EC Meeting Papers March 2018

Voice today and looking forward

Voice prefers the force of argument to the argument of force. The Union recognises how its historic emphasis on partnership-working over confrontation is now increasingly shared by other, modern, forward-thinking unions, including GFTU affiliates. Strike action, usually only taken as a last resort, has declined sharply, especially in education, in the last 25 years. The legal framework, including the requirement to ballot, is now very different to the time and context of Voice’s foundation as PAT. The political, employment and education landscape has also evolved. The shrinking public sector and the growth of academies has seen the employment of our traditional teacher member change. The rise of Academies and of Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) although funded by government, are not regulated by local authorities, and which increasingly operate on an ever-more commercial basis, will eventually employ most teachers and associated education professionals. Those in early years education and childcare are predominantly employed in the Private, Voluntary or Independent (PVI) sector; demonstrating further fragmentation of the early education and child-care workforce. These factors, require a fresh approach to industrial relations, one which embraces an aspirational trade unionism, helping members more to ‘get on’, that to ‘get even’; one that also recognises - as is already recognised by some GFTU affiliates - that moral or ethical requirements in some areas of employment curtail traditional options for industrial action. Voice may have expressed that reality in terms of its current ‘no strike’ rule but there are many unions, which have chosen to preclude the option of strike action for the members they represent. We are no different to them in that regard. We have just recognised that reality in a more explicit way, than those other unions who operate under the same or similar restraint. Other factors which must be considered in the context of the decline of union membership generally, also indicates the need for a different approach to traditional ‘industrial relations’ and service to members. In this context, and with future membership in mind, Voice has initiated, internal discussions, to consider the ongoing relevance of the No Strike clause (as a rule or guiding principle) and as a unique selling point of our membership, in terms of recruitment and retention and what we seek to achieve in the future. We will in time explore with members, and prospective members, how they value the relevance and how strike action impacts on their professional practice and the status of the profession in society. We anticipate this process will take time, not least because it is the founding principle of the union. Voice has always and continues to respect the right of other unions to take strike action when they consider it right to do so. We do not undermine the disputes of others and as such always advise our members not to cover for the work of others, when colleague unions feel it necessary to take action. We apply ‘usual’ trade union principles on such occasions.

In the same spirit, we recognise, through a voluntary agreement, GMB for collective and individual bargaining purposes as the union for the Voice staff group.

The coming decades will be challenging ones both for Voice and for the wider trade union movement. With that consideration, we are currently reviewing our strategic and operational realities for the short, medium and long term. Voice considers how we respond to those challenges and opportunities in the coming years, as crucial, not only to our growth and sustainability but also in determining our influence in the future.

Generally, we consider the need, for a twenty first century union to:

 Adopt and develop a reasoned, rational and professional approach to industrial relations  Secure and ensure representation within an increasingly fragmented workforce  Work in partnership with employers and government to protect and promote the professional interests of our members