(en) Britain, Solidarity Federation, Education #10 - Halesowen Four: victimisation in FE +

Halesowen Four: victimisation in FE ---- Earlier this term, members of the EWN in London 
had an early start to join a coach-load of supporters from SolFed, UCU, and NUT heading to 
the midlands to support the sacked teachers at Halesowen College. Dubbed the 'Halesowen 
4', these four maths teachers, including UCU Branch Secretary, David Muritu were dismissed 
by the college in Dec 2012 and Jan 2013.The move stunk of victimisation - teachers judged 
as 'good' in internal observations were scapegoated for management shortcomings. ---- Once 
in Halesowen, we joined hundreds of other supporters and found a vibrant, demo outside the 
college, despite the cold weather and early start.We marched alongside local members of 
UCU, NUT, Unison, NASUWT and PCS along with Dudley, Wolverhampton, Shropshire and Telford 
Trades Councils are.The support for the sacked teachers was overwhelming and inspiring.

UCU members took strike
action on Valentine's Day in
support of their colleagues,
as the campaign escalates.

The campaign demands that
management reinstate the
teachers immediately, and
that people send solidarity
and support to fight the sack-
ings and defend trade union
rights in Halesowen College.
Just this month it emerged
that their A-Level maths res-
ults showed 100% pass rate
in the latest A2 exams, fur-
ther undermining claims of
'underperformance' by man-
agement. Management had
even acknowledged that they
did not follow their own dis-
ciplinary procedures in these
cases.

Updates and contacts for the cam-
paign available at
https://www.face-book.com/groups/justiceforhalesowenfour/

----------------------------------------

Shut up and sod off!

Tory health minister
Jeremy Hunt an-
nounced in late March
that gagging clauses in so-
called "compromise agree-
ments" within the NHS (and
only the NHS) are no longer
to be permitted.

A compromise agreement is a
restrictive legal document
used to stop Employment
Tribunal claims and buy the
silence of aggrieved workers.
It means the end of the
worker's contract of employ-
ment, in exchange for a fin-
ancial payoff and agreeing not
to take the employer to ET.
A bit like a superinjunction,
even referring to the exist-
ence of a compromise agree-
ment is forbidden by its
terms. Further gagging
clauses may also prohibit dis-
cussion by the worker of the
reasons for leaving, or saying
anything critical of manage-
ment.

A worker may choose to ac-
cept the offer of a comprom-
ise agreement and payoff
rather than endure the slow
motion lottery of an ET, es-
pecially if offered a sum
comparable to what can be
expected if successful at ET.
Managers in the education
sector can continue to use
compromise agreements to
silence victimised workers,
and effectively bypass stat-
utory employment
rights.

-----------------------------------

NUT executive blocks strike call

In January, the national exec-
utive of the National Union of
Teachers (NUT) blocked calls
by members for strike action
this term over pay, conditions,
workload and pensions. Des-
pite having a live ballot for
strike action after YES votes
in summer 2011 (pensions)
and 201 2 (workload, condi-
tions, pay) the executive
voted 22-20 against strike ac-
tion. This all came after 300
reps in London alone got to-
gether and expressed their
overwhelming support for
strike action to members of
the executive at an emer-
gency reps meeting.

At a time when education is
facing unprecedented attacks
and teacher conditions are
being eroded at an accelerat-
ing rate, the NUT executive
has shown its true colours in
blocking the calls of its rank
and file members. Perform-
ance-related pay is being in-
troduced, smashing the
national-pay scales. Unquali-
fied teachers are deployed in
academies to depress wages
of classroom teachers and ex-
ploit these unqualified teach-
ers alike. Schools are sold-off
wholesale to used-car sales-
men and carpet moguls with
profit in mind.

The executive's actions make
clear that if we are to beat
these attacks, it will have to
come from below, a rank and
file education workers initiat-
ive taking direct action ?C our
'leaders' apparently have no
interest in winning this battle.

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Education Workers Network

EWN is made up of Solidarity Federation members who work in the
education sector. Joining EWN also means joining your nearest SF group
(solfed@solfed.org.uk or PO Box 29, S.W. DO, Manchester, M1 5 5HW
for details). Even if you don?t wish to join us, we welcome requests to join
our discussion list (ewn@lists.riseup.net) and / or for bundles of
Education Worker. Also available: EWN intro pamphlet; basic EWN intro
leaflet; back issues of Education Worker.

EWN, c/o News From Nowhere, 96 Bold Street, Liverpool, L1 4HY.
ewn@ewn.org.uk; www.ewn.org.uk