Socialist Party member Martin Powell-Davies is campaigning
to stand in the general secretary election in the National Union of Teachers
(NUT). With a fighting programme to change the NUT and defend and improve
teachers' pay and working conditions, he is currently speaking at as many local
association (branch) meetings of the NUT as he can. He recently gave a report
to the socialist about his campaign:
"There is an enthusiasm for what I'm doing, because
I'm standing for change as someone who is genuinely in touch. Teachers are
used to the headteacher and other advisers coming round telling them what to do
- when the teachers know full well the 'advisers' couldn't do it themselves.
"That's why I've always chosen, although I could have
been on full trade union facility time, to actually keep some time in the
classroom. Unless you're in touch with the problems facing members, how can you
represent them?
"That's also true on salaries. I am the only candidate
who has launched his campaign with a clear pledge to be a 'teachers' leader on
a teacher's salary'. The fact that [outgoing general secretary] McAvoy is on at
least £94,000, plus expenses is an outrage. How can you possibly stay in touch
with the problems facing young teachers who are up to their necks in debt and
struggle to pay their bills?
"I helped to organise strike action on London
allowances. So that we won, at least for some teachers, an effective £6,000
London allowance.
"What I'm saying to teachers is: 'That's how I won
myself my last pay rise. If I become general secretary, that's how I'd win
myself my next pay rise, not by just awarding myself a massive salary.'
"I'm travelling around to a lot of different meetings
at the moment. To the south west, to Merseyside, Leicester, all across London.
It is a battle because some officers of some associations, both on the right
and the left, seem to be trying to make it difficult for me to get my ideas
across. My opponents recognise that where ordinary classroom teachers hear me,
they support my programme.
"At a meeting in Southwark, south London, recently, a
couple of teachers came up to me at the end and said: 'Up to now we were going
to support one of the other candidates but now we've actually heard you, we'll
be supporting you.'
"My programme has not been sucked out of my thumb but
it's a result of meetings, discussions at union branches, in staff rooms over
the months and years and it's a reflection of what people want.
"TWO OF the other candidates, Steve Sinnott and John
Bangs, are national officials of the union. Steve Sinnott is the deputy general
secretary. Both of those candidates have got to take their responsibility for
the failings of the union over the last decade. They offer no way forward for
teachers.
"Steve Sinnott in particular claims to stand on the
platform of unity with other teachers and other teaching unions. But he wants
to do that, I believe, on a platform of ditching our opposition to teaching on
the cheap and to performance related pay and the deals that the other unions
have signed up to, which will only damage teachers and damage education.
"I stand for teacher unity by convincing the ordinary
members of the other teaching unions, NASUWT and the ATL, to put pressure on
their unions to withdraw from those agreements and then work together in action
to get decent deals.
"John Bangs claims to be an independent but is
actually Doug MacAvoy's chosen successor.
"The third candidate is Ian Murch. Ian also claims to
stand for change in the union but his cautious approach risks defeat in this
election. When he stood as union treasurer before Christmas, the turnout was
only 16%.
"Many teachers looked at the three candidates and
weren't convinced that a vote for any of them - including Ian Murch - would get
things changed. I think that will be the danger again.
"It's only my clear approach, standing for change,
which will attract a new layer of teachers and show them it's worth voting.
"I'll be calling for a transfer of votes to Ian, so
that even if I was eliminated I think that my stand will help to get more votes
for Ian and votes for change. I'm hoping Ian will call for a transfer of votes
to me and together our vote will hopefully go on to win.
"Every reader of the socialist knows a teacher,
everyone can help the campaign. The priority up to Easter is to get ten
nominations from local associations. For material, look at the website or
contact us for leaflets. We're also having regular campaign meetings which
anyone can come along to, to ask questions and put forward ideas."
