Latest Agenda

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 21st Mar 2007 at 19.00 in the Civilian Mess.

1. Present
2. Apologies
3. Minutes
4. Matters Arising
5. JNC/TCC updates
6. Question and Answer session from above
7. Promotion of Equality of Opportunity Officer (new post)
8. National Conference
9. Union Courses
10. AOB
11. Date of AGM
    

john.needham@nasuwt.net

Association Minutes

NASUWT
Southern Association


Minutes of General Meeting 24th October 2006, Civilian Mess JHQ

Present Iain Pemberton, Ian Hughes, Margaret O’Sullivan, John Needham, Shiela Hughes, Gill Hall, Howard McGivern, Phil Eley, Alan Law, Dave Reeves, Rick Howarth, Christa Howarth, Kelly Traynor, Abigail Lowe, Nicola Palfrey
Apologies Christina Burn, Kris Pemberton, Raz Samy, Simon Lester, Lynn Rowles, Marion McBirnie, teresa Faulkner, Kathy Woods, Jamie Mckenna N Brind, T McGivern, G Needham.

Minutes of Agreed, proposed bymargaret O’Sullivan, seconded by S Hughes.
last Meeting

Matters Arising Visiting Tutors (VT’s) and payment of pension contributions. As alluded to at last meeting, VT’s are not paying contributions based on boarding duties salary.


Agenda Items

Early release
scheme Early Release (Retirement) Letter from Paul Niedzwiedzki and accompanying information should now be in schools. Deadline for applying is 17th November for release in August 2007. SCE accepted the ‘New Money’ from MOD in March. Early drafts not acceptable to staff side (unions) as the reasons for staff being released at management interest were to be listed. Early Release will come in the form of Access to pension or severance pay.
Management agreed to allow a representative from staff side to sit on the board that ultimately decides on who receives ER, but only as an observer.

After initial application by staff HT’s will submit a report on staff by Ist December 06. Staff will be informed by 13th December 06 and then must accept by 20th December 06.

ER will run until 2010.

Some discussion centred around having to apply this year for the next few years. It is not clear from ER letter if applications can be made annually. ER is on the JNC agenda and will be raised then. Will refusals from previous round be barred from applying this year?

COLA and
‘New Post’
Changing Post and New COLA rate: Those staff changing posts (through redeployment) will do so at management interest and therefore will not change to the ‘new’ COLA rate. Any staff who voluntarily change posts (promotion, lateral transfer etc) will go on to the new COLA rates.

TLR transfer and COLA rates: As TLR posts were a forced move then staff retain the right to reserved COLA rates (stay on old rates).
Staff on the ‘old’ contract who move posts will not move onto the ‘new’ contract.
They remain on the old contract for the duration of their stay with SCE



Expectations of
teachers without After receiving notification from SCE about what would be expected of teachers without TLR or management points (that the unions had mis-interpreted the TPC document, sections 25.1 to 25.4 and 72.1 and 72.2). Chris Keates responded by writing to all NASUWT SCE reps outlining the unions position on this. This was followed by more advice in the form of a circular (both posted on the blog). Basically, the NASUWT does not deem it reasonable that any teacher should be asked to carry out duties beyond their own teaching responsibility for the work of other colleagues. This does not preclude teachers taking on such responsibility if they so wish.

The NASUWT will support any colleagues in schools and challenge school management should they require teachers to take on such responsibilities.

TCC issues
John Needham
Absence warning Letters: The PPPA will now issue letters advising HT’s, line managers that staff have exceeded the 14 day trigger point.

Osnabruck/Munster drawdown: With the drawdown of Osnabruck, Munster and possibly JHQ, many teachers will find themselves ‘At Risk’ (ART’s) (see SCE management Handbook, Chapter 4 for details of ‘At Risk’ status). Staff should be granted ‘At Risk’ status as soon as it is known that a school will be closing.

Staff who are granted ‘At Risk’ status need to express an interest in posts that they believe they are a match for and then ask to visit the school before formally applying.

All posts will be sent to ART’s 48 hours before they are advertised generally to other staff.
There is a working party looking at all aspects of the drawdown issue. Tony Hall General Secretary, sits on the WP.)

Whitley Committee Representation. PROSPECT (Civil Service Union) represent the NASUWT in London with the MOD. We have a rep sitting on the BFG Whitley Committee but as SCE have requested that all discussions reference drawdown be handled at a local level, the NASUWT have requested and been granted another rep to sit on the BFG Whitley C.

Accommodation Charges for ‘New Contract’ staff: Notification of the charges should now be in schools. Payment of a contribution in lieu of Council Tax (CILOCT) has been included and will be raised at next JNC.

Allocation of Service Families Accommodation (SFA): JSP is the definitive document on this issue but the ‘unfair’ treatment of teachers in ‘mixed marriages’ would be raised again at BFG Whitley Commmittee.

LET Pension Update: After taking legal advice, SCE handed out a statement giving their position.
(Note: The agreed response to the Staff side is as follows: ‘SCE are unable to support a blanket policy whereby all former LETs, presently working with SCE, would have a right to make retrospective pension contributions. Prior to the transfer of LETs to UK Paid terms and conditions of employment BAOR Standing Orders advised that service was only superannuable if the full time LET was in reckonable service and opted into the scheme within 3 months of starting employment with SCS (NWE). Teachers who can provide acceptable documentary evidence, alleging that they were wrongly excluded from their employers pension scheme would be looked at on a case by case basis in accordance with the Teachers’ Pensions Regulations and our legal obligations.’



JNC Issues
John Needham Pay and Conditions: Minor changes will be reflected in updated document such as changes to retirement age (65) and that access to free accommodation and utilities for SCE staff will be brought into line with other UK-based MOD staff.

TLR Appeals: There is now an Appeals Panel in place.

Safeguarding: No extension will be granted and staff on management points will be safeguarded until 31 Dec 08.

Workforce Agreement and Remodelling Group (WAMG) The questionnaire that was sent out had a low return rate and so a second one would be issued next year.

Performance Management: The staff side requested that only minor changes be made to the existing policy as the DFES would be issuing new guidance soon and it would be prudent to wait for this. The staff side also

Lesson Observation: Management stated that many teachers had requested greater feedback about their performance and so a 4 column form would be used to include ‘less than satisfactory’ and ‘excellent’. The staff side objected to this and so it was agreed that the four columns could be used only with the teacher’s agreement. The number of lesson observations undergone by teachers would be discussed at the next WAMG meeting.


Web Log Communication with members has always proved a challenge, especially in distant locations so a web log (blog) was thought to provide the ideal medium for members to access information about latest news, minutes of meetings and for posting comments. A Southern Association blog has been set up and the NASUWT Federation has asked that the first page be an introduction to the Federation, with linked pages to each association and other information. After general discussion it was felt that it could prove useful and John Needham would be responsible fro its setup. The Southern Association would eventually move towards ‘paperless’ communication as far as possible, with minutes and agendas being posted on the blog rather than sent out to schools. Links to the National website and to the SCE Grid for Learning would also be investigated. Helen Ross has kindly agreed to iron out any problems with the blog. John Needham to advertise new NASUWT blog to all Federation members and Southern Association schools.

AOB Security Check: Many staff have been asked to provide details of their financial status, including credit card and mortgage details. Clarification would be sought at TCC. In the interim, advice is that staff should return the form (or ring) and state that they are seeking advice from their professional association.



Date of next meeting: To be posted on blog after dates of next TCC and JNC are known.