NUT Follow

THE NUT conference, which took place over Easter, revealed growing opposition to the government on every front. Delegates representing local associations of the largest teachers' union voted unanimously for a ballot to boycott the SATs national tests for school children. NUT general secretary Doug McAvoy captured the mood of teachers, especially those who voted Labour. He talked of "a creeping McCarthyism in government" and "a sinister lack of tolerance".

ONE NOTABLE absence from the growing list of unions officially opposing Blair's war on Iraq is the NUT teachers' union. We need to build up a grassroots demand to put an emergency motion to the NUT annual conference in Harrogate at Easter.

TEACHERS at Kingsland School in Hackney, east London, were set to strike on Thursday of this week in defence of our sacked National Union of Teachers (NUT) rep, Indro Sen. This follows an overwhelming vote by NUT members at the school. Union members in four other secondary schools in Hackney are to hold an indicative vote over whether to ballot over the sacking too.

THOUSANDS OF trade unionists came to the European Social Forum. Their numbers reflected the rise in workers' struggle in much of Europe. There were members of many British unions present, including the CWU, RMT, Amicus, Unison, PCS, NUJ, Natfhe, Prospect, NUT and TGWU. There were more than 2,000 people at just one of the meetings on trade union struggles.

AROUND 60 people lobbied Hackney Teaching and Learning Centre this week in support of maths teacher Indro Sen. Sen was sacked from Kingsland School in September by a governors' panel. The demonstration was organised by his supporters and Kingsland NUT, and supported by Hackney NUT.

AROUND 60 people attended the Unity Conference called by Ealing National Union of Teachers (NUT) last Saturday and heard an inspiring set of speakers. The conference was introduced by Christine Blower, secretary of Hammersmith and Fulham NUT, and ex-president of the NUT.

DOUG McAVOY, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), is to authorise a ballot for one-day strike action in London over allowances for working in the capital. NUT leaders say the ballot will take place before half term and they hope the NASUWT, the second largest teachers' union, will also vote for action on London allowances.

MEMBERS OF the National Union of Teachers (NUT) at St Paul's Way School in east London face an outrageous attack from their own union leaders for standing in solidarity with other workers at the school. NUT members refused to cross Unison union picket lines set up by support staff during a recent London-wide two-day strike.

Solidarity at the chalk face THE UNISON union strike made last week one of the most exciting I have ever experienced. I called a NUT union meeting on Tuesday, and 40 people turned up to decide our action. There was a fantastic discussion, and an emergency staff meeting was held on Thursday.

"I'M INSULTED. We've got wishy-washy people telling us things we already know." That was the reaction of Jo Arrowsmith, a teacher at Fortismere School in north London, to a farcical rally on Wednesday of last week called by the teachers' NUT union.

OVER 450 people crammed into a Stop the War Coalition meeting in the Gladstone Hotel in Liverpool on Thursday of last week. The meeting condemned the threat of attacks on Iraq. It was sponsored by playwright Jimmy McGovern, Mirror columnist Brain Reade, Liverpool NUT and NUJ branches, and the Merseyside Peace Council.

Over 40,000 London teachers in the NUT union were set to strike for one day on Thursday of this week. This is the first strike by London teachers since 1972. More than 1,000 teachers have joined the NUT over the last few days in order to take part in the strike. They are joining the 41,000 NUT members who have already voted to strike by nine to one.