NO national action against education cuts. No action with other unions. Refusal to oppose all cuts. Refusal to act against all education These were unfortunate decisions taken by the National Union of Teachers' special conference on the cuts last Saturday. The only positive vote was for local action, organised at the discretion of the executive, to oppose some kind of job loss and compulsory redundancy.
Faced with the sharpest attacks on education for years, the NUT executive has refused to take the measures necessary for the defence of the most basic educational rights.
Sacrificed The school meals service, product of working class pressure for reform, is one of the things to sacrificed. 'Would you so meas barricades defend service? read the speakers" provided for trade the be meals full-time officials. notes In this crisis, the executive has by moved to the right. To seek support the with NUPE?' defeat.
most provision, own From Socialist Teacher support for its course, it utilises to good effect equivocal feelings that many teachers still have about the trade union movement.
'Would you be daft enough to ally president-elect Jack Chambers asked the conference The NUT has for the moment turned its back on other trade unionists, on the fate of the welfare state, and the threat to the most basic and hard won educational reforms. This can only lead to isolation and It is up to the left in the union to lead an opposition in defending the basic levels of educational which the prepared to forsake.
The one card vote at Saturday's conference demonstrated that over a third of the membership is willing to action against redundancies. That is a basis for the left to build on
----- pull-quotes -----
No more! Dait