action AT THE NUT special Mast weekend, Bradford teachers moved an amendment to the executive motion calling for further strike action over pay.
Bradford teachers are already engaging in unofficial action, ignored the NUT executive. What the executive haven't chosen to turn a blind eye to, however, is their action in support of the mond rarents Committee's call one-day aCON racist head, Honeyford.
Bradford teachers now face NUT disciplinary proceedings over this. This is outrageous. They are supporting a clear NUT policy on racism multicultural education.
The executive must drop the discipline and give black parents confidence that the NUT will unequivocally support them in their fight against racism racist schools.
UT 'Will this never end?' be held soon.
their struggle to defend state education.
Bernard Reagan from ILTA also spelled out to conterence the immealale need to build bridges with Secretary Solihull NUT and delegate to special (personal capacity)
other TUC-affiliated unions and unite this campaign.
Keith Joseph, secretary state for education, who had hoped for an early settlement last November has so far had those hopes dashed due largely to the level of united grass-roots DeLWCCI! of the two largest unions. TEACHERS GAVE massive support to the call for a one-day national stoppage and demonstration to Almost 2000 delegates at the NUT special conference held at Wembley last Saturday heard Jan Shallice from the Inner London Teachers (ILTA) describe the need for teachers of all unions halt hours of debate, only handtul of the amendments to the exmotion were taken. Of these, not one called for a retreat.
The discussion around an amendment calling for a total boycott of public examinations indicated the of the MOOd Hially delegates. They wanted to step up the action.
Refusal This amendment was narrowir defeated on Int argument that teachers are already too involved in the exam system to be able lo create total boycott.
However. une orosoccu mains of a refusal by NUT members to invigilate sumexaminations when the NUT annual conference in April further debate on the campaign.
Time prevented this debate but certainly the mood again appeared to be in favour of such action. escalation of unpaid strike Amendments action and a regular levy of the membership were lost at conference. Quite clearly these proposals were important in carrying the campaign forward.
COnLEICU local associations. associations should put forward mo. lions to executive of this, or consider adopting such ac . This will put pressure on the executive to spell out all members the need to up the action and maintain a strong fund.
More than ever alliances must be built. At all levels the union must seek out allies: from within the Labour Party and the unions, especially the public sector; from parents groups. like the All-London Parents Action Group Links have to be built on the understanding that the state education service faces a common with a clear vision of what its goals are. Fighting these attacks alone would mean a longer and harder fight.
It's not just teachers in England and Wales who The teachers union, CID, has been engaged in a much longer dispute. Mc. Callman of Glasgow EIS speaking Socialist Teacher fringe meeting at outlined how Concicuce teachers in Scotland were effectively boycotting curriculum development and examination. Teachers in England, Wales Scotland certainly natural allies. They rapidly developing a clear picture of who their common enemy Is. • Labour Party and trade union branches should be motions in DusS support of leachers, to in speakers from local VIte NUT associations to their meetings, place demands on Labour coun cillors to give their lotal support the leachers fight. vote comes only one week after vice president seats by a majority of around 2:1.
Uptil recently the 2200-strong Leicester area has been widely tipped as a UDM strong-hold. In last December's issue of the UDM's paper Terry Hughes, the president defeated in last week's was gloating about the decision ballot the area membership The choice is obvious, he said. 'The of Democratic Mineworkers is the only way that Leicestershire miners are going to get true democracy and control from the grassroots Judging results last week, the choice facing Le cesici miners is obvious -Tor the same reasons. Bui it won't be the breakaway iney l De vollng iol The Leicester election a trend result commun which is now emerging across the coalfields. Far the swered that UDM leaders have been trumpeling, suppor for an organisation clearv tied to the bosses shirttails is both limited in numbers and confined to peripheral grades in South Derby, the UDM's support comes not from face workers but the for miners THE JUSTICE for the Miners Campaign got under way in earnest THE LEICESTERSHIRE plus MINER members - ano more want to ON join every THIS FRIDAY Leicester miners will vote in a ballot UDM supporters suffered a severe defeat in the elections for area officials. Pro-NUM candidates won the president and transport grades. There a majority has already been won hack for the Nationa Union of Mineworkers In Point of Ayr, North Wales, the UDM vote was derisory: only 68 of the 564 who voted supporter the breakaway. After the announcement, , the UDM called off al 'inaugural meeting' which was planned to take place a few days after the result was announced.
The NUM won over 88 er cent of the vote in tha ›allot A leaaing NUM spokesperson at the Point of Ayr told Socialist Ac. tion: 'It was the biggest turnout ever. more encouraging, abou joined since he ballot re so more maners navi He described the UDM dirty before that ballot: anti-NUM graffiti more. But they didn't work 'Now we are united,' he said, 'and going forward with a common pur. pose: to keep the pits open dismantle the Customs practices the Coa Board. • There's more to join us than divide us.
These trends good omen indeed for th National of Mineworkers.
March Scargill, Benn Heathfield Skinner are also speaking.
The miners are work
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to show the government that they are serious in their demand for f1200 flat-rate increase in pay and in
to decide whether to stay in the National Union of Miners or join the breakaway outfit, the UDM. The