Redundancy
The ongoing and now annual saga in relation to the redundancy process and premature retirement continues.
On the 31st March a special meeting was called to consider the proposals on offer from the employers (ELBs and CCMS). At that meeting the employer representatives confirmed that:-
· The employers are not in a position at this point in time to offer premature retirement and immediate access to pension, therefore anyone being made redundant this year will be offered a severance payment.
· No distinction will be made between voluntary and compulsory redundancies. As NAHT have always argued a redundancy is a redundancy.
· Individuals who are to be made redundant may be offered up to a maximum of 60 weeks severance pay subject to age and continuous service (double the statutory requirement).
A circular from the ELB’s / CCMS will be forwarded to all schools confirming the present state of play
At a JWP meeting on Monday 12th April, DENI stated that the Minister is still of a mind, if finances permit, to offer premature retirement with immediate access to pension. However, the obstacle to this, as outlined in March’s ‘What’s New’, is the actual cost of facilitating early access to pension.
I would also stress that in the event that early access to pension is offered, it is extremely unlikely that this will include added years.
I would also remind you that no-one under the age of 55 can now access their pension except of course those retiring on ill health.
Please find at the back of this document a Ready Reckoner for Statutory Redundancy payments. To calculate how much a teacher in your school may be entitled to you:-
· Identify the age of the individual on the vertical column
· The number of years on the horizontal
· The number of weeks paid will be where the two lines meet, for example a 59 year old with 20 or more years continuous service (going backwards) will receive 29 weeks pay.
A statutory weeks pay is £380 per week, however teachers and school leaders will receive a payment based on their actual salary (current salary x 7/365 ).
Management Time for Nursery Principals
In 2007, funding was provided to ensure that teaching principals in small schools would have non-contact time to enable them to complete essential management and administration duties. Subsequent to the provision of money it was discovered that a whole group of teaching principals – our 98 nursery principals - had been left out of the calculation.
The principal in each of these schools is required to fulfil a wide range of management and administrative duties including the financial management of the school, the formulation of policies, child protection issues, SENCO matters and the management and support of teachers and other staff employed in the setting. Although many of these nurseries are as large as primary schools some with as many as 156 pupils, and many, as a consequence of the split day, support more families than their colleagues in the primary sector, they have limited access to C2K, little or no clerical or admin support and no Vice-Principal or senior management support.
Consequently, all of the day to day tasks fall on the nursery Principal. Why then, two years after teaching principals in other schools were given non-contact time are these teaching principals still waiting for equality of treatment? Could the decision not to facilitate non-contact time be based on the fact that this group of Principals are all women? Or could the failure to address this issue be based on the age and value placed on the youngest and potentially most vulnerable children in our education system?
Either way the reality on the ground is that the extra burden placed on these women is having an impact on their work-life balance and their health and wellbeing.
If we are committed to improving the quality of education throughout Northern Ireland and value the contribution which nursery education makes to the process and future success of children, it is essential that this travesty of justice be addressed immediately.
Classroom Observation
Many school leaders are not only frustrated but have effectively been prevented from fulfilling their duty under the Jordanstown Agreement by the action taken by colleagues in some of the Teachers unions. For example NASUWT having determined that the Jordanstown Agreement is obsolete and advised Principals that the 2x30mins PRSD observations were the only times when a teacher should be observed in their classroom.
This situation is simply unacceptable to NAHT members. As a consequence, we have been seeking clarity in relation to this issue which we believe needs to be resolved centrally. It is not and should never be a battle for school leaders in individual schools. As a consequence of our interventions, a circular is to be forwarded to all schools clarifying the situation in relation to classroom observation. We hope that this will resolve the difficulty faced by school leaders across Northern Ireland.
PPA Time
As you will be aware, all teachers in England receive at least 10% non-contact time to enable them to plan prepare and assess work. Most secondary teachers in Northern Ireland also already receive non-contact time. However, despite the recommendation in the Curran Report that non contact time should be made available for teachers, no funding has been provided to date to facilitate its implementation in the primary sector.
This needs to be resolved as quickly as possible. As members will be aware, one of the proposals was that NQTs would be offered a years employment while other experienced teachers would be released to cover. This option was discussed yet again at our JWP meeting on Monday 12th April but to date little progress has been made. It would appear that the obstacle as usual is cost.
Violence Against Teachers
The long awaited advice document on tackling Violence Against Teachers has again been put on hold.
Unions were informed at the JWP meeting on Monday that Joint Legal Services had serious concerns about some of the recommendations outlined in the report.
While NAHT accepts and indeed promotes the rights of parents and children, it is of concern to this association that priority is not being given to the rights and indeed the health and welfare of staff employed in our schools. We hope that the “serious concerns” identified can be quickly addressed and that DENI and the employers step up to the challenge of ensuring that staff in schools are protected from violent assaults and indeed from malicious or vexatious allegations.
URGENT : NAHT(NI) Communications
NAHT (NI) regularly communicates with members via email.
In addition to ‘What’s New’ which goes out on at least a monthly basis, information about seminars and events is also communicated via email.
If you have not been receiving this information please contact Patsy in the Belfast office. She will ensure that your records are updated and that you receive all of the relevant emails. Tel: 02890776633
Labour Relations Agency Seminars
Members who attended the NAHT / LRA / RTU conferences on Managing Conflict have been very impressed by the input from Mark McAllister from Labour Relations Agency. Below is a list of current seminars that the LRA are running this spring / summer. Places are limited and are free to attend.
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Managing Absence from Work
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Taking the fear out of handling Discipline and Grievance
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Handling Redundancy
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Family-friendly Working Arrangements
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Conducting Employment Investigations
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Bullying in the Workplace
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Unfair Dismissal - the Law and Practice
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Fair Recruitment and Selection
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Introduction to Employment Law
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Legal Implications of Workplace Stress
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Implementing Health and Safety - the Basics
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Health & Safety Policy and Risk Assessment
Further information dates / times & venues of these seminars can be accessed on the following link:
http://www.lra.org.uk/index/workshops-and-seminars/seminars.htm
Fern Turner, Regional Officer and Director of Trade Union Services
Tele: 07860 926101 mobile
028276 69066 Ballymoney Office
02890 776633 Belfast Office
