UT Blackpool, the best described as a craft the NUT bureaucracy, Association, port of conference for the proposed unity, мтеанстасу. this union has led the near DURING the last 10 regamn and now leads in that fight iving standards and also the fight fend education and working conditions. You can be sure thạt fellow unionists outside teaching refer to us in the same breath (although fo different miners, the printworkers other unions standing up against the Our esteem in the trade union movement is at an all time high.
During this period we rave led numerous marMe&, lobbies and rallies.
lut we have to face up to the fact that we didn't win.
course the /NAS/UWT leadership nave a lot to explain their membership for leading the sell-out of pay, but it would be foolish to see it that simply. The 30 cent vote against leadership clearly demonstrates that we have RAILWORKERS ARE being urged to attend a AT THE National Union of Teachers conference in Socialist Teachers Alliance (STA) supported calls for unification with the NAS/UWT, La question of strategic importance to all teachers. The fact that this move comes from the left of the union, rather than is important because demonstrated the ability of the STA to relate to the objective needs of teachers as a whole and shows the STA's capacity to grow in the next period. We reprint below the speech of RAY SIROTKIN, who moved the resolution on behalf of the Lambeth Teachers which gained the overwhelming supdespite pposition from some on the left and a part of the reason to be optimistic that a united union is possible.
pretended that we can win As a men we be Havely this dispute alone. We have gained the support parents, counciliors (some. ), MPs, unionists and the public in celerat.
Yet, within teaching, when conslaering where we have gained support from, is it difficult to give a clear answer? Has it been from the NAHT (headteachers unions-ed) who rubbed their Hallus with glee with the settlement which gave them the Dest part of £1200 after they had obstructed our action? Was it from the Professional Association if Ma of course notl Teachers, the teachers' Up and down the country we were engaged locally in numerous joint activities with our ally, the NAS/UWT. myself spoke three joint meetings schools organised by the Lambeth Associations ot our two unions. much would we have been had this been the rule locally nationally rather than the exception?
Why is the NAS/UWT so special? It is primarily their affiliation the Teachers join us, th NUT or NAS/UWT sorts of reasons. If they join the NAS/UWT they become unionists, albeit with different policies structures from us. If they choose to organisations, they choose not to be a trade unionist at all!
We are all aware of the the leadership during this present camDalell But: must not be sectarian to their membership with cries of look what vou've done' We cannot let all the good work we have done during the past year through pointless rivalry.
that : OI policy, the NAS/UWT are ist to the extent that as the NAS, they women into their due to the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975. It is also generally argued that our policies are radically different from theirs.
about this. Haye none of noticed the huge difference we have had debate on policy during this conference over the Dasi IC W days? Does aul yule seriously suggest that this will prevent leaving this hall at the end of conference united and determined detend education as one union?
On policies, references have been made to the changes that have been made in our union over the por ample anger example, changes relation to women and our policy on arrived at? By equal tunities some magical formulations of our executive? Not at all!
I hev were won bv the women of this union and it is insulting to them to suggest lnat having led the fight against sexism in our would be in capable of doing so in a larger The being maintained as a separate union will mean that their ecutive will provide a barrier to our ideas reaching their membership.
There is another aspect worth considering. Be SuIC there Is education. that would frighten the Tories more than ourselves the NAS/UWT in one TUC-affiliated serving Galle sccondary teachers.
But we cannot pretend that Fred Smithies, general secretary of NAS/UWT, is outside this hall fighting to get in! On the contrary, we need a national campaign perhaps lasting years. It will not be achieved simply negotiations between course, will start Remember, this deTEACHERS mand comes as a plea from the membership. It will be achieved by the continued joint action on pay other issues by primary and secondary teachers. It will be achieved be getting It will involve long, palent aiscussions explain ing the importance now unity NAS/UW members. There will numerous problems - bi let's go forward!
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