FOLLOWING lengthy court procedures, the officers of the NUT have been forced to re-admit both to These included NUT Regan and ILTA general secretary Mike Loosely.
The court action arose after the NUT leadership's original attempt to get the eight ILTA members suspended was overturned by the discip linary tribunal. The NUT leadership then used the cudure sentences overturned the Ongilal ones reimposed.
A test case was taken to the courts. which has now ruled that the right of appeal was inserted into the union rules for the use of defendents only, therefore could not be used by the prosecution - 1N this caser the union leadership - to seek a harsher sentence.
However, much more is involved this verdict than concern that justice is finally reached.
NUT always represented some of worst traditions of the British or overcal chauvinism, elitism, sectoralism professionalism. The 70s saw the of currents deve donicul within education, partiuclarly on the left of the NUT, which started to challenge this approach.
The early 80s were dominated by and large with pay struggles, and the NUT started to emerge as prepared an active union, to engage in industrial action on a large scale.
But the "new reallst was well represented on the NUT executive - and it still is.
In particular, this current always opposed advancing executive member Bernard on social questions using the 'aims and objects' the union rules as a pretext for preventing the union supporting the National Abortion Campaign, LND ana so Un.
What now the 'Broad Left' - comprising Labour right wing and Cl usually capitulated to this pressure. The Broad Left has always been more concerned with an alliance with than with the left.
When Kenneth Baker threw down the challenge with his legislation on pay and conditions, the NUT leadership either fight or apply the realist' approach. They chose the latter. They had already scaled down the industrial action and welc Baker type agreement with around local authorities.
They restricted the fight against Baker to propaganda and grand lobby.
ing of the House of Lords.
Inner London, the NUT, in ILTA fought for a strategy to defend the interests or leacners while NUT nationally was LiC backing down.
There was mass of London response teachers to the ILTA call for action in January 1987.
The success this measured by the fact that the NUT leaaelsilp Was forced to call for official action after this date, though never enough.
Baker imposed his conditions on teachers.
Given need to mobilise the maximum fight against Baker's proposals the Education Bill (GERBIL), most hesitant bureaucrat to give reluctant support 8 mass actor.
when parents were mobilised for exactly the sort of teachers need to make with parents one inal volves action the NUT refused to allow ILIA to ballot the memberevCl ship for action.
Not only that, but Fred Jarvis, NUT general secretary, went on local radio to explain that NUT members were being told take action but to work normally, crossing picket lines.
As it happens, many schools in Inner London defied the instruction from the NUT leadership. There were an estimated 15,000 teachers, support statt, schoolkeepers, Cleaners. parents Laud unionists who marched that day.
Since Baker's victory, teachers have been on the defensive. The under Neil Fletcher's leadership has pursued a strategy that befits retreat, including a cuts package of £93 million - although only with Tory support. In NUT this situation leadership is quite of the of to see a talke vail in the Inner London NUT wiped out by whal Baker LIC ILEA throws at it.
It is therefore ironical that the courts have helped put a break on this retreat insisting that LAC disciplinary measures taken against the ILTA eight were unlawful.
The challenge for the left at this Easter's NUT conference is whether this legal victory can be turned to assist the more difficult task of getting the union to mount a serious campaign which goes well bevond propaganda fight GERBIL. Committee decided AHEDIAL PUBLIC EM (West of b clear threat to get rid of it.
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membership and to office eight members of the In- ner London Teachers Association (ILTA) who were suspended or expelled from the union a year ago.
March, when all other IL- EA trade unions were on