A view from Brian Williams, Honorary President (NASUWT) of UNIFY, and founder member of Professional Unity 2000.

“Trade Unions exist to protect and promote the rights and welfare of workers. Quite naturally workers join a union that represents employees in that particular sector. Post Office workers join CWU, Rail workers join RMT, Construction workers join UCATT – and so on. There is one union to represent workers in that sector – one voice to negotiate with employers.”

It is, therefore, quite perplexing – even baffling – to workers not involved in education to learn that there are six  teacher trade unions affliated to the TUC and three non-affliated unions. Amazingly there are other organizations representing teachers who are not in either catagory!! The six affliated unions claim membership of 899,000. as mergers create larger more effective unions – UNISON was formed from NALGO, NUPE and COHSE, UNITE from Amicus and T&G – the proportion of  education unions in the TUC increases. At present there are 58 unions affiliated to the TUC, 6 represent teachers and lecturers. In addition the 3 non-affliated bodies claim to represent 53,000 teachers.

Anyone attempting to create an effective representative forum for teachers could never mantain that the best scenario would be to establish at least 10 organisations – with the inherent capacity for internecine warfare and internal bloodletting – not to mention the employers’ability to divide and rule. Space does not permit an explanation of how this farcical position arose. Suffice to say dis-unity – and that is precisely what exists – is in the interests of one body only, the employers.
I spoke to a fringe meeting at the NUT Conference in Cardiff in the mid 90s – to advocate the formation of one teachers’ union – a view not entirely popular in the NASUWT! I pointed out that union leaders create “theological” differences and use sophistry to justify their existance. Teachers of all unions are united by a far greater range of things than that which divides them.The basic aims of a decent level of remuneration and good conditions of service should unite teachers not create a context where union leaders can score points in press releases in a game of one upmanship.

Those involved in education as teachers or lecturers work in an ever-changing environment and will face greater problems in the future and creeping privatisation of the service.To ensure justice, unity is not just beneficial it is essential. The mounting stress on teachers who seem to be reviewed, evaluated, appraised, assessed and examined almost continuously – the attempt by government to privatise the education service in the guise of academy schools, increasing levels of paperwork reducing teachers to robotic beings – need a united stance to combat them.
Unity is essential. Those who claim by some prostitution of logic that it is in the interest of teachers to have a choice of unions forget that ATL, NASUWT,UCU, ASCL all are amalgamations of one sort or another.

I was involved with Professional Unity 2000 from the outset. I am proud to remain involved in the fight for unity. I welcome the launch of UNIFY – one education union. Its vision is broader and more exciting – one union to represent teachers of all levels and age groups. No more divide and rule, no more energy spent on recruitment and membership battles, no more internecine warfare.

Instead energy devoted to improving / protecting the lot of teachers and thereby improving educational provision.

There are two simple yet highly important reasons for such a creation – unity is patently in the interest of all teachers. Any poll taken at school level, at LA level or nationally indicate that this is what teachers want.

Let us put behind us the ills of the past and take a step, a brave step forward to create united force.This can be achieved – it  is possible, it demands will, resolution and vision.

Avante!