Last November, the NEU began ballots of both our teacher and support staff members for action over pay and, crucially, over the funding of pay rises in schools.
Three unions – Unison, GMB and Unite – made a complaint to the TUC alleging that our ballot was an organising activity intended to recruit support staff to our union.
We maintained that the purpose of the ballot instead was to ensure that we were putting as much pressure as possible on the Government to put money into schools. We saw this funding as crucial to ensure that redundancies and cuts in hours are avoided and that it could allow pay levels to be better.
However, the TUC disputes panel found against us and as part of the judgement they require that we place this paragraph on our website.
“NJC unions, Unison, GMB and Unite, brought a complaint to the TUC under the TUC’s Disputes Principles and Procedures, relating the NEU’s decision to ballot school support staff and related campaigning activities. Complaints that NEU were in breach of Principle 2, relating to knowingly and actively taking into membership existing or recent members of another union and Principle 3, relating to actions that would have the effect of undermining the position of an established union, were upheld by a Disputes Committee.