EXECUTIVE PRIORITY MOTION FOR CONFERENCE 2001

NUT/NASUWT/ATL/UCAC Joint Conference Motion on "Excessive Workload"

Conference condemns the STRB and the Government for their repeated failure to take effective action to remove the excessive workload which makes unreasonable and unacceptable demands upon teachers, as evidenced by numerous studies and surveys including those conducted by the STRB. Conference condemns the Government's complacent responses to this major problem and, in particular, the Secretary of State's assertion that limits on the hours that teachers spend at work or in the classroom would be unworkable.

Conference believes that, as a matter of urgency, the Government should accept the STRB's recommendation that an independent inquiry should be set up to teek at teachers' workloads and that the remit of such a body should be widened to encompass an examination of teachers' pay levels and salary structure.

Conference welcomes the positive response of the Scottish Executive, teachers' organisations and employers to a similar type of inquiry in Scotland, conducted by the McCrone Committee, which has resulted in an agreement to:

  1. limit the working week of teachers to 35 hours;
  2. provide for a phased introduction of a maximum class contact of 22.5 hours for ah teachers in primary, secondary and special schools;
  3. provide guaranteed marking and preparation time for all teachers of no less than one third of class contact time; and
  4. provide for a simpler salary structure which will allow most teachers to reach a salary of 35,000

Conference declares that, in the event of the Government failing to set up such an inquiry, or to take other appropriate measures, the NUT, along with ATL, NASUWT and UCAC, will take effective action, short of strike action, initially to limit teachers' working time to no more than 35 hours per week.

Conference welcomes the four unions' approach to the TUC and to the NAHT and SHA in order to enlist their support and pledges its full support to the joint campaign.

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