They Behave For Me What have the unions ever done for us?
Jun 20, 2025
Neil Butler, a veteran activist and national official for the NASUWT in Wales, passionately discusses the crucial role of education unions over the past 50 years. He highlights how unions have shaped teachers' working conditions and dispels common misconceptions about their impact. The conversation also dives into the contrasting education systems in England and Wales, emphasizing challenges in pay and curriculum differences. Neil underscores the necessity of genuine teacher voices in educational discussions and addresses the pressing challenges of behavior management in classrooms.
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Neil's Union Activism Journey
- Neil Butler joined NASUWT as a student teacher and remained an activist throughout his career.
- He transitioned from teaching to union leadership after 30 years in education.
Unions' Crucial Role for Teachers
- Education unions have been crucial in securing detailed protections for teachers.
- For example, NASUWT pioneered health and safety refusal to teach ballots and workload agreements.
Workload and Student Focus
- Workload pressures for teachers have worsened due to increasing focus on individual student needs without increased resources.
- This causes high exhaustion and contributes to recruitment and retention crises in education.