Voice (trade union)

Voice
Founded 1970
Members 19,593 (2015)[1]
Key people Ray Bryant (Founder)
Nardia Foster (Chairman)
Deborah Lawson (General Secretary)
Office location 2 St James' Court
Friar Gate
Derby
DE1 1BT
Country United Kingdom
Website www.voicetheunion.org.uk

Voice 'The union for education professionals' (formerly The Professional Association of Teachers) is an independent British trade union for teachers, lecturers and other education and childcare workers in British education. The union is committed to the principle of not striking or engaging in "any kind of industrial action" "in any circumstances."[2]

History

The Professional Association of Teachers was founded in 1970 by two Essex teachers: Colin Leicester and Ray Bryant.[3] The union initially aimed to recruit teachers from all colleges, schools and universities, and by 1979 had a membership of 13,000. In 1981, the Conservative government gave the union a seat on the Burnham Committee, and its membership increased rapidly, reaching 40,000 by 1985.[4] By 2001, it still had 34,000 members, many from early years education, although The Guardian claimed that it was struggling to recruit new members and that rival unions believed it was likely to close.[5]

In February 2008, the Professional Association of Teachers became Voice: the union for education professionals.

Affiliated bodies

The Professional Association of Nursery Nurses (PANN) was established, in 1982, by a group of nursery nurses, who also wished to commit themselves to the principle of not striking. They became a section of PAT on 1 September 1995.

The Professionals Allied to Teaching (PAtT) section was launched in 2000. NAASSC (National Association of Administrative Staff in Schools and Colleges) was affiliated to PAT/PAtT in 2001.

PANN and PAtT sections no longer exist as they are now part of Voice.

The charity PAT (Education and Learning) was launched by the Professional Association of Teachers in 1999. This charity changed its name, in June 2008, to Voice (Supporting Education and Learning.[6]

General Secretaries

1980: Peter Dawson
1992: John Andrews
1998: Kay Driver
c.2006: Philip Parkin
2012: Deborah Lawson

References

  1. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/529912/265T_2015.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.voicetheunion.org.uk/index.cfm?cid=682
  3. ↑ "New voice for education and childcare". Voice. 28 February 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  4. ↑ Mike Ironside and Roger Seifert, Industrial Relations in Schools, p.92
  5. ↑ Will Woodward, "In harmony?", The Guardian, 13 March 2001
  6. ↑ "Form AR21" (PDF). Trades Union Certification Officer. 18 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
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