MAY 1999   It's NOW or NEVER! Support LEAF's action to transform your Pay and Conditions situation   TEST CASES SET FOR FULL HEARING......What's At Stake?   The cases which LEAF has brought (see previous newsletter), are set for a full six-day hearing at the Industrial Tribunal from 26th July to 2nd August 1999. The immediate and future prospects of thousands of lecturing staff will be dramatically altered at the conclusion of this hearing. This is certain.     LEAF has worked on the scandal of the 'Great Contracts Robbery' since it was founded. We realised from the word go that the pay, prospects, conditions and pensions of teachers in the sector, was linked with the events surrounding and following incorporation.   As a result, we have been dubbed by some of the educational press as a 'single issue' union. If concentrating on lecturers interests makes us a single-issue union (an absurd charge), then we PLEAD GUILTY!     WHAT ARE OUR PROSPECTS?   We are confident that we will win this case.   In recent press coverage, the AOC is reported as saying that LEAF does not have..."a chance in hell". Yet earlier in the same article and elsewhere they publicly admit that our success will dramatically change the situation and will cost millions of pounds. In fact it could cost them many hundreds of millions of pounds in payments to lecturers. That is why the AOC is throwing many thousands of pounds in the direction of their legal representations, in a concerted attempt to prevent justice.   The AOC levies every FE College in Britain annually for its considerable income. In effect, every college corporation in the country is contributing towards the AOC's efforts to defeat LEAF.   As the AOC spokesperson put it recently, from the point of view of their members interests, they have to follow it through.   THINK ABOUT THIS STATEMENT.   The 'interests' referred to are the College Corporations' interests in keeping your pay and conditions among the worst in the entire European Union.   The AOC are very clear about their member's interests.   We are saying to you: be clear where your interest lies. We know where our interests lie.   Our avowed aim is to restore national pay and conditions at the highest level of legal and political representation.   That is why LEAF was set up and why lecturers from around the country are joining us. The employers know this and they are terrified of the prospect of having to deal with LEAF.     WHAT CAN STOP US?   In a word, apathy. The AOC are hoping that we will be unable to bring the case due to a lack of funds; that we will fall flat on our face. THIS MUST NOT HAPPEN. That is why we are urging you to support our efforts by contributing to our legal support fund, or better still by joining LEAF.   At the outset, we stated that we would bring the best counsel to our cases, to maximise our chances of success. We are still of that view. We believe that the only prospect for the AOC is to beat us by using their superior financial resources.   This money, taken from colleges, is public money. Using your money, taxpayers money, to deny you your rights is 'Wardism' at its most pernicious.   We hope your professional pride will cause you to respond. But we must make this point clear: our lawyers will, quite properly, seek assurances that we have sufficient funds before they instruct counsel.     YOUR FUTURE PROSPECTS?   One of two developments will take place over the next year or so.   If LEAF is unable to bring its case successfully, the last point of opposition to the deprofessionalisation of lecturers will have been removed.   You can expect a further degradation of your prospects to follow fairly quickly.   If LEAF is able to bring its case, a dramatic improvement will follow. We have prepared a careful strategy to take the battle to the employers and the government.   We shall move to recreate a national pay and conditions contract (note: not a 'framework', but a binding arrangement).   We shall take action to put all lecturers on to a nationally recognisable pay scale. And, we shall move quickly to substantially increase the pay of lecturers. We will work in a serious and single-minded way to achieve these measures. We will then turn to other matters in your interests. And we will succeed, if you give your support.     WHAT ARE OUR PROSPECTS?   The AOC, the Government, the DfEE and the College Corporation are watching the situation very closely. Make no mistake about that!   They are hoping that the professionals whose interests we represent will fall victim to apathy.   After six years of unrelenting attacks, you could be forgiven for wanting to turn your face away and simply 'get on with your job'. This is the AOC's fervent hope. Instead, we are asking for you to be a BRAVEHEART, and to give the AOC the fight they do not want.   Remember, the AoC will interpret a lack of resolve as a green light to further worsen pay and conditions.     Join LEAF, and ask your colleagues to join.   Contribute to our legal fund and tell your colleagues about our work on lecturer's behalf.   Invite LEAF to your college, to explain our work and policies.   Let professional pride replace apathy and defeatism.   Break the cycle of learned helplessness.     LEAF IS WINNING.   MAKE SURE WE CAN FINISH THE JOB.       © LEAF 1999   Return to top of Page