Suggested wording for union branch motions. Please also see petition at:
bit.ly/neu-p
This branch/district notes:
• Tracy McGuire, workplace rep and elected support staff representative on the NEU Executive Council, faces losing her job, as one of ten posts declared redundant at The Rydal Academy in Darlington. Tracy, who has been a strong and effective rep in the school for several years, was told about the redundancy on the same day that she submitted her Section 44 letter, informing her employer of her refusal to work in unsafe conditions.
• Tracy is the Attendance Officer at her school. The timing of the notification about her redundancy, and the fact that her name was added to the list of redundancies after she had led the campaign against them and for safe working practices in the school during Covid, makes it clear that she is being victimised.
• Tracy is not the only workplace rep to be victimised. Kirstie Paton from The John Roan School in Greenwich is facing disciplinary action; Louise Lewis has been suspended from her post at North Huddersfield Trust School; John Boken from Shrewsbury College is facing disciplinary action.
• Across the country, there has been a marked rise in NEU activists facing victimisation and bullying tactics following the nationally-coordinated action to protect members against the coronavirus.
• It is likely that the number of victimisations will go up as the UK-wide fight to protect education workers continues.
This branch/district resolves
• To send a solidarity message to Tracy (Tracy.McGuire@neu.org.uk)
• To contact Rydal Academy to object to Tracy’s victimisation to Dean Judson, Chief Executive of Swift Academies (djn@swiftacademies.org.uk) and John Armitage, Head teacher of Rydal Academy (jarmitage@rydal.swiftacademies.org.uk)
• To call for the NEU leadership to set up a broad ad hoc committee to lead campaigning against the victimisation of union activists and reps.
