NEU says teachers must exercise their legal right not to work in an unsafe environment
The National Education Union has told its members that they must not return to work on Monday, referencing the strains on the NHS and the lack of effective steps by the government to make schools safe against COVID transmission.
Calling on the government to delay the opening of schools until at least 18 January and to move schools to online learning, NEU Vice President Daniel Kebede – who will appear on Socialist Telly’s Skwawk Talk on Monday night – told teachers:
Our Heads and School Leaders have been amazing. However the Government have failed to deliver the resource we need.
As a result transmission of Covid in schools has been driving transmission in communities. This has pushed our NHS to breaking point.
The Government must do the correct thing and delay the opening of schools until the 18th January. Schools must move online and be open to Vulnerable and Key Worker children only.
If the government don’t do what is right, and delay the opening of schools, we will action our legal rights under Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act.
Schools are not safe for our young people, our educators or our communities.
Education will continue remotely. Do not go into work for Monday’s INSET, work from home.In Solidarity.
Once again – and in spite of the lack of support from Keir Starmer’s Labour party – unions are leading the way to protect their members and the children they teach, while the government recklessly refuses to act for most of the country, despite now acknowledging that schools are the engine of the pandemic.
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It would also be effective if unions asked parents not to send their kids to school if they can. This requires a push for a national workers strike from all unions. There will be pressure on all companies (non unionised) to take an ethical position on labour discipline that the Tories will never do. Optics matters more for certain businesses than it does to the Tories.
The Trades Unions are the only organisations willing to question this shambolic Govt. Sir Keir is dedicated to supporting Johnson and Williamson in case the Daily Mail cuts up rough.
Quite. “No ifs, no buts, no equivocation, the children have to be in school. ALL the children.” Thankyou Keith. Now, let’s have all the MPs in the HoC, and a full national Labour Party Conference – that’s the same thing, surely? What’s that you say Keith? You don’t what a full Labour Party physical conference for what reason Keith?
Is there a link to the NEU statement?
This is interesting because it claims that is the local authorities who have the responsibility for deciding if schools are open or not not the government who can only issue “guidelines”
https://www.pilc.org.uk/blog/school-attendance-for-cev-households-in-covid-19/
https://twitter.com/MarkStokeSouth/status/1345026158698639362?s=20
Under the Health & Safety legislation workers have a legal OBLIGATION not to do anything to put themselves and/or others in danger. This in my opinion would be the most effective legislation for teachers and their unions to use in circumstances where the opening of schools poses a danger to them, the children in their care and the community at large.
… Wholeheartedly agree. We need to throw at them also their duty of care towards those attending their establishment in whatever role.
This bag of shite called a Govt has failed in all respects to safeguarding its citizens , its number one and only one thing that transcends ALL ELSE .
Failure at this principle reason for its existence paves the way for mass civil disobedience , they have broken the pact between Government and governed ,, they are and have been consistently actively putting into harms way the citizenry and therefore have forfeited any rights whatsoever to rule or govern by consent .
TUC should now be actively co-ordinating and organising the disobedience and taking it onto the streets .
The very basic fabric of our society and democracy is in the process of being destroyed , Schools screwed Hospitals fucked and vaccination protection programme bolloxed .
I agree, Government’s side of the Contract has failed. Disobedience on the streets rarely gets anywhere with fines and a baton across your head the only result. This Government would welcome the chance, look at the intimidation Extinction Rebellion receive. I think it is far better when the disobedience is in the work place where profit and functioning infrastructure are put at risk. Intimidate the Govt for a change.
How long before the Tories declare that long school holidays are an unsustainable cost to the Great British Economy/British industry/British productivity due to employees pulling sickies because of high childcare costs?
That they spend Great British money abroad on holidays in the evil EU when they should be spending it in the Great British touriist industry?
That teachers are all lazy, bolshie lefties with more free time and holidays in Tuscany than the Great British Workers – and then they dare to go on strike rather than teach those poor hungry children – who the fuck do teachers think they are?
And just a minute – why should kids have all those holidays anyway, when their parents should be hard at work?