John Fones (Bridgwater and Taunton College) - FE UK -elected

John Fones (Bridgwater and Taunton College) 

Election address 

Election: NEC (FE UK-Elected).  

FE Lecturer (CompSci) at BTC.  Teach L1-L3.  Also refugee and asylum-seeker students, with low-level English skills.  

Previously Lecturer - Devon, AHoD NW-London (Adult Basic Skills, Computing-IT), Teacher-HoD (Computing-IT) in schools, now Lecturer FE again.  

Four Years years teaching/lecturing (English) in school, college and HE (Czech Republic).  

UK state sector, 43 years.  Have always been a union member since studying at Bede College, Durham (1974-77).  

Chair, UCU-BTC Branch, Secretary: UCUSW Regional Committee, NEC 2021-present: SWTUC-Executive (2019-present).   

National FE Negotiator.  

Lead Safety Representative; most facility time is casework.  

Led successful BTC strikes (2018-19 and 2022 Disputes); Wrote BTC local claims.  Major concessions in observations (ungraded), pay, workload, green agenda.  

Proposed and spoke to Congress - Conference motions on Trainer-Assessors, National Action, Ukraine and Pay.  

Committed to a national union, maintaining unity and cohesion across FE - England.  

I support Binding National Negotiation and salary harmonisation across FE England.  

I work professionally with managers - SMT but avoid being a management apologist.  My primary loyalty is to non-manager colleagues.    

I have an abiding interest in FE and in maintaining a high-quality, comprehensive and democratic post-16 provision for England as in other UK countries.  I am proud of the service provided, which promises so much for post-16 students.  

Everyone should be proud to be in the engine of growth, both local and national. A vibrant FE engine can drive UK economic growth.  

Without a strong FE sector, England struggles.  

I have written FEC - papers in support of pay and workload claims as well as discussion papers on Covid 19 & Post-Covid syndrome.  

I am keen to maintain the momentum we created when we set up a collaboration between NEU, NASUWT, NAHT and UCU across the SW region and helped organise rallies in Exeter and Bristol in December 2022.  

I support further cross-union collaboration - particularly with SFC colleagues.  

At Congress I listened to many branches and am aware of diverse challenges across England.  

I aim to see FE top of the agenda.   No longer forgotten.    

Members need, deserve and demand respect.  Pay - rates should reflect the work, commitment, and results we are achieving for our learners, in 16-19 programmes, Apprenticeships and Adult courses.  

We shall not be hoodwinked by Government and Principals fobbing us off with badges, sorrowful looks and hand-wringing.  

Quoting a well-known trade-unionist, "We refuse to be meek, we refuse to be humble, we refuse to be poor."  

FE is angry.   FE needs respect.  FE needs pay parity.    

 Vote #1 Fones, then Vernell, Tesei, Rashid.  

Vote Rhiannon Lockley 4VP  

https://bit.ly/johnfones4NEC