The Tories' U-turn on schools was not merely the product of circumstance, but of months of teacher organising. Now, with a multiplying membership and renewed confidence, unions are setting their sights beyond the pandemic to transforming their entire profession. Rivkah Brown reports.
This year has definitely helped radicalise some teachers I know who went from seeing their union as an 'insurance policy' as the article puts it to an actual potential power base they can use to try and get the things they want.
Strangely, at least two of them who are just sort of causally soc-dem at best have cited Labour pushing an adversarial position with the unions over this shitshow as the reason they started engaging and realising the Union might be the only actual people who give a shit at all.
Obviously actual steadfast political support would be better, but Labour dropping the pretence as the the media and politicians went after them might actually prove to be a good thing for the unions.
This year has definitely helped radicalise some teachers I know who went from seeing their union as an 'insurance policy' as the article puts it to an actual potential power base they can use to try and get the things they want.
Strangely, at least two of them who are just sort of causally soc-dem at best have cited Labour pushing an adversarial position with the unions over this shitshow as the reason they started engaging and realising the Union might be the only actual people who give a shit at all.
Obviously actual steadfast political support would be better, but Labour dropping the pretence as the the media and politicians went after them might actually prove to be a good thing for the unions.