Bryan Slater

Director of Education

Distribution

Headteachers of all Norfolk schools, and

cc Chairs of Governors

This document needs your action as detailed below:

ACTION

Title

Discussions with Teacher Trade Unions following suspension of "Cover to Contract" Industrial Action

Summary of contents

Information on the outcome of an agreed way forward achieved by the Employers' Organisation with the NUT and NASUWT unions which prevented industrial action in the Summer Term 2001.

Associated documents

copy of Guidance from NEOST and Teacher Unions attached.

Date

September 2001

Summary of action required

Refer to contents of Guidance and note:

  • During the course of the Summer Term, a number of meetings took place at national level between the National Employers' Organisation for School Teachers and the teacher unions.

  • As a result of these discussions, the NUT and NASUWT agreed to suspend their intended 'cover to contract' industrial action.

  • Following these discussions, the attached joint Guidance was issued.

Key elements of the agreement:

  • Local discussions between LEAs and unions should be held to consider measures designed to further assist schools to:

- improve recruitment and retention;

- develop the use of salary and non-salary incentives;

- maintain practices aimed to reduce workload, particularly work associated with providing additional cover;

- work within local framework for banking of time where additional cover is provided.

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Summary of action required (contd)

 

  • An outline procedure to avoid industrial action being re-introduced. If procedure fails to provide a resolution, action may be re-introduced if schools either stop practices designed to reduce workload or introduce measures which increase workload.

 

  • An acknowledgement that any steps at this stage may be restricted by resources and will have to operate within the statutory framework (i.e. Teachers' Pay and Conditions in particular) which gives key discretionary powers to schools.

  • An assumption that existing practices at school level on, for example, cover arrangements will be maintained.

Action by LEA

  • Discussions with the teacher trade unions are planned for early October 2001.

  • To notify schools of the outcome of those discussions in due course.

Action by DfES

Separate to the discussions at national level, colleagues will be aware that the DfES have commissioned Pricewaterhouse Coopers (Management Consultants) to undertake a national survey of teacher workloads. See www.dfes.gov.uk/teachers/workloadstudy.

To be completed by

Headteachers/Chairs of Governors

LEA Contact

Bob Hedley

(

01603 222418

E-mail address

bob.hedley.edu@norfolk.gov.uk

Norfolk Self Review reference

How well is the school led and managed?

How well does the school use its resources?

Document reference

MI 175/01