec Meeting on Thursday)
You have already been balloted last year so all NUT members can take the action, regardless of whether they have received a survey or not.
VOTE YES/YES and let’s fight on over pensions and workload
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Letter to members from Christine Blower:
Dear colleague
Strike to defend teacher pensions on 28 March
As you will hopefully know, the NUT is calling a one day strikeand demonstration in London on 28 March as the next step in the pensions campaign. Our lecturer colleagues in the UCU will
join us in a strike across all phases of education.
I am writing to urge you to support both the strike and then demonstration. By working together we can send a clear message to Government that teachers and lecturers do not accept its pension proposals and reinforce our demand that it re-opens negotiations.
Don’t forget that our case is simple and just: The Government still hasn’t carried out the
valuation of the teachers’ pension scheme and has produced no evidence to back its claim
that our scheme, which was reformed in 2007, is unaffordable.
Yet teachers are still being asked to work longer, pay more and get less: Any teacher
under 34 faces having to work to 68 or even longer to get a full pension. All of us are
being asked to pay 50% more and to get much less due to the change in indexation.
The London action is just the start: The NUT is planning to take action in other parts of
England and Wales and is seeking to bring other unions into this work, and these next
steps will be discussed at our conference over Easter.
Strike action does work: Our strikes in June and November have won some useful
concessions but we need to win more.
Strong support for the campaign: In our recent survey a massive 95% of respondents told
us that they support us continuing our campaign. An overwhelming 73% said that they
are prepared to take further strike action on pensions.
Don’t forget: The vast majority of teaching unions have not signed up to the
Government’s proposals and we are pleased that the NASUWT has stated that its Annual
Conference at Easter will determine the next phase in its industrial action strategy. We
will be doing everything we can to work with other teacher unions, including the
NASUWT, in developing the campaign.
We need teacher unions to work together: We have always known that the pensions
campaign will be a long one. Its success is dependent on as many teacher unions as
possible working together.
A
How can I help the campaign?
Ask your NUT representative to hold a meeting urgently to discuss plans for the day
If there is no NUT rep in your school, please get together with your colleagues to elect
one. They should then let your division/association secretary know that they have been
elected. Contact details for your local secretary can be found at
http://www.teachers.org.uk/contactus
Attend the central London demonstration on 28 March. Full details of this will be
posted at http://www.teachers.org.uk/pensions
Sign the joint NUT/NASUWT petition to Government. You can access this from
http://www.teachers.org.uk/pensions
Talk to other teachers in your workplace about the NUT’s policy that there should be
one union for all teachers. The NUT is in favour of a merger of the existing unions so
that teachers are better able to defend themselves and the education service.
If there are any teachers in your school who are not in a union, please ask them to join
the NUT. They can join online at http://www.teachers.org.uk/joinus or by calling 0845 300
1669 or 020 7380 6369 during office hours.
Show colleagues the materials on our website at http://www.teachers.org.uk/pensions
including our pensions calculator, parents leaflet and FAQs about the strike
It is your commitment that has won concessions from Government so far and your
fantastic support that will take the campaign forward to its next stage.
For all the latest developments in the campaign check http://www.teachers.org.uk/pensions
regularly.
You can also keep up to date with all the latest educational developments by following
us on Twitter at twitter.com/NUTonline
With best wishes
CHRISTINE BLOWER
General Secretary