Elect Martin Powell-Davies: 

Defending Teachers, Defending Education

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Vote Martin Powell-Davies

Martin’s Programme for teachers

A General Secretary on the existing salary of over £90,000 cannot be in touch with teachers struggling to pay their bills. If elected, I pledge to remain on the pay of a classroom teacher.

I would make sure that the Union provided the resources needed to build strong local NUT Associations that can support members. I would make visiting schools a priority, building teachers’ confidence to stand up for themselves.

The Government’s "workload deal" is a sham. Teachers are working as long hours as ever. I would campaign for real reductions in workload, especially to win 20% non-contact time for primary teachers. I would toughen our workload action so that NUT members could refuse to carry out excessive planning, assessment and other unreasonable demands on their time.

• Action To Oppose Performance Pay And The Imposed Pay Freeze

Charles Clarke wants every teacher’s salary to be determined by divisive judgements of "performance". Faced with inadequate budgets, schools will use these new measures to ration pay. I would organise a national demonstration as a first step in a campaign of action to defend national pay and conditions.

I would step up the Union’s campaigns in defence of education including support for trade union-backed candidates in local and national elections.

• For The Funds Needed To Meet The Real Needs Of Schools

Despite all the promises, schools are still chronically underfunded and class sizes are still too large. I would stand alongside other trade union leaders prepared to oppose cuts and privatisation and to defend public services.

Years of stress have left many teachers desperately waiting for retirement. Yet this Government wants to force us to work on until we are 65 to claim a full pension. I am calling on every NUT Association to build the TUC demonstration in London on June 19th as a first step in opposing these threats. This must be the platform for firm united action against this pensions robbery.

• For Unity In Action - Persuade All Unions To Withdraw From The "Workforce Agreement"

I would support strike action to oppose unqualified staff taking teaching posts and campaign for all TUC Unions - teaching and nonteaching - to withdraw from the Agreement and win a new deal that gives decent pay and conditions to all staff.

I would campaign to win the right for a phased return to work on full pay after maternity leave and for free nursery education for all.

• Strengthen Anti-Racism. Oppose The BNP

My experience in organising against racism in South-East London underlines my commitment to encouraging NUT members to build local campaigns against racism and fascism. I would develop Union educational materials for use in schools.

The Union wasted a vital opportunity to stop SATs inflicting further damage on primary education when, despite our 86% YES vote, it refused to launch a SATs boycott. I would rebuild our campaign to convince teachers and parents how much better education would be without SATs - and work for a new ballot so that they can be successfully boycotted.

I would make sure that the NUT took a full part in the wider campaigns of the union movement. For example, whilst I, like many teachers, have demonstrated against the war and occupation of Iraq, the current NUT leaders even refused to allow the National Union banner on demonstrations. At the same time, I would seek trade union, public and parental support for our own education campaigns.