You are:

Affiliations

Motion A606 was carried

NEC Attitude: support

Conference notes:

The tragic death of Ian Tomlinson on 1 April 2009 after he was hit and pushed to the floor by police involved in containing demonstrators protesting against the G20 summit. We further note that there have been numerous complaints, many with video evidence, against police brutality and violence on the demonstrations around the G20, including those relating to the tactic of "kettling" (detaining demonstrators for hours on end without access to food, water, toilet facilities, etc.)

Conference condemns recent other restrictions on demonstrations and those participating in them, with high-profile cases such as the much criticised policing of protests at the Kingsnorth Power Station, and the pre-emptive detention of 114 people planning to attend climate demonstrations in Nottinghamshire.

Conference regrets that the Independent Police Complaints Commission and its predecessor the Police Complaints Authority, have never secured a single conviction of a police officer involved in many of the deaths in police custody over the years - including those of Sean Rigg, Brian Douglas, Harry Stanley, Roger Sylvester and Christopher Alder.

Conference welcomes the formation of the United Campaign Against Police Violence (http://www.againstpoliceviolence.org.uk) set up in protest against these disgraceful events. The United Campaign Against Police Violence aims to promote a broad-based active campaigning strategy around the issue of deaths in police custody and against violent police interference in the right to demonstrate. It seeks to engage the wider trade union and labour movement in the active defence of the right to demonstrate and our most basic civil liberties - including freedom of movement and freedom of speech.

Conference resolves to:

- Support the UCAPV and future actions it is involved with.

- To add our name to those backing the national demonstration against police violence called on Saturday 23 May 2009 (assembling 3.00pm at Trafalgar Square, marching to New Scotland Yard). To mobilise for and encourage members to attend the demonstration.

- To affiliate to the UCAPV at a cost of £100

(E marked motions associated with lead motion E607-E613)

Motion A66 was carried

NEC Attitude: support

This conference notes that:

  • The government has opened 130 Academy schools in England;
  • They would like to open over 400 Academies;
  • The Tories want to open thousands of Academies;
  • There is no ballot of parents to consider their opinions, merely a 'consultation' process; and
  • Other unions, as well as the TUC, have already affiliated to the Anti Academies Alliance.

This conference opposes the creation of Academies and Trust schools because:

  • They are not democratically accountable as the sponsor appoints the majority of governors and controls the school's curriculum. Furthermore, ownership of the schools buildings and grounds are transferred to the private sponsor and they break up the family of local schools;
  • They create more selection as Academies and Trust schools set their own admissions policy;
  • They reinforce competition based on school league tables and this will further divide schools into winners and losers and add to the segregation of students on the basis of race and class;
  • Academies are outside the maintained sector of schools and so they are not bound by education law that protects the rights of students and parents;
  • Academies also set their own pay and conditions, outside of national frameworks; and
  • Academies are part of the privatisation of education.

This conference supports the aims and objectives of the Anti-Academies Alliance, which are:

  • To oppose the further introduction of Academies;
  • To provide support for parents and staff in Academies;
  • To demand the return of Academies to local democratic control; and
  • To support the aspiration of a good local school with a broad and balanced curriculum for all children.

This conference therefore agrees to affiliate to the Anti-Academies Alliance at a cost of £250.00 (national).

(E marked motions associated with lead motion E381)

Guillotined: A630, A67, A68, A69 and A70