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Is Your Pay Packet a Little Thinner?
 
December 31st 2008 was a very significant day for many of the countries teachers.  It was the day that the payment of Safeguarded sums ended.  For these teachers, the January pay packet will be the first one that does not include these sums.
 
The new management structures in schools were discussed in 2005.  Negotiations took place between the authorities, school management, staff, governors and representatives of the teacher unions.  These discussions led to the new management structures being formalised and agreed as being adequate for the school.  If an MA was removed, then it was decided that the job that it covered no longer needed doing.  If the job still needs doing, then a TLR should be created to cover this post and appropriate remuneration be paid for these duties.
 
The union advice on this issue is clear:
 
You should not do any work you are not being paid for.
 
If you or your school are affected by this issue, we need to know.  We cannot help you if we do not know there is a problem.
 
You can contact us through the contact link or by ringing the office on 01629 585086.
 
You can gain a full copy of the unions advice to members by clicking here.
 
Make The Most Of Your Money
A Free Financial Services Authority (FSA) Seminar
This seminar, run by a specially trained presenter,is to help you understand such things as debt, interest rates, different types of mortgage and pension schemes as well as general tips on budgeting and financial planning.
No catches.  Just the essentials to help you make informed decisions.
 
The seminar is on  Wednesday 25th February 2009 at 5.30p.m. in Committee Room 3, County Hall, Matlock.
 
Click here for more details
 
GTC Code of Conduct
 
You may not know that the GTC has a Code of Conduct that you are expected to abide by.  This Code deals mainly with Serious Professional Incompetence and Unacceptable Professional Conduct.
 
The GTC has proposed a new code to govern the conduct of teachers.  This new code is currently available in draft form. Whereas the old code dealt with specific issues in the broadest of terms the new code is far more draconian and far more open to misinterpretation by managers, heads and authorities.
 
It includes such statements such as “Uphold leadership decisions and school policies and procedures” and “Demonstrate high standards of honesty and integrity and uphold public trust and confidence in the teaching profession.”   This means the GTC will be entitled to make subjective judgments that refer to our actions and behaviour both in and out of school.  And it’s not just the GTC. Who else will be our moral guardians and have the right to assess our high standards of integrity?
 
The NUT does not attempt to argue that serious, and in particular criminal, misconduct is never any business of the GTC, yet the new regulations seem to go to far.  Many of their requirements amount to an unnacceptable  interference in every teacher's private and professional life.
 
If you want to read the full version of the code of conduct and take part in the GTC’s consultation, you can do this at the GTC website, www.gtce.org.uk 
 
The full NUT response to this code of conduct is available from this website by clicking here.
 
Workload Survey
Excessive demands on planning
 
On top of all this, staff are now being asked to provide an unreasonable amount of evidence of planning.  These constant demands for lesson plans and schemes of work shows a lack of respect for our professionalism as a workforce. As a union, we believe that much of this evidence is unnecessary and that on many occasions, head teachers misinterpret what is expected of schools.
 
Although we have much anecdotal of excessive planning demands, before we can take action on this we need to know what the situation is in schools.  To this end, you will be receiving a short survey in your school over the next couple of weeks.  We would be grateful if you could complete this and return it to us.  Once we know what the situation is, we can decide what action to take.
 
A copy of the union guidance to teachers and heads on planning can be found here.
 
Fair Pay
The Campaign Continues
 
The result of the ballot is as follows
 
Number voting YES:      29,813 (51.72% of valid vote)
Number voting NO:        27,829 (48.28% of valid vote)
 
Ballot papers issued:       194,505
Ballot Papers returned:      57,642
Turnout:                                    29.7%
 
Although there is a slight majority in favour industrial action, this is not the significant call to action that the executive had hoped for.
 
On the basis of members’ views and the current economic uncertainty, the NUT National Executive has decided against committing members to further strike action.
 
Acting General Secretary Christine Blower says:
“I am pleased that many of our members have been involved in the pay campaign. Colleagues continue to feel that pay levels for teachers are too low, which means that the case for Fair Pay for Teachers has not gone away. We will continue to work with the TUC on the public sector pay campaign across the board.
 
With inflation rising and living standards falling, the NUT is the only Union which has balloted members on pay. The NUT, alone amongst teachers' organisations, has given members the democratic opportunity to take a stand.
 
Acting General Secretary Christine Blower says:
I would like to thank all colleagues who have played their part in organising the campaign and those who voted in the ballot. I look forward to your continuing support for our campaigns.”
 
The NUT will continue to seek to work with other unions and partners within the education service to take forward the essential campaigns to achieve fair pay. The Union will, additionally, take its pay campaign to the Government, the STRB, Parliament and the public.
 
Other Action
 
Whilst the NUT will continue to fight for fair pay for teachers, this is not the only sphere in which your union is currently active. Other campaigns include.
 
Action on Key Stage 2 SATs
After the fiasco of the marking of the Key Stage 3 SATs, the government has capitulated on and decided that the divisive and stressful testing is no longer necesssary.  We will be working towards a similar realisation for the Key Stage 2 and campaigning for their abolition
 
Campaign on workload
Excess planning, excessive and unsympathetic observations, crazy meetings schedules and other workload issues are all still problems in Derbyshire schools.  We will be taking action in areas where the workload agreement is clearly not being abided by.
 
Campaign against the Academies & Trust Schools agenda.
The union will continue to promote its campaign for a good local school for every cochild and every community
 
TLRs. and safeguarded sums
Safeguarded sums will cease to be paid from December 31st. Likewise, any work that you are doing as part of that role should cease at that point. We will do all we can to support members where there is any attempt to make them continue that role without proper remuneration.
 
Join Us                
We will continue to build our membership locally and nationally. You can help by getting more involved locally.
 
A good place is to start is:
 
 
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