Hank Roberts, founder member of Professional Unity 2000 and member of ATL, NASUWT and NUT has campaigned tirelessly to unite the teaching unions. He has been involved in unified action against academies which has been successful. Through the coordinating work of the Anti Academies Alliance this has spread around the country. He says:

“As we face the biggest crisis those of us teaching in Britain have ever faced we need to be ever clearer on our main strategic priority. It must be to increase the unity of workers in education.”

There are two ways of increasing unity; unity in action and organisational unity. Both are important and unity in action makes organisational unity both more likely and easier to achieve. However, organisation unity is the most important because if achieved it makes unity in action much more likely and more easily achievable.

Working together in some ways is becoming easier in our adversity. We should expand this as much as possible into all areas and all organisations such as the Anti Academies Alliance where we can work together. Other possible areas are asbestos removal, workload, testing and league tables. It is good news that this Easter the NUT will be debating the removal of asbestos from all educational establishments at its national conference.

On the other hand, the NUT and NAHT organising a joint conference on Testing and League Tables was an excellent example of the recognition of the need for unity. When it came to the ‘what do we do’ session there was universal agreement that unity in action with as many of the education unions as possible was the only way victory would be achieved. We are now in a situation where both unions are balloting members on boycotting the tests for KS2 in May this year. The closer working together can only have positive outcomes whatever happens with the tests.

Unions uniting have traditionally come about in two ways;
a) Those caused by financial pressures
b) Those desired by the memberships of unions involved where the unions are not in any financial difficulties

To look at a) first. All the teacher unions are currently under severe economic pressure for the a priori reasons of the present credit crunch devastating the value and income from investments and the serious fall in interest rates for cash held. The falling real value of teachers’ salaries, and the seriously competitive situation in the teacher union market, militates against subscription fee increases to mitigate financial loss. Employee and past employee pension funds are also a severe problem.

This puts pressure on and makes amalgamation, takeover or dissolution to form a new union between 2 or 3 of the main players (ATL, NASUWT and NUT) more likely. Other possibilities involve UCU and EIS and the two headteacher or leadership unions NAHT and ASCL.

Rationalisation in the current situation an outsider would have to say is so likely as to be almost inevitable. However, with humans if its not consciously organised for it won’t happen. What is the ‘bride price’ we (in any teacher union) should offer for uniting with another? My view -anything. What conditions should we demand? None. What conditions should we accept? Any, except it not being a democratic union. Offer all that may be wanted and needed so it cannot be opposed – good pay offs, guarantees re positions and facility time. The question is what and how – what is best and how can it be shaped?

Re b). The previous near achievement of unity in 2002 was very much a result of a push from the grass roots (assisted greatly by the role and work of Professional Unity 2000). This work within all the unions and in a reinvigorated UNIFY – One Education Union (the new name for Professional Unity 2000) needs to be escalated and we need plans for this. The Unity Conference planned by NUT is one opportunity as are the annual Conferences as are motions to the Executive. UNIFY is organising Conference fringe events again this year at the education conferences. The NUT General Secretary’s statements supporting unity are welcome. The newly elected Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney is someone who has experience in working across the unions in a variety of campaigns.

The current crisis will lead, unchallenged, to huge cuts in public expenditure on education and its emaciated husk handed over to be run privately. And this despite the private sectors demonstrated woeful inability to run banking and so much else without public money.

Crisis is indeed opportunity. We need to and will take forward this opportunity to build greater unity with our section of the class. The times and the saving of state education demand it.

Hank Roberts