What is an Education Union

1. editor@community-tu.org 0800 389 6332 What is an Education Union?

2. editor@community-tu.org 0800 389 6332 Unions are organisations that negotiate on behalf of their members to support better working conditions. Teacher’s unions or education unions have likewise been around for decades to better represent the interests of those working in the educational sector. The aim of an education union is to help educators improve how the education system functions. In this article, we’ll be looking at how education unions can achieve this and what is it precisely that they can do for workers.

3. editor@community-tu.org 0800 389 6332 • Who is an Education Union for? • Education unions are for everyone passionate about education. Education unions can service a wide variety of roles within the education and early years sector, such as: • Early Years and Childcare providers • Heads, teachers and school leaders • Teachers and Tutors • On-site support Staff  • Vocational students • Newly Qualified Teachers • Nannies • Common Issues Educators Face • The retention rate of teachers in the UK is gradually decreasing. From 2010 to 2019 retention rate fell from 86.5% to 84.5% for those with just one year of service. This figure increases exponentially for those who have been teachers for longer durations of time. What is the cause of this drop? Common problems educators may face can relate to:

4. editor@community-tu.org 0800 389 6332 • Disciplinary issues: This is related to how policy is implemented in an education setting. Unclear policies or unwarranted discipline tactics come from problems associated with the management of education policy. They may occur at the level of the teaching setting or at a governmental level. A factor in these determinations may also be related to how staff competencies are assessed and how staff are hired. • Early retirement: The current laws in the UK prohibit a person from being forced into early retirement. A person may continue to work past the age of 65 if they choose. However, if an employer forces retirement, they must provide a valid reason as to why. Some educators can come up against this situation and must defend their ability to work. • TUPE: TUPE refers to Transfer of Undertakings in Protection of Employment. A regulation stipulates when an education provider is taken over by a new company, such as during conversion to academy status, that staff members should automatically transfer over their contract. For example, educators may find that their role/position has been drastically altered by the change and no longer perform their job correctly.

5. editor@community-tu.org 0800 389 6332 • Discrimination and unfair dismissal: UK legislation protects workers against dismissal based on discriminatory factors such as age, gender and ethnicity. However, gathering evidence to support an unfair dismissal claim may be necessary for an employer to be held liable. • What Do Educations Unions Do? • An education union can protect educators from these problems. They can offer legal advice, represent members in front of a board and conduct investigations on people’s behalf. When difficult situations occur, sometimes workers need someone to fight in their corner. That is the benefit of a union - a sense of support and community so educators can keep doing the job they love. • To find out more about what a union can do for you, consider joining our community.

6. editor@community-tu.org 0800 389 6332 Contact Us Address:- 465c Caledonian Road London UK N7 9GX Landline number :- 0800 389 6332 Website:- https://community-tu.org/ Email Id:- editor@community-tu.org