Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association

Category: Information for Members

  • Timesheet to record Working hours

    As an additional service to members and as a result of enquiries we have created a timesheet which can be used to record your working time during the year.   The spreadsheet programme does the calculations for you and new copies can be downloaded from here.

    Our most recent survey showed that many members are working in excess of 45 hours per week.   This will allow you to maintain a record for your own use.   It will also enable you distinguish between contractual and voluntary tasks.   Please note:   you must ask a line manager to determine which tasks you should not complete if the allocated tasks do not fit the time available. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the office on info@ssta.org.uk.

    Guide on how to use the timesheet

    All times must be entered in the 24 hour clock format of   hh:mm.

    – Enter the number of hours you are contracted to work per week in the cell with the red border (F4). (i.e. 35 hours should be entered as 35:00)

    – Enter the date (dd/mm/yyyy) of the Monday   in the week you wish to begin recording time in the cell with the purple border (B8)

    – For the sheet to calculate the number of hours worked correctly you must follow the 3 rules below.

    •   If you enter a time in the “Start Work” Column you must enter a time in the “Time Out (Lunch)” Column.

    •   If you enter a time in the “Time In (Lunch)” Column you must enter a time in the “End Work” Column.

    •   If you enter a time in the “Home Start” Column you must enter a time in the “Home Finish” Column.

  • Aberdeen City Indicative Ballot Results

    Dear Colleagues

    The indicative ballot closed at midnight on Wednesday 26 January 2011.   Part 1 related to ballot verification then two questions were asked.   The response to questions 2 & 3 were:

    2. In the event of compulsory redundancies:
    64.4% in favour of a ballot on action including strike action
    35.6% in favour of a ballot on action short of strike action

    3. In the event of a pay cut being imposed:
    80.5% in favour of a ballot on action including strike action
    19.5% in favour of a ballot on action short of strike action

    This Association will be carefully monitoring the situation in Aberdeen City and would ask every member to contact us immediately if they are threatened with any of the actions listed above. Members will be kept fully informed of any information received and will be contacted as soon as the situation becomes clear.   In the meantime please do not hesitate to contact either the office or your District Secretary, John Gray, if you have any questions or require support.

    Yours sincerely

    Ann Ballinger

    General Secretary

  • Communicating with pupils via email

    Dear Colleagues

    You may have been asked to communicate with pupils via electronic means during this inclement weather enabling staff to work from home in severe weather and avoid possible injury attempting to travel to a building already closed to pupils.    

    Some schools even ask staff to use electronic means to distribute, discuss and mark homework.    

    This type of communication should only be undertaken using the authority Intranet.   Properly set up and monitored intranet systems protect their users from abusive communications and from malicious accusations.   Other forms of electronic communication do not provide teachers or pupils with the necessary protection.     Do not, under any circumstances, give your personal email address to pupils.

    If you have any doubts at all about the electronic system you are being asked to use please contact the office at info@ssta.org.uk

    With best wishes

    Yours sincerely

    Ann Ballinger

    General Secretary

  • Warning to Members – Teaching resources – A SCAM?

    The Association has become aware of the behaviour of a company, who run a web-site containing the term “teaching resources”, have caused considerable concern within the teaching profession.

    Their web site offers teachers a chance to ‘trial’ PSHE resources. However, only in the very (easily missed) small print of the terms and conditions is it explained that, after the 14 day trial, schools will be automatically invoiced for a two year contract with the company. This will only be stopped if the teacher who requested the trial writes directly to the company to cancel before the 14 days have expired. The invoices can be for many hundreds of pounds, with the threat of debt recovery if they are not paid.

    Members are advised that they should only take the offer of their FREE 14-day trial if they are fully aware of legal consequences of failing to cancel that trail period.

  • Meeting of Council: Saturday 4 December 2010 – CANCELLED

    Due to the recent bad weather the meeting of Council due to take place on Saturday 4 December has been cancelled.   The meeting is being rescheduled to take place at St Colm’s Church Hall, Dalry Road, Edinburgh on Saturday 15 January 2011 at 10.30am.

    The General Secretary will e-mail Council members over the coming weekend with news of any updates or urgent business.

  • Teachers: Russell: I’m sorry but don’t blame me young teachers can’t find jobs

    The Scotsman (By FIONA MACLEOD) – 28/10/10 01:02

    THE high number of teachers unable to find jobs has been blamed on “cavalier” councils and over-recruitment to teacher training universities by education secretary Michael Russell.

    After being grilled at the education committee yesterday,   Mr Russell was accused of giving a “grudging” apology to the hundreds of teachers unable to find work.

    Full story available from The Scotsman

  • There is a Better Way March and Rally

    The Association is attending the STUC There is a Better Way the March and Rally taking place in Edinburgh 23rd October 2010. Any members wishing to attend the march can join the Association’s official delegation. Details of the meeting place and timings of the march are detailed below.

    10.45 am: Meet in Princes Street Garderns by the Scott Monument.

    11.00 am: Make our way to the march assembley point on East Market Street.

    11.30 am: March off.

    12.30 pm: Rally at the Ross Bandstand.

    Members arriving late by train should take the Jeffery Street Exit and walk to East Market Street to meet us there.

    If you would like to help the Campaign by volunteering to be a Steward for the March and Rally please click the link below and scroll down to register:

    http://www.abetterway.siteiscentral.com/events/1/there-is-a-better-way-demo/

  • General Secretary responds to the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Mike Russell

    Dear Colleagues,

    You may have been aware of recent attacks on this organisation by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Mike Russell.

    Long memories are a rare asset in politics.   Mr Russell was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2007 as a list MSP.   He was elected by 27.8% of the 58% who voted, perhaps 15% of the electorate.

    The Cabinet Secretary has felt it necessary to twice mention the SSTA in his recent pronouncements.   The cynic among you will doubtless say ‘we must be getting things right’.   Perhaps more than the cynics, in fact!

    27% of members took the time to vote in our indicative ballot, held during the last week of a very long and tiring session.   95% of those who voted were in favour of a formal ballot.

    We are currently working on a ballot paper which will allow all members to express an opinion on future action.   In the meantime I will be happy to answer any queries you may have.

    With best wishes

    Ann

    ANN BALLINGER

    General Secretary

  • Special offer for new members

    Join Now and get 50% OFF Subscription Fees for the First 12 months.

    We believe that it is essential that the views of secondary teachers are firmly represented.   Secondary teaching is not simply more specialised primary teaching.   The current problems associated with CfE should make this clear.   If you wish your views as a secondary teacher to be fully represented, there is only one union you can join.   Join the SSTA now!

    Every member has direct and immediate access to full-time union officials who are always ready to advise and support members with problems or queries in relation to their employment.   We do not use our school representatives to provide advice on highly technical (or confidential) issues. Not all unions can offer this facility.

    All new members to the Association can benefit from our new special offer of 50% off the normal subscription for the first 12 months of paid membership when sending a completed direct debit instruction with their application.   This represents a saving of up to £89.40 a year based on current 2010 subscription paying by monthly direct debit.

    To join the SSTA you can complete an online enrolment form here. This offer is available to new members only.

  • Financial Statement to members

    As required by the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 the Association’s financial statement to members for the period 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2009 can be downloaded here.

    Adobe Acrobat reader is required to open the document and can be downloaded from http://get.adobe.com/reader/