NEU bargaining flow graphic

Our bargaining strategy

The NEU aspires to be a mass democratic, participatory union based on having an effective workplace presence. Central to this is our bargaining strategy. 

The key aims of our bargaining strategy are:

Securing bargaining arrangements

Maintaining and extending national machinery and national arrangements.

Tackling fragmentation

Reducing the number of bargaining units and extending multi-employer negotiations.

Making bargaining meaningful & relevant for members

Ensuring member-determined outcomes in all cases.

Supporting our negotiators at all levels 

Equipping and supporting lay negotiators to negotiate with their employer at their workplace.

Central elements of the Bargaining Strategy are the bargaining calendar and the bargaining cycle.

Bargaining calendar

NEU bargaining calendar: Autumn term: Pay, Spring term: Appraisal and accountability, Summer term: Workload

Once a term, every NEU group raises the same nationally agreed issue to exercise our collective strength to win systemic change. The topics are the key member concerns and fit the rhythm of the academic year.

For the maintained school sector, the bargaining calendar is

Other sectors can adopt or adapt this formulation to suit their needs.

The bargaining calendar does not say that only one issue can be raised by a workplace group at a time and does not seek to preclude the raising of other local issues.

Indeed, by seeking to normalise union-employer negotiations, it encourages the establishment of formal workplace negotiating arrangements such as a joint negotiating committee (JNC) as the mechanism to raise all member concerns whenever appropriate.

Bargaining cycle

At every workplace there should be regular member meetings, facilitated by workplace reps like yourself, where priority issues are discussed, and positions agreed. Your role is then to raise these issues with management and report back to members at a subsequent meeting. Members then decide if the response is acceptable, or if not, what action should be taken.

This cycle can be replicated across an employer such as a local authority or multi-academy trust.

NEU bargaining cycle graphic

Step 1

Identifying issues

The bargaining calendar identifies issues workplace groups should be discussing as a matter of course. Specific details of how these and other local issues are affecting members will need to be gathered through one-to-one conversations, member surveys and data requests.

Step 2 

Discussion with members

As a rep, your role is to organise members of the NEU to work collectively in pursuit of your common interests. This requires union groups to make decisions together and democratically, so as a rep, you are mandated to negotiate changes. This happens at a workplace meeting, where issues should be discussed and prioritised. Knowing how strongly members feel and the action they are prepared to take, should inform this process. 

How to organise a great workplace meeting

Posters

Print out these posters to advertise meetings in your workplace.

Bargaining calendar poster: Autumn term: Pay

Poster to advertise a meeting on pay bargaining in your workplace during autumn term to make decisions together and democratically, so as a rep, you are mandated to negotiate changes.

Step 3

Meeting with management

Once you have a mandate from members, arrange a meeting to discuss the issue(s) with your head. Make sure you are well prepared to outline members’ concerns and what changes members are looking for. Only make agreements in so far as you’ve been mandated by members. Ask for any agreements to be confirmed in writing.

Step 4

Making decisions collectively 

Hold a members’ meeting to discuss the outcome of negotiations.

Outcome A: If your head agrees to the changes requested by your NEU group, hold another meeting so members can ratify any agreement, celebrate their success and decide which issues to prioritise next.

Outcome B: If you come to agreement on some but not all the issues raised by your NEU group, hold another NEU meeting to decide your next steps (accept the outcome or escalate).

Outcome C: If your head doesn’t agree to any of the changes suggested by the NEU group. You will need to escalate.

Step 5

Escalation

Hold a meeting with members and go through the options for action. As a group, decide which actions you would be prepared to take to win. This could include signing a collective letter to your head, writing to higher level decision makers such as a governing body, or balloting members for strike action. Contact your local branch about escalating to achieve your demands.

Step 6

Joining up our fights

To maximise effectiveness, you should seek to network with other reps in your branch or MAT with a view to coordinating action across your employer.

Spring term

Appraisals bargaining toolkit poster graphic

Appraisal & accountability bargaining toolkit

Guidance and resources for bargaining in your workplace to secure reduced workload and ensure educators able to develop their professional practice.

Find out more

Autumn term

Pay bargaining calendar listing

Pay bargaining toolkit

This pay bargaining toolkit will provide you and your colleagues with the guidance and resources you need to take a pro-active approach to pay bargaining in your workplace.

Find out more
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