Executive chose inertia of safety

We have a new President-elect of the USA on the basis of 52%. This is celebrated the world over as a great democratic triumph and the arrival of a new era. The turnout was impressive, but when turnouts are low presidents still assume office. Every eligible NUT member had the opportunity to vote. Those who sat on their hands have won. How many of those would have taken action ? Democracy has spoken. A majority wants action. To move on the basis of a low turnout and a small margin entails risk, but to withdraw is to admit defeat. How do we now persuade members we can change the government's mind ? 

Action might have led to membership turbulence but now we have peace with passivity. The ship is ready to sail but the ocean may be choppy so we stay in port. The government will interpret this as a victory. They will not listen. They will not move. The only honest thing to say to members now is that they must put up with below-inflation pay settlements. And this, some say, is the wrong time to act. Crisis. Fear. Recession. When is the right time to act ? Action is called for when there is injustice. If you wait for perfect conditions for action, you will see the world end first. Democarcy delivered a victory for action. We have been defeated by the pusillanimity of the executive. On 28th April some 100,000 teachers took action. Enough to give the government a real headache. Could we have turned out 50,000 next time ? Wouldn't that be enough to make the goverment nervous ? Wouldn't it say we are active, we will not give in, we are tenacious, we will bite the governement's ankles till they treat us with respect ? Instead,we have rolled over like obedient puppies. This is a defeat. It would have been better to have no ballot. Majorities are always likely to be slim but democracy doesn't demand huge victories. The majority who failed to vote have handed the decision to the minority who did and they have chosen action. The executive has retreated from that decision. The momentum is lost. Put away your banners. It will be a long time before we take strike action nationally over pay again and the government will cut our pay by refusing to match inflation year in year out. The executive must explain to the membership that it has no radical strategy to prevent that. Anything else is dishonest. To avoid the risk of loss of membership the executive has led us to loss of pay. This is, apparently, a place of safety. We live to fight another day. When will that day arrive ? Radicalism requires momentum. The executive has chosen instead the inertia of safety. We carry on looking after our members but we tell them honestly, this pay battle is lost.

Alan Dent