The NUT, RMT and PCS trade unions all have stalls at the Green Party conference this weekend. Max Hyde, President of the NUT , spoke at a fringe meeting organised by the Union today, with Natalie Bennett and Richard Hatcher guest speakers.
With the NUT's manifesto for children's education 'Stand Up for Education' distributed, hot off the presses to a packed room, it soon became clear that the NUT and Green Party have much in common on education policies.
Both want an end to 'sausage factory' schooling and the dominance of testing, every teacher to be qualified, restoration of LA powers to build new schools, an end to the fragmenting of the education system, halt to privatisation of education and are opposed to performance related pay.
Tomorrow there will be a PCS speaker at a fringe on fuel poverty, the Big SIx power companies, and fracking.
There is an active Green Party Trade Union Group and a Trade Union Liaison Officer post was created last year. Both are busy building links not just with national leaders of the unions but with rank and file members.
The policies of the Labour Party increasingly appear insipid in contrast to the strong anti-austerity social justice stance of the Greens.
I hope that our links and solidarity with trade unions will continue to strengthen ahead of the General election. As Max Hyde and Natalie Bennett both said, we won't agree on everything, but we are allies in the struggle.
With the NUT's manifesto for children's education 'Stand Up for Education' distributed, hot off the presses to a packed room, it soon became clear that the NUT and Green Party have much in common on education policies.
Both want an end to 'sausage factory' schooling and the dominance of testing, every teacher to be qualified, restoration of LA powers to build new schools, an end to the fragmenting of the education system, halt to privatisation of education and are opposed to performance related pay.
Tomorrow there will be a PCS speaker at a fringe on fuel poverty, the Big SIx power companies, and fracking.
There is an active Green Party Trade Union Group and a Trade Union Liaison Officer post was created last year. Both are busy building links not just with national leaders of the unions but with rank and file members.
The policies of the Labour Party increasingly appear insipid in contrast to the strong anti-austerity social justice stance of the Greens.
I hope that our links and solidarity with trade unions will continue to strengthen ahead of the General election. As Max Hyde and Natalie Bennett both said, we won't agree on everything, but we are allies in the struggle.
When the Greens get into office next year we should select a teacher to run education, and a bus driver/railway worker to run transport.
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