ACADEMY SCHOOLS
GMB ORGANISING CAMPAIGN
GMB represents over 120,000 members employed in
schools and the recent move by the Tory-Lib Coalition Government to
encourage all 'Outstanding' schools to convert to Academy Status is
a direct threat to our members pay, pensions and terms and
conditions of employment.
GMB is opposed to Academies in principal and
will support members, parents, Governors and local communities in
their campaigns to prevent their school being taken out of the
state system.
However GMB recognises that our single,
over-riding goal is to organise, represent and protect our members
in their workplace and we are committed to supporting all GMB
School members regardless of the status of their school.
At GMB Congress 2010 Avril Chambers, Lead
Organiser for Education and Training, made the following
commitment
to GMB members regarding our Academy organising campaign which was
also covered in the most recent School Workforce News
31.
Now that the Government has published the list of schools
(Outstanding and
not-Outstanding)
that have registered an interest in Academy Status, GMB has made
the Outstanding schools an industrial and organising priority in
the remaining weeks of this term and the start of the Autumn term,
because Gove has said he will fast track the conversion of these
schools to Academies.
We have also recently been advised by fellow education unions
that the following list of
24 schools have passed resolutions at their Governing Body to
proceed with Academy conversion - so it is important that GMB acts
quickly to ensure that we maximise the opportunities
to protect our existing members pay, pensions, terms and
conditions of employment and ensure that we retain recognition in
case the school converts to an Academy.
To fulfil the commitment made to members at
GMB Congress the following organising actions have been developed
and adopted by the Regions:
- Regions have identified GMB Schools membership in all
Outstanding Schools;
- Head Teachers of all of these schools have been written to by
e-mail and hard copy;
- Copies of these letters have been sent to all GMB members in
each school to keep them updated;
- Officers and Branch Officials are seeking meetings for all
Support Staff for consultation on the proposed conversion;
- Officer and Branch Officials will be meeting with Heads and
Governors to discuss transfer processes and new GMB recognition
arrangements should a conversion to Academy Status occur.
- Officer and Branch Officials are also exploring the potential
for local alliances with parent and teachers regarding Academy
Status proposals.
GMB has also compiled a series of resources for members,
parents, Governors, Workplace Organisers, Branch Officials and
community activists to provide them with information such as
Frequently Asked Questions about the process of converting to
Academy Status, model motions to Governing Bodies and letters to
Heads, which can all be accessed here.
GMB is committed to being pro-active in
supporting members in taking the campaign to the Head Teachers and
Governing Bodies in order to protect them and their conditions of
employment and encourages all members, parents, Governors,
Workplace Organisers, Branch Officials and community activists
to get involved in our campaign to support schools and their
workforces in your local community.