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It is with great pleasure that I invite you to become a member of Derby Branch NASUWT. There are several teacher unions and one of the most common questions that new teachers ask is, “What are the different unions like?” The purpose of this letter is to explain about the NASUWT. If you are a member of NASUWT already, please accept my apology for this information, of which you are already aware.
 What is the NASUWT?
The name of our union stands for National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers. Despite the old-fashioned name, NASUWT is a modern union with more than 250,000 members which groups teachers together to improve their working conditions and to campaign on matters relating to education. Derby Branch has nearly 2,000 members (including students), with 1,279 serving teacher members. Derby NASUWT represents members in primary, secondary, special, centrally attached and further and adult education.
NASUWT believes that the most important professionals in schools are teachers, particularly classroom teachers and has campaigned for years for classroom teachers to be more highly paid than managers and for the right for teachers to teach without disruptive behaviour from pupils. We are committed to reducing teachers’ workload.
NASUWT is strongly committed to equal opportunities and to reversing the discrimination against women and ethnic minorities which has traditionally occurred in the Education Sector. The NASUWT is also strongly opposed to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and campaigns to reverse discrimination in teachers’ pensions, for example. The majority of NASUWT members are women.
TUC affiliation
The NASUWT in Britain is affiliated to the TUC, a progressive grouping of trade unions, but we are not affiliated to any political party, unlike many trade unions. In that sense, we are non-party political, although members of political parties are welcome to become activists, and indeed many of our activists are members of political parties. We contribute through the TUC to debates on many issues, but particularly, of course, to education.
Dignity at Work
Our main purposes are to ensure that our members have dignity at work, that teachers are not treated as commodities and to improve teachers’ working conditions. That goes for newly qualified and new teachers too – we want to ensure that you are not exploited in your first or your new job and that you are treated with dignity in your school or college.
We have representatives at school level (general school representatives, health & safety representatives and union learner representatives) and at Local Authority level as well as at National level. We negotiate with school managements, Derby City Council Education Service and other Council officials on matters which concern our members. We work together closely with other trade unions, particularly unions which represent members who are employed by the City Council.
Derby Branch NASUWT
The NASUWT is grouped together in local branches or associations. You would be more than welcome to become involved in Derby Branch. This need not necessarily just be when you need advice – you may want to become involved in our social activities or in the decision-making processes in our union.
Whether you intend to get involved with local branch organisation or not, you are more than welcome to join Derby Branch NASUWT and I hope that you enjoy your time teaching in your new school. |
