teachers conditions' "of Socialist Challange 17 Aprll 1980, Page 6 Professor Clegg: His report recommends 17 to 25 per cent pay increases without being tied to changes in service. Tory-dominated implementing his proposals. councils, backed by the government, are likely to resist THE right-wing executive of the National Union of Teachers had hard time conference last week.
Its most sorry blows were when invited Education Carlisie, was heckling began to and when the executive's 'nonpolitical' stance by being forced to call half-day action on 14 May.
But these were not isolated incidents, as HILDA KEAN, a conference delegate, explains.
When the NUT and ex-member Party, Jack Chambers, asked: you seriously expect executive to fight for tenure for jobs?', the response from the delegates 'Yes, this is a trade union.' When John supporte and said: "There confronting this union and I'm part of it', the delegates cried out: 'Hear, hear, and 'Resign'.
Every executive member who got up to argue against a proposal for a special conference on pay, or against the use of the strike fund for leaflets hissed before speak.
The mood of conference was epitomised by the first debate, on defending comprehensive education against Tory attacks. motion under discussion had been drawn up by the Socialist Teachers' Alliance, and had been put forward to conference by the thousands of other teachers. It argued for action in defence of post-war gains.
Card The motion was Graham Lane, Association (Labour Party teachers) and seconded by Ken Jones, convenor of the STA. The motion won 80,000 votes, at least one third of the total card vote Socialist Teachers' motions, calling for cooperation with curriculum, and calling for a public inquiry into ine murae.
Peach, were overwhelmingly.
That 300 delegates walked out when Carlisle spoke was a symptom of the mood at the conference, not an isolated incident. There are a large number of teachers who want to take action, at its annual speaker, Tory Secretary Mark when greeted and walk-outs as he Collecle address conference, was shattered and are only too willing to hear about alternative policies to those of the executive.
Support for positions in favour of national action, closer links with the broader trade union movement, and for a woman's right to choose, even 1100 actually passed by revealed a perceptible move to the left among sections of the union membership.