The NEU will give you rep training, and you get paid time off to do it. They will also get you in touch with District and regional offices, so you will be able to book big guns in if you don't feel ready to represent someone in a disciplinary.
Up the NEU.
I’m a union rep but very much the deputy/sounding board to the other rep at my school. I basically got in by default when no one else put themselves forward.
You should get protected time to support members, I’m not 100% sure what it is but I think it’s something like 30 mins a week per 10 members.
Usually I don’t think it’s a great deal of work at all, depending on what your school is like, but this year has been quite heavy for reps due to the strikes.
I’m with NEU and am lucky to have a very active branch/district secretary which definitely makes things easier.
I can try and answer any other questions you might have but others are probably better placed. Just thought I’d offer my little bit.
>You should get protected time to support members, I’m not 100% sure what it is but I think it’s something like 30 mins a week per 10 members.
This is not a general thing, sounds like something your school offers. Do not expect this as standard
Sorry but, no, this is not standard across all schools across England and Wales. It may be what the NEU say they want, but far from every school does it. Might be common practice in certain locales/sectors and less so on others.
Oh yes sorry that’s what I meant. I definitely don’t get that time and neither does my co-rep, but it is what we’re entitled to as a reps, as well as paid time released for the training.
I checked with the district secretary before posting. It’s referred to on page 6 of the reps handbook “statutory paid time off for union duties and training” and the exact amount is not specified, but the sec said this is going to be changed to reflect the 30 mins/10 members in the next publishing.
the reps training is great and really boosted my confidence, so would deffo recommend that!
in terms of workload, it’s as much as you make it really. i hold some members meetings occasionally to check everyone is okay. i attend the district reps meetings to check i’m on board with everything i need to be. other than that i’m just here if someone needs me for either an informal chat or if they need me to check over policies with them etc.
it’s really brought my love for teaching back alive, as i feel i actually can fight for my rights a little more. this year i’ve managed to get our directed time down, get a calendar in place, get a 95% turn out for strike ballot, get our inset days as pay back for doing clubs, stop trust from trying to take UPS… our workload and wellbeing is still rubbish but it’s a damn sight better than if we didn’t all work together on these issues, which we never did before when we had an inactive rep.
it’s the best decision i’ve made in ages!
edit: oh and if you have any direct questions that you’re not willing to put in a public forum then feel free to message :)
It's great you are considering becoming the rep, however you don't have to be the only one. You are entitled to share the duties with someone else.
Do you have a friend who you could be joint reps with (or one of you workplace rep and one of you health and safety).
Main tip for helping with workload:
*Grow the Union*. It gets a lot easier at the meetings if your head knows you have 30 staff backing you.
Do it. Become the rep. If you're NEU then there is usually a WhatsApp group for your district. Ours is amazing and so helpful. Echoing what others say, you get paid time off to attend training etc. Amazing. I'm a workplace rep in a primary and I love it. It's really brought our staff together and there is power in our collective action and stance. Up the union ,✊✊
I have been a union rep for many years and have over 100 members at my school. Have also been involved at a local and national level.
Recently there has been a lot to do (with strikes and balloting), but you have probably missed the hardest parts because everyone is very strike ready now. It is a good time to become a rep as there is a lot of growth and support for the NEU.
While there is of course extra work, there are a lot of benefits and help.
You are entitled to ten days a year for union duties like meetings and training. Your school has to give these to you and does not need to know what they are for (e.g. if you're meeting a member) unless you are out of school (but even then only the basic details).
The foundation course is very useful and would strongly recommend.
Most importantly - you are the voice of the staff. If there is something that you don't like then you are expected to say something. If someone else goes to see the head with an issue, they might be seen as a complainer. When you do it, you are thanked for being a good rep.
I will also add: I am the fourth person to be a rep in mg time. The previous three all had to stop because they were promoted to SLT. All three leaned heavily on being a rep in their interviews because it showed they cared a lot.
How do you feel teachers aren't being protected?
What decisions are being made without staff input?
How do you feel being a rep will help?
I'm genuinely interested. I think sometimes decisions regarding policy are often made without staff input because they have to be. Like wise I'm curious about what you mean about being protected. Are you becoming a rep because you want input or because there is no union presence in the school?
The NEU will give you rep training, and you get paid time off to do it. They will also get you in touch with District and regional offices, so you will be able to book big guns in if you don't feel ready to represent someone in a disciplinary. Up the NEU.
I’m a union rep but very much the deputy/sounding board to the other rep at my school. I basically got in by default when no one else put themselves forward. You should get protected time to support members, I’m not 100% sure what it is but I think it’s something like 30 mins a week per 10 members. Usually I don’t think it’s a great deal of work at all, depending on what your school is like, but this year has been quite heavy for reps due to the strikes. I’m with NEU and am lucky to have a very active branch/district secretary which definitely makes things easier. I can try and answer any other questions you might have but others are probably better placed. Just thought I’d offer my little bit.
>You should get protected time to support members, I’m not 100% sure what it is but I think it’s something like 30 mins a week per 10 members. This is not a general thing, sounds like something your school offers. Do not expect this as standard
If you are NEU it is standard. 30 mins per 10 members up to 40 members (so 2 hrs per week max). I just checked this with the District Secretary.
Sorry but, no, this is not standard across all schools across England and Wales. It may be what the NEU say they want, but far from every school does it. Might be common practice in certain locales/sectors and less so on others.
Oh yes sorry that’s what I meant. I definitely don’t get that time and neither does my co-rep, but it is what we’re entitled to as a reps, as well as paid time released for the training.
This is not on any rep documentation anywhere ACAS or NEU.
I checked with the district secretary before posting. It’s referred to on page 6 of the reps handbook “statutory paid time off for union duties and training” and the exact amount is not specified, but the sec said this is going to be changed to reflect the 30 mins/10 members in the next publishing.
The amount is ten days a year for training, meetings, etc. but how that is given to you is not stated.
the reps training is great and really boosted my confidence, so would deffo recommend that! in terms of workload, it’s as much as you make it really. i hold some members meetings occasionally to check everyone is okay. i attend the district reps meetings to check i’m on board with everything i need to be. other than that i’m just here if someone needs me for either an informal chat or if they need me to check over policies with them etc. it’s really brought my love for teaching back alive, as i feel i actually can fight for my rights a little more. this year i’ve managed to get our directed time down, get a calendar in place, get a 95% turn out for strike ballot, get our inset days as pay back for doing clubs, stop trust from trying to take UPS… our workload and wellbeing is still rubbish but it’s a damn sight better than if we didn’t all work together on these issues, which we never did before when we had an inactive rep. it’s the best decision i’ve made in ages! edit: oh and if you have any direct questions that you’re not willing to put in a public forum then feel free to message :)
✊
It's great you are considering becoming the rep, however you don't have to be the only one. You are entitled to share the duties with someone else. Do you have a friend who you could be joint reps with (or one of you workplace rep and one of you health and safety). Main tip for helping with workload: *Grow the Union*. It gets a lot easier at the meetings if your head knows you have 30 staff backing you.
Do it. Become the rep. If you're NEU then there is usually a WhatsApp group for your district. Ours is amazing and so helpful. Echoing what others say, you get paid time off to attend training etc. Amazing. I'm a workplace rep in a primary and I love it. It's really brought our staff together and there is power in our collective action and stance. Up the union ,✊✊
I have been a union rep for many years and have over 100 members at my school. Have also been involved at a local and national level. Recently there has been a lot to do (with strikes and balloting), but you have probably missed the hardest parts because everyone is very strike ready now. It is a good time to become a rep as there is a lot of growth and support for the NEU. While there is of course extra work, there are a lot of benefits and help. You are entitled to ten days a year for union duties like meetings and training. Your school has to give these to you and does not need to know what they are for (e.g. if you're meeting a member) unless you are out of school (but even then only the basic details). The foundation course is very useful and would strongly recommend. Most importantly - you are the voice of the staff. If there is something that you don't like then you are expected to say something. If someone else goes to see the head with an issue, they might be seen as a complainer. When you do it, you are thanked for being a good rep. I will also add: I am the fourth person to be a rep in mg time. The previous three all had to stop because they were promoted to SLT. All three leaned heavily on being a rep in their interviews because it showed they cared a lot.
How do you feel teachers aren't being protected? What decisions are being made without staff input? How do you feel being a rep will help? I'm genuinely interested. I think sometimes decisions regarding policy are often made without staff input because they have to be. Like wise I'm curious about what you mean about being protected. Are you becoming a rep because you want input or because there is no union presence in the school?