1.COVID-19
Colleges have been fully open since 8 March 2021. NEU reps should refer to the NEU education recovery plan, the joint advice for colleges and the advice issued by the joint unions (GMB, NEU, UNISON and UNITE) for use in schools from 8 March onwards. The FE unions sent a joint letter to colleges during the Easter holiday. It included updated advice regarding medically vulnerable groups and Government advice that the clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) group should work from home where possible. The NEU and other educations unions think that CEV staff should continue working from home and other clinically vulnerable and older staff should be permitted to work from home, until their first vaccination has taken effect. We are still pressing for all education workers to be vaccinated as a priority
2. Pay
The concerns expressed in the response to our survey are being reflected in our work on FE pay. The need to close the pay gap between FE colleges and schools, restore the real terms pay cuts and effectively tackle workload problems are issues we want to include in the joint FE union pay claim for 2021-22. NEU is discussing the claim with the other FE unions, along with a national campaign that will link funding of the sector with pay and workload.
3. Working Time
This term the NEU will be focused on winning on working time and tackling workload in all workplaces, including FE colleges.
4. Key points from National Council Post 16 meeting
a. Face to face meetings with Covid secure measures ln most colleges;
b. That national council reps. contributing to a ‘Post 16 National Council’ page in new Post 16 News to engage reps, and members on their work and discussions – helping with recruitment to the council and to sharing ideas and visibility of the work of the council;
c. Reps, to encourage other members to seek election to the National Council.
Ian Duckett
Nprfolk NEU Post-16 Officer
May 2021
