GMB blasts teachers' union over recruitment of school support staff
GMB Union has blasted a teachers' union for recruiting school support staff, despite a cast iron agreement not to.
The National Education Union - formally the National Union of Teachers - is actively recruiting school support staff members such as teaching assistants, despite signing up to a TUC brokered agreement to only recruit teaching staff.
GMB annual congress in Brighton today [Wednesday] voted to consider its affiliation with the TUC if the body does not take seriously this flagrant breach of union agreements.
Previously, the TUC issued fines to the NEU for their recruitment of support staff, but their activity has not abated.
The NEU also has no role in negotiating support staff pay, pensions, or terms and conditions, as it is not a signatory to the National Joint Committee bargaining agreement covering school support staff negotiations.
However, in contravention of union agreements not to organise in areas covered by TUC unions, it is seeking to become a signatory.
NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede has made it clear that his union will continue to defy these agreements, stating in April this year: “We have doubled our support staff membership since the formation of the NEU I want to double it again, and then double that, and again double that.”
Many of the support staff being recruited are unaware that the NEU cannot represent them in the same way it does for their teacher members.
Lisa Bangs, GMB Public Services Senior Organiser, said:
“GMB takes seriously its representation of school support staff members and has successfully contributed to the re-establishment of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body.
“It is wrong for NEU to be recruiting support staff when it cannot negotiate their pay and, as a teachers’ union, it cannot represent the issues and experiences of support staff.
“The TUC should be upholding the integrity of agreements, and it is not acceptable for NEU to make a grab for a group of workers represented by other unions.
“If the TUC doesn’t once and for all effectively deal with NEU, we will have to consider the best interests of our members and review our affiliation.”
A former NEU member said:
“We had a union rep in from NEU who assured us they would support support staff, so myself and a few colleagues signed up to them.
“It was only when one of my colleagues needed some support that they told them they don’t really help support staff only teachers.
“I felt like we were giving false information by them.”
Another former NEU member added:
“Over the last few years I did have to contact the NEU and although nice it came across as if they didn’t really care about support staff.
“The main thing that made me change my mind with the NEU was that they were not involved in the negotiations for Term Time Only back pay for support staff.
“This made me realise that they had no interest in support staff.”
