17
June
2013
GMB delegates at our GMB Trade Union’s Annual Congress last week, voted unanimously to adopt a motion calling on the union to defend Teaching Assistants from government plans to axe the profession altogether.
The Tories and their cronies have sought to undermine the work of TAs for the last decade, with Michael Gove insultingly referring to you as a ‘mum’s army’. Of course this is complete nonsense, support staff are vital professionals in the modern school environment, and should be recognised as such. GMB Trade Union know that every day Teaching Assistants make a positive difference, whether it is supporting a teacher, supporting and helping children or working with the most vulnerable pupils, Teaching Assistants make our schools better places.
I cannot overstate how serious a threat Michael Gove’s latest plans are to our education system. TAs are the largest occupational group in GMB Trade Union, and Congress heard very worrying reports of one school already beginning to plan to abolish its Teaching Assistants. I’m pleased congress has given us a clear mandate to immediately begin challenging these proposals and organising to campaign against them.
GMB Trade Union will throw the full force of our campaigning strength into defending School Support Staff. GMB will not have the fantastic work they do undermined and we will challenge any attempt to reduce the workforce. We will need to embark on a national campaigns initiative and I will be in touch in due course with details of activities we will need you to engage with to take it forward, however in the first instance we need to mobilise and organise for the battle ahead of us.
To these ends please share this newsletter with any colleagues who are not yet GMB Trade Union members, and encourage them to join us. This attack gives school support staff even more reason than ever to join GMB Trade Union.
