There are several large unions out there, all standing for and representing different people. If you are not sure what kind of support you need, beginning your research can be a daunting task.
There are, of course, the bigger of the bunch: the NEU (National Education Union) and the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) are the two biggest teaching unions in the UK. The Musicians’ Union (MU), meanwhile, is a trade union with many similar benefits – but something of a different proposition in that it is politically affiliated and exists solely for those working in the music industry and music education.
As well as the institutions mentioned below, you should investigate the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), a professional body for musicians in the UK that has a very active division for music teachers.
THE MUSICIANS’ UNION
Description
The MU is a trade union that specialises in representing musicians from across the British music business, and is known for its industry-standard policies on performer rights and fees. Around two-thirds of its members work in music education as part of their career. It stages regular campaigns, including ‘Keep Music Live’, ‘Music Supported Here’, and ‘Work Not Play’.
The MU's central message on why musicians should join focuses on the fact that it will help you to make music, rather than having to ‘unduly worry about unpaid fees, cancelled bookings and intellectual property rights’.
One of the core MU networks is the ‘Teachers Section’, which is run by Diane Widdison, a well-known presence at national music education events. She has built a close relationship with the music hub network, and supports 40 ‘Hub Reps’, whose job it is to keep the MU informed of teaching conditions and developments, and who act as a local contact for instrumental teachers.
Members
30,000
Affiliations
The MU is one of the 12 trade unions affiliated to the Labour Party (although individual members can opt out of the political affiliation).
Annual membership
£213 (£20 for students)
Benefits
Benefits include:
- One-to-one mediation and casework with a dedicated officer;
- Legal assistance (including from the in-house lawyer and/or Morrish Solicitors);
- Training opportunities;
- Instrument and personal liability insurance;
- Access to the MU's ‘guide to the industry’;
- Career and business advice;
- Copyright and property rights protections;
- Financial assistance, including various grants and the MU Benevolent Fund, which is maintained by voluntary donations;
- Access to the MU's Forum, member directory and listings (instruments for sale, etc);
- Professional development events across the country;
- Access to a national network of people doing the same job as you.
THE NATIONAL EDUCATION UNION
Description
The NEU is the ‘super union’ resulting from the recent merging of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL). Both constituent unions retain their names and identities as two sections of the NEU until 1 January 2019, at which point all members will be transferred to be NEU members. It is the largest union for teachers in the UK (and has a claim to being the largest of its kind in Europe). The merger was voted for by the majority of members of both unions, with many feeling that in making unions bigger, and in reducing the number of unions in total, the days of the perceived governmental policy of ‘divide and rule’ when it comes to the teaching unions may be numbered.
The NEU lists its current campaigns as centering largely around budget cuts to schools and teacher workload, with the latter campaign prompting major DfE guidance (search for ‘Reducing teacher workload’ at www.gov.uk). The NUT has long been involved in campaigns on pay, funding, workload, primary assessment, underfunding of Welsh schools, halting the spread of academies, and ending approvals for free schools, as well as various international campaigns.
Members
More than 450,000
Political affiliations
None
Annual membership
Support: £100; Standard: £179; Leadership: £205. All rates pro-rated according to contracted hours. There are several offers available at the moment, including an annual rate of £1 for teachers’ NQ year and an annual rate of £10 available until September 2018 for teachers who have not had a previous membership of either the NUT or ATL in the last 36 months.
The NEU has also created a partnership with the MU to strengthen the promotion of music education in schools and colleges. This means that members of each union can join the other at a reduced rate. Email membership@neu.org.uk or visit www.themu.org to find out whether you qualify.
Benefits
New members of the NEU get all the benefits associated with both the NUT and ATL, including:
- The NUT, the larger of the two constituent unions, has a benevolent fund to provide financial aid to members when they have suffered sickness, accident, injury, unemployment or bereavement. Members also have access to a dedicated team of solicitors and litigation executives. The union also provides Aviva-underwritten insurance policies for personal accidents, hospitalisation, personal property and malicious damage to motor vehicles in school or college premises. There is also a wide range of services available from third parties, including shopping, leisure and holiday discounts, financial offers, insurance policies, tax recovery and utility services.
- The ATL provides a large number of exclusive deals for members, including Aviva car insurance, income protection, life insurance, various health plans, dining cards, travel discounts, home insurance, mortgage advice, liability insurance, a job finder service and mobile phone offers.
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLMASTERS UNION OF WOMEN TEACHERS
Another large union, the NASUWT is a powerful campaigning body and the historic rival of the NUT (now the NEU). Despite the famous 2012 agreement between the two unions, in which they coordinated campaigns to protect teachers’ pensions, pay and working conditions, the NASUWT – which states its core aim as ‘putting teachers first’ – has a reputation for being less militant than the old NUT. It is also more likely to enter negotiations, rather than asking its members to go on strike over national issues.
The union offers training and professional development, and publishes a range of advice to support teachers’ careers, including information on pay and pensions, conditions of service, classroom issues, health and safety, equalities, and leadership.
Members
More than 300,000
Political affiliations
None
Annual membership
£173.64, pro-rated according to contracted hours of work. New members receive 12 months of free membership.
Benefits
NASUWT has a dedicated website for member benefits, including:
- Extensive network of casework officers;
- Criminal representation by Thompsons Solicitors;
- Benevolent Fund, available to members, former members and their dependants;
- Fire, theft, malicious damage and worldwide accident insurance;
- Personal injury casework and legal advice;
- Travel, holiday and accommodation deals;
- Lifestyle offers, including activity days;
- Health benefits and discounts;
- Financial services including mortgages, will writing and debt advice.
