Will unions stop the wider reopening?

[camsie]

Just that really.
Really worried about returning on 1st June and wondering if unions will stop this.
I'm with the NEU.

Unions seem to have no power whatsoever at the moment. Sad times.

I really hope so but I can't see it.
Parents will have arranged to go back to work, relying on schools being open.

I think the only way the reopening will be stopped is if the government decide its too soon. But the pressure the unions are putting on them may help them reach that decision iyswim!

I hope so. I've spoken to my head about my concerns and I've been told I may need to get a sick note.

I hope not. It’s time to return to the classroom.

On a national level? I doubt it.
I personally think June is about the right time for some wider opening. I think the government plans are too far-reaching and their announcements have raised parental expectations far too much but I think plenty of headteachers have put in place reasonable arrangements. I think staff in those schools will be happy to go back.

Where headteachers are blithely trying to get too many kids back too quickly and without proper social distancing in place, I hope staff will get support from their unions to stay at home. On a practical level, any HT trying to push too hard and insist everyone comes back when they don’t feel safe is going to find they have a huge number of staff signed off sick. I think HTs have to do this by consensus and they have to do everything they can to make their staff feel safe.

Unions are not stopping things. They are meant to be protecting our rights which include health and safety.

Unions are not stopping anything, they seem to have no power whatsoever 😔

I was astounded recently to find out that only about a third of our staff belonged to a union. I had thought pretty much everyone in schools was in one.

Nationwide...no. The union rep for our borough has worked with the local mp to push back to the 15th that we have time to prepare.

I looked up figures for this and it's 48% nationally (union membership in education). I suspect younger teachers are not joining and that some academy trusts put staff off joining.

It's mad not to just for the legal cover...