Eastbourne, April 70. A late GeorgianVictorian town: statues and monuments delegutes due to their holding union abounding to the dead of the Victorian Impertalist ventures: a pier and a bandstand, grey lace and tea. The stock settlers are the retired/retiring petit-bourgeois with dogs: and this week the teachers.
Decision to Join TUC It is obulously an important year for the NUT. its centenary: the first year of successful strike action to back up a pay lemand, and the year when they stor uggering about and join the TUC. To be sure the top echelons of the NOT have not rushed into it to embroce the British working class: had they thought that the effect of TUC affiliation would be one of proletarianising their members, they could be a litile less eager to get in. But it's a start: they will be identified a little more with the working class movement and at local level there is the possibility of much more contact and action. There if course, a solid minority oppose affiation 162,000 for: 74.00 manat but this in part reflecis the very convertative make-up of the conference.
Undemocratic Nature Possibly the undemocratic nature of uny trude-union conference is accepted by most, but it was a terrific shock to see the serried ranits of teacher presentatives! The average delegate is out 45-50 (over 50% of NUT members Head Possibly 12% of the delegates were under 35); he/she is a head or deputy women, in a union where there are over 50% women members, and most of the gates had been to Conference for the unrepresentative section of teachers are positions of secretary/president on local committees or area committees, and it is decisions being taken. One amendment evident that it is these type of reachers who are represented by the Executive Committee of the NUT (that notoriously democratie bunch who are all heads or deputies!)
Ind at the conference the E. C. of th union had it all their own way. The E. presented their documente and the conference euve them the go-ahead. Not one resolution or amendment opposed by the E.C. was passed: not one The two most important issues for teachers are pay and class-sice. The E.C. submitted papers on both, and both accept the positions of the local authorities, Le. the employers. The salaries memorandum accepted the employers' demand for salary restructuring In the post few months the fight for an Interim Award was based on a flat-rate increase of E135 for all Tou the N Ro onto the Basic Scari LUCIUTSI Instead of continuing this fight for oll teachers, say they would like to increase the Baste Scale, but equally important is the need to rationalise above-scale payments and produce more enticing plums of responsibility, posta. ete. Any gains made in the lost few months were made through solidarity of all teachers: if there are lo be demands made for above-scale payments for the chosen few-this solidority will not operate. Most teachers recognise the absolute essential of a satisfactory baste scale-the E.C. policy will be cheaper for the employers, not a large increase for all, but a little for all and a lot for a few.
The ne ramuimment in this war but up in the lost few weeks in the rant and file, they must be involved in the discussions and consequentiy the was d demand to refer back the document to a Special Conference in But the E.C. and the C,P. strongly opposed this move, on the grounds that we could not leave the conference with no salaries poliey. The C.P. reiteraled this on well-anything is better than nothing! No discussion unfortunate, but... and the C.P. * alternative was "Back Maxie!" M. Morris, well-known C.P. head of a iarge comprehensive. Executive member, was to move an amendment so that the policy's introduction would have the words "oll increased money should go to the Basie Scale. until a satisfactory settlement on these issues has been achieved". The E.C. speaker made e vicious attack on the was to decide "satisfaction". (This viclous atlack on the E.C. was to be the banner that led the Left. No question of increasing consciousness in the local associations by a campaign mounted goinst the salaries document: instead a powerful" insertion!) And for lhas the C.P. opposed the reference bach. Buen Maxie's amendment was defeated, and then the scrobbling around continued until he successfully pushed through a castrated couple of sentences which to press the union's cleim with the utmost determination, including. if a marimum пешкрарет красе do tement the only thing on a 20-minute worte: consequence a demand for the return to a cosy consensus education ester come forget the industrial militoney back to the classroom", "all is forgicen". "let's work hand in hand...
-to the homor of the treasurer and finance committee, a question and statement made against NUT stockholdings in Anglo-Rhodesion compantes. and the treasurer getting flustered and worried: and talk of "principle ts ai very well but.." and "you won't change Rhodesian poliey, you know."
-a demand for leacher representation in various committeer so toothless thet it can only such!
-and the lost speech before the bouquets attacked the Government'* watchdog. the proposed Teachers Generai Conneil: a Rank and File proposals and won a large amount of support from the pop!
The fight that is taking place in area throughout Englond is not going to be cided or hindered by thi littie lot. The teachers have found their feet, they know how to fight, and the issues that are coming to the front lite class size, conditions of school buildings, control or participation within the decisionmakine processes will become importont amongst the rank and file. Journols tibe stated: "Conference announces its intent Rank and File will piay an mereowingly important port in the fight in the local assoctations: and it will be around this must work foris for the time when it worthwhile attending the conference when democracy hits the NUT and th
----- pull-quotes -----
May: giving focal associations a month to discuss the implications of the document!
which is just what the employers want and o meaningless C.P. motion which is
necessory, by the withmal of labour" paper that supporters groups are being We one left with a salurtes document formed to work in the intion. What we