Keep building to push back the far right

At least 96 NEU districts were represented on the 26th October protest
The union, from top to bottom, did a brilliant job in mobilising for the 26th October Stand up To Racism counter protest to Tommy Robinson’s attempt to build a Nazi street movement.
Unlike in June, when the anti-racist side was outnumbered, we matched them this time- with over 20,000 on the streets.
Just as important was the social weight on our side- in contrast to what someone once aptly labelled the human dust around Robinson. The trade union mobilisation was far greater than on previous protests and the NEU led the way.
The work done by NEU HQ- led by general secretary Daniel Kebede- was vital in mobilising our members. So too was the work done for Stand up to Racism by former general secretary Kevin Courtney in spreading the mobilisation across other unions.
But it was the fighting to turn those calls from the top of the movement into action by activists in district after district that was key to making sure thousands of NEU members were part of the protest.
At least 96 districts were represented with sizeable delegations- in some cases with individual schools sending good delegations too.
The 26th October marked another step forward in building the kind of movement we need to beat back the threat of the far right- coming after the magnificent protests in August in response to the far right riots.
But there can be no complacency. The threat of the far right remains real- and the prospect of a lash up between Robinson and his street thugs and the electoral and parliamentary far right of Reform UK is a serious danger.
The warning signs are clear across the world- from the US to Germany, Austria, France and India- the far right is trying to grow and is a serious threat. Everywhere we need to mobilise our class and our unions as part of a mass movement to push them back.
So we need to continue to build- using the Educators Against the Far right badges, stickers and materials to win more educators to the movement.
In November the Stand up to Racism conference will be a vital place for activists to gather and discuss how to best develop the movement in every locality. Contact everyone who came on the 26th October demo from your area and ask them to come.
Link up with others Stand up to Racism activists and other trade unionists to call a local event before Xmas in your area to strengthen the local networks that will be crucial to ensure future mobilisations are even bigger.
In November too the more schools who join in with the Celebrating Diversity curriculum week the better.

🔥International Summit against racism, fascism and the far right
🗓️ SAT 16 NOV
📍TUC Congress House, Great Russell St, London
🕧 12 – 5pm + after party
✍🏿 REGISTER: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summit-against-racism-the-far-right-tickets-939507380867?aff=oddtdtcreator
📣 After yesterday’s spectacular Stand Up To Racism demonstration of over 20k against fascist Tommy Robinson’s mobilisation (up to 25k), and with a backdrop of Trumpism and fascist gains across Europe, there is much for the international anti racist & anti fascist movement to analyse, discuss and debate and organise!
🎫 Book your place now and spread the word widely, share the link – international delegations from anti fascist movements across the world will be joining us on 16 November, alongside campaigns and activists from across the anti racist movement here in Britain.
✋🛑🌎This Summit is a crucial space to discuss the strategy to stop the far right here and internationally – build on yesterday’s important step forwards – don’t miss the summit!
https://worldagainstracism.org/

Budget……A small step forward but not enough
The new government has at least put some extra money into public services, including education. That is welcome, but the amounts are far away from what is needed to tackle the crisis of school underfunding, SEND, school buildings and recruitment and retention of educators.
£1 billion extra for SEND will certainly help. But no-one who knows the catastrophic state that 14 years of Tory austerity has left SEND in provision will think it is anywhere near enough.
The extra for school building will make little more than a dent in the £40 million cumulative cut to school capital funding since 2010.
And there is nothing yet on addressing the need for pay restoration following the real terms pay cuts we have suffered since 2010- and which neither this year’s 5.5 percent for teachers nor the £1290 flat rate settlement for support staff will address.
Press reports have also highlighted the crisis in retention of women educators in their 30s- a crisis driven by the shockingly poor maternity rights and pay we get compared to many other public sector workers- yet the government has promised nothing on this either.
And at a time when record levels of child poverty form the background to everything that happens in schools breakfast clubs are a good start- but what is really needed is a national move to immediate provision of universal free school meals in the way that some local councils have already done.
We won’t get any of these things by passively waiting for the government to hand them down. It will be under pressure from the rich and big business to pander to their interests. It is only if we organise, mobilise and fight that we can create the counter pressure that can win what we and the families and children we serve need.
Let’s end PRP now
We are told that the legal requirement for Performance Related Pay has gone. Good. But that is far cry from ending PRP.
That requires winning new policies in every area, school and MAT which separate any appraisal process and any disciplinary process from pay progression.
We should demand automatic annual progression on a 9 point pay scale- from M1 straight through to UP3.
No need for evidence to pass the threshold- if you have been teaching for 6 years you are making a whole school contribution, and that should good enough.
And no exceptions for colleagues on support plans. That would just invite managements top hold down pay by pushing more people onto so called support plans-which in reality are the direct opposite of what they say.
Some districts have called a meeting this term to try and coordinate the fight to win new policies and bury PRP once and for all.
That is a fight every NEU activist should get behind.
🗣️ Coventry NEU are calling a meeting: Educators Say End PRP.
✊ Supported by the following NEU Branches: Birmingham, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bracknell Forest, Brent, Bristol, Cabot Learning Foundation, Cheshire East, Croydon, Derby City, Devon, Ealing, East Sussex, Essex, Hackney, Halton, Haringey, Harrow, Isle of Wight, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, North Derbyshire, North Somerset, Northumberland, Nottingham City, Oxfordshire, Redbridge, Rotherham, Sheffield, Shropshire, South Gloucestershire, Staffordshire, Swindon, Tower Hamlets, Wakefield, Waltham Forest, Warwickshire, Wiltshire
📅 Tuesday 12th Nov, 7pm.
📱www.tinyurl.com/EndPRP
Register Now!
🫵 Can you get your Branch to support this meeting?
🫵 Can you speak to 10 reps in your Branch and get them registered?
🤜 Let’s organise together and End PRP once and for all!
Stand up for Palestine

Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinian people is reaching new levels of horror.
Over 40,000 Palestinians have now been killed by Israel, and now the prospect of tens of thousands more dying from hunger and disease is real.
To add to this crime against humanity Israel is now inflicting death on Lebanon too-assassinations and bombings which threaten to plunge the whole region into war with almost unimaginable consequences.
The US and Britain continue to support Israel’s slaughter and supply the bombs and weapons that make it possible.
We have seen massive and repeated demonstrations and protests in solidarity with the Palestinian people and the NEU has backed these protests and mobilised for them.
But as the horror gets worse the need to redouble our efforts and build the solidarity grows too.
On Thursday 28th November a workplace day of action has been called which the union is backing.
Everywhere we should look to see what we can organise on the day. And as well as local protests we need to fight with the same energy many in the union did for the 26th October anti-racist demo to win members to join the next national Palestine demonstration too.
Back these strikes

Eduactors and two Lambeth primary schools, Holy Trinity and Fenstanton, in south London were out on strike at the start of November in a fight over school closures and mergers. Send messages of support to [email protected]

Educators on strike this week at B6 sixth form college on Hackney, east London over winning fair pay. Messages of support to [email protected]
Join the NEU Left
If you wish to join the NEU Left please visit our website at www.neuleft.org