Statement from another Language teacher in Bournemouth.

“I worked for a number of EFL schools in Bournemouth over a period of a year and a half, after graduating with a Celta and with 2 years’ experience in another EU country.

One of the schools, Bayswater in Bournemouth, having been made aware that I suffer residual anxiety after a PTSD episode in 2021, started bullying and isolating me in January 2023. Unannounced observations, both online and in person, meetings where I was told what exactly to do at my lessons (what off-book material must be used and how many lessons a week MUST be off book – for a teacher of nearly 3 years of experience (!), whilst other teachers continued mainly teaching from the book), all of it finished with a grande finale of a new DOS Ms Karen Hollis trashing me as a person, a professional, and undermining my integrity at a 15-minute ordeal of an ‘observation feedback’.

After that meeting, I was forced to take 3 days off of sick leave due to nervous shock. I also made a grievance to three new DOS’ superiors, but it was totally ignored for two weeks, after which time Ms Bruna Laurent, the centre manager, sacked me by email, claiming I had not passed the probation (it was a month too late to claim this; I was also popular with most students and teachers and there were no performance or other problems beforehand).

Only after my intervention with James, the owner of the company, did I get some justice in form of extra notice period pay, apology and a promise of reference and possible being reinstated to the job in future. He behaved like a gentleman, although it was all too late. I didn’t keep the job, though. There was no real closure, although the management has apparently changed since, which I appreciate had to happen, given the lack of competence and professionalism of the previous one…

The anxiety period initiated in Bayswater lasted for at least another month. The knocks to self-esteem and confidence take a bit longer to heal.

I fully support Mike in his struggle and can relate and believe that what he claims is entirely true. The English language industry in the UK is still maturing – in great pains – to be an all-inclusive, tolerant and well paying sector, but before this happens, we must stand in solidarity and slowly shape it up so we can all enjoy working as TEFLs in future. I am not working as a TEFL right now, waiting for the outcome of another ET case, where I demand payment for many unpaid working hours from Kaplan International Languages. I refuse to work for free. The capitalist school owner CAN afford paying us for all the work required of us!”

Mike won his case at tribunal – ed.

Together we win – victory for Fellow Worker in Bournemouth.

Surprise picket at United World language school in support of disabled worker.

Picketing is great fun and we love doing it. If you exploit us we will shut you down!

Following an intense two-and-a-half  year campaign by the TEFL Workers’ Union, an English language teacher has won a historic £22k payout at employment tribunal.

Mike Long had been employed by Bournemouth-based United World School of English for almost 20 years when it changed ownership. Mike soon fell victim to a drastically increased workload and pressure to complete unnecessary qualifications- all this despite the company being aware that Mike has suffered from depression and lives with anxiety. At one point the company even implied they didn’t believe his condition was real despite medical certification.

Mike felt he had no option but to resign and, with the support of the TEFL Workers’ Union, successfully campaigned against his former employer on the grounds of constructive dismissal. Constructive dismissal is notoriously difficult to prove with only 5% of cases leading to a positive judgement. The breadth of campaigning undertaken by TEFL Workers’ Union, the wider IWW, and disability activists was instrumental in ensuring its success.

Organiser John Davis, who supported Mike throughout the case, said: “There were a number of key elements that made this win possible. As a union we don’t rely on the legal system to gain justice for our members and our direct tactics were essential in ensuring justice would come.” The union undertook an online media campaign against the company as well as a number of direct actions involving protests outside the premises of the business in Bournemouth. This was particularly effective during an open day held by the school when prospective students were presented with IWW and disability rights campaigners informing them of the school’s discriminatory approach.

“It’s essential that companies, the community and fellow workers understand that we will take all necessary steps to ensure the rights of all workers, particularly those who are marginalised” John continued. “In this case we had to show the company and the industry that discrimination, particularly against someone with a recognised disability, was unacceptable.” “I think we did that”, he added.

In what could be considered a deeply cynical move, the company claimed insolvency shortly before the judgement. However, the union’s legal team is confident the company will be properly called to account. But for Mike there are more important issues at stake: “The money doesn’t matter to me. It’s more important that the school and other owners and employers in the industry realise how relevant recognition of mental health issues is”, he said. “I hope”, he added, “that anyone who suffers in a similar way can take solace that it’s worth the fight.” And this is where the importance of how we do what we do matters.

Mike didn’t come to the IWW for a top-down union-led response. Mike was well aware of the injustices he had suffered. As an IWW member he knew he had control over how his own story would be told. As the collective mechanisms of the union worked together, a powerful momentum was created. Mike led the charge with meticulous historical evidence. Information and knowledge was shared. The Bournemouth IWW joined with other groups to place local and very real physical pressure on the company. Online, activists came together to increase and broaden the pressure. Mike and John worked together in briefing other activists with strong legal knowledge to create a solid tribunal case that properly represented Mike’s story. None of these things worked in isolation.

As Mike concluded, “I’ve come out with my head high and a reaffirmed belief in my future.” The union is immensely proud of the work Mike and John put into this case. When one TEFL worker fights back against injustice and succeeds, it makes the industry a little better for all of us. We can all hold our heads high knowing that, by sticking together, a better future is in reach for all of us. If you work in an English language school and suffer from any long-term medical issues, you have enhanced legal protections. If you’re worried that your school isn’t treating you right because of a disability, don’t suffer in silence. You can reach a union rep at tefl@iww.org.uk who can help you raise any issues or concerns with your employer.

Help support IWW vs Golders Green College!

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V has worked at Oxford Colleges International for over 17 years. She has trained most of her colleagues in teaching english as a second languge, and has written a number of revision resources and workbooks for students.

At the end of September, she was informed that at the beginning of next month she would be transferred to a new contract with reduced hours and pay. Her employer has repeatedly refused a consultation meeting with union representation present, and she has been forced to work under protest, on a contract she cannot afford to live on, being denied redundancy pay or proper payment for the 16 days of untaken holiday she had accurred.

We are now taking this case to employment tribunal on the following grounds:

• Illegally changing contract and employer without consultation, amounting to an unfair dismissal without redundancy pay.
• Illegally refusing a grievance complaint meeting with union representation present.
• Repeated failures to send pay over the past year, forcing V to accrue overdraft fees and causing significant financial distress.

While this case goes to employment tribunal, we are looking for funds to support V financially. Direct donations are welcome, or you can buy any one of the learning resources and colouring books on V’s etsy store , each of which will come with a signed thank you note from her.

Thank you for your support

V, and the TEFL Workers’ Union

Another Bournemouth TEFL case: bogus contracts at Anglo-Continental School of English.

In June 2021 a language teacher who we shall call ‘Jo’ asked us to help prepare a case against Anglo-Continental School of English regarding the fraudulent use of “fixed term contracts” after reading about the successful outcome for staff at Kaplan School.

Jo started work at Anglo-Continental on a fixed term contract in 2010. This ended when the school closed for its December break. Jo returned to the school in January and the contract was extended for one year.

This pattern was repeated over the next eight years. They worked in the same job at the same site for at least 11 months each year with 4 weeks paid holiday, being upgraded to Co-ordinator in the summer months. The HR manager even admitted they had to break the contract annually to deny them full employment rights; often when they requested a holiday they were given a P45.

After four years, according to UK employment law, Jo became a permanent employee by default, however they were never informed of this fact by management (a breach of its contractual duty of “trust and confidence”).

In March 2020 the school shut and Jo was put on ‘furlough’ until 31st July. Their contract was then terminated on the grounds there was no work; in law this is simply ‘dismissal by reason of redundancy’. They were not consulted over redundancy selection nor told of their entitlement to compensation (another contractual breach).

Had Jo contacted the union at the time we would of course have taken it to tribunal. Unfortunately these cases are time limited but we believe if a sum is owed to a Fellow Worker, it remains owed until it is paid.

In March 2021 Jo returned to the school with a new contract which ran until they took a week off on 4th June after which it was again renewed.

In July the TEFL union wrote claiming compensation and passed the casework to Dorset branch. Within days Jo was fired. Dismissals for Trade Union activity and ‘whistle-blowing’ are automatically unfair so no need to quibble over length of service. We’ve now exhausted the grievance procedure and ACAS Conciliation so we are, at last, taking it to the Employment Tribunal.

Sinister: Guido Shillig

We have sight of internal e-mails that show Anglo-continental as a dysfunctional organisation with no clear demarcation of responsibility (and a limited grasp of the English language). Five members of staff, including senior managers were overruled on a whim of their sinister boss Guido Shillig, who we’re told “doesn’t like unionists”.

The IWW will not rest until we obtain for our members the full fruits of their labour. If you teach English as a foreign language join the TEFL union and help put this villain in his place.

Tell ’em what you think:
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Tel: 01202 557414

Discrimination at Whales English: Not on our watch

IWW WISE-RA

What would you call it if a language school refused to employ someone on the grounds that they spoke another language fluently, other than English? Discrimination? Racism? Native-speakerism? All of the above?

A teacher applied to Whales English, based in Beijing, for an online position teaching children, having more than the required experience and qualifications. She was unsuccessful. But one of the grounds of her refusal was because of a system of “keywords” used to automatically screen out applicants. The company admitted in writing that one of these is saying you are fluent in other languages as it “could fool the system/recruiters into thinking you are not a native speaker.”

Of course, the TEFL Workers’ Union simply does not accept that non-native speakers can be assumed to be poorer teachers. However, regardless of that, it is absurd to suggest that bilingual people cannot be native speakers. That an English language school fails to understand that is astonishing

Moreover, in the context of the English language in particular, large numbers of native English speakers are either born in countries such as India, Pakistan, Malaysia etc, where English is the first language of a very large number of citizens, or, as in this teacher’s case, are born, raised and educated in the UK, but learn other languages from their particular ethnic community. Discriminating against job applicants on that basis runs the risk of being guilty of race-based discrimination. To come up against such attitudes in 2021 is shocking and appalling.

The TEFL Workers’ Union demands that this practice is ended and that the worker concerned is compensated for the distress suffered! We will not tolerate discrimination in the ELT industry and we certainly won’t tolerate our members being denied jobs because of the bigotry and prejudice of dodgy language schools.

We’ve already raised the issue directly with Whales English who’ve neglected to respond.  Perhaps they think that will be the end of the matter.  They’re wrong. Watch this space to see how you can help put an end to discrimination at Whales English – and across English language teaching.

Discrimination in Bournemouth update: ELT institutions shirk their responsibility

Watch this space for another TEFL dispute in Bournemouth, they don’t like it up ’em!

IWW WISE-RA

The TEFL Workers’ Union’s dispute with United World School of English in Bournemouth continues. If you don’t know about the case, it revolves around allegations that United World mistreated and discriminated against one of our members there as a result of his being disabled. The background for the dispute can be found here.

So far, the local IWW branch has held two successful pickets alongside a “Twitterstorm” targeting United World on social media. We’ve since had enquiries from local media, the TEFL press, and other Bournemouth ELT workers.

Mike, the worker at the centre of the dispute, can pick up the story from there:

The IWW has organised two pickets and they’ve been very effective. The first really struck home and brought the school back to the negotiating table. However, the owner simply repeated one of her earlier offers (offering to re-instate me), plus she added a condition. Since we’d already turned down this offer, we have no choice but to take her to tribunal.

Normally, this would probably be too difficult for me to do on my own,  but with the support of the IWW, I know we can see this through. I hope this all brings about more recognition that mental health issues need to be recognised by everyone in the workplace.

We’ve filed the paperwork for an employment tribunal and we fully intend to go all the way to a hearing if United World isn’t willing to make this right. But the IWW is a fighting union and employment tribunals are always accompanied by ongoing campaigning. Part of that campaign has been to reach out to the institutions that we’re told are there to oversee the industry and ensure language schools comply with the law.

Locally, we emailed Simon Freeman. Mr Freeman is the executive officer of RALSA, which appears to operate as the local British Council affiliate in Bournemouth. Despite the fact United World is a member of RALSA, the organisation declined to investigate the matter despite our offer of corroborating documentation. More than that, RALSA refused to put out a statement condemning discrimination in even the broadest terms. Mr Freeman only offered the following response:

While I am sorry to read about this situation, it is a legal matter that RALSA is not in a position to get involved in as the courts will decide on what is / was fair and any sanctions would follow from that decision.  I have checked the RALSA Constitution and any involvement in such matters is clearly not within RALSA’s remit.

From there, we contacted the national office of English UK, an organisation which makes a great public show of their commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. While English UK at least had the decently to claim they stood against discrimination, they too failed to take any steps to hold one of the their affiliate schools to account:

We cannot comment on individual cases where there is a legal process ongoing.

At English UK, we take equality legislation seriously. All English UK members must adhere to a code of practice (English UK Rules, Section S2, p. 4ff) which includes the following clause:

1.3 The Member will comply with all applicable laws and regulations of the UK and European Union governments. You can find a copy of the full English UK Member Rules here:

https://www.englishuk.com/uploads/assets/members/rules/English_UK_Rules.pdf

In line with their duty to comply with all applicable UK laws, English UK members must not discriminate against anyone at work because of a protected characteristic and must make reasonable adjustments for disabled workers.

This establishes, yet again, that ELT institutions will refuse to investigate their member schools regardless of the seriousness of the allegation. For English UK, it appears opposition to discrimination is merely something for lofty proclamation, not something which is to be enforced (or even investigated!) internally within the organisation.

Should Mike’s case proceed to a judgement at tribunal, we will again raise the matter with English UK to determine if, at that point, they’ll take steps to hold their members to account. We are also pursuing the matter with the British Council directly. However, given disabled workers at British Council have made allegations of discrimination while working there, it will be a welcome surprise if the British Council lives up to its responsibility as the supposed regulator of the UK ELT industry.

But this is why the TEFL Workers’ Union exists.  We’re not in the least bit surprised that bosses’ organisations like English UK or the British Council fail to hold our bosses to account. And because they won’t, we will. If you’ve been mistreated at work, the union has got your back. Whether it’s legal advice, representation in a disciplinary or grievance, or a public campaign, we’re here to hold your boss to account.

Surprise picket at United World language school in support of disabled worker.

Mike is a language teacher with 20 years service at United World school of English in Bournemouth. Language schools are notorious for exploitation and poor employment practices, hence the need for a TEFL union within the IWW. Mike is now suing them for constructive dismissal on grounds of disability discrimination under the equalities act 2010.

Thanks to those Fellow Workers who turned out at short notice to support him, it was great fun. Arriving at 9:30 we made a placard on the spot and gave out many leaflets. Reception from the public was entirely positive and it’s good to chat with people about their own work problems.

The bosses’ pathetic blithering fell on deaf ears, had we heard their side? Save it for the tribunal, mush, it’s an adversarial process. You can complain to these types till you’re blue in the face but when you take action they act all hurt. One told us our picket was illegal, which it isn’t. It never ceases to amaze us how ignorant some managers are concerning the laws made on their behalf.

If you treat your workers with disrespect we will shut you down! Have a read of our leaflet and tell ’em what you think:

United World School of English, Brandon & Clifton House, 44 – 46 St Peter’s Rd. Bournemouth, BH1 2LT
Tel: +44 (0) 1202 315166
What’s App: +44(0) 7825
https://www.unitedworldschool.co.uk/contact-us

Solidarity from the Overseas Teachers to Language House London staff

Industrial Workers of the World WISERA (Wales, Ireland, Scotland and England Regional Administration)Demonstrating the IWW’s commitment to solidarity within and across workplaces, the teachers at the Overseas Teachers – in the middle of their own dispute over bogus self-employment – have sent words of solidarity and congratulations to the teachers at Language House London who’ve just won their case against false self-employment.

To our Comrades over at Language House London,

Congratulations for winning your tribunal case after a long campaign against the awful wage-theft you’ve encountered!

It is great news to see comrades in a similar situation winning their case, we have full sympathy towards the efforts you have made to get to this point and we thank you for fighting for justice from the terrible conditions that you faced at the company. We hope that you can now take a well-earned rest from campaigning.

Solidarity,

Comrades at The Overseas Teacher

TEFL Workers’ Union Declares Victory in Delfin Redundancy Dispute

iww.org.uk

The entire teaching staff at Delfin was made redundant last year just five days before Christmas. The TEFL Workers’ Union, which represents staff at the school, maintains the redundancy process failed to meet the required legal standard.  In response, the union undertook a series of pickets alongside a social media campaign.

Choosing to focus largely on Delfin’s business partners, there was a national day of protest targeting a language school chain from whom Delfin is renting teaching space. Protests were also directed towards a staffing agency which began providing teachers to Delfin immediately after the redundancies.

Delfin, which declared insolvency during the subsequent negotiations, failed to send someone from the Dublin head office to London to discuss the matter.

According TEFL Workers’ Union representative Anna Clark:

“The Delfin teachers fought a hard campaign and were lucky to be able to count on the support of the London EFL community and IWW branches around the UK. As a result, they secured an enhanced redundancy package – something that’s virtually unheard of in the language teaching industry.”

In a further act of solidarity – and one which stands in stark contrast to that of their employer – Delfin teachers secured the additional payment for a further two teachers who had left the school before formal redundancies were announced.

Teachers at Delfin joined the TEFL Workers’ Union in 2018 making it one of the few unionised language schools in London.  Over the course of the following year and half, teachers won significant contract improvements including paid sick days, paid meetings and trainings, and the removal of unlawful clauses in their contracts.

A statement put out by the union had this to say,

“This victory shows how badly the language teaching industry needs a union. For too long, workers in language schools have had to deal with employers that pay little heed to law and have even less concern for the welfare of their staff. But when we stand together, real gains can be made.”

Delfin Cancels Christmas: A Personal Account

iww.org.uk

The Saturday before the last working week of the year, the teachers at Delfin School were emailed by the director and asked to confirm our attendance at a meeting the following Monday. Alarm bells were ringing that weekend as everybody feared the worst. We had been looking forward to the two- week Christmas/New Year break.

At the meeting on the Monday, we were advised that the school was downsizing and moving premises and that there would be redundancies. The policy was to be ‘last in, first out’, but we would have the opportunity to put forward, and discuss ideas to avoid being made redundant at a follow up meeting that Thursday. It was difficult to know what we were going to suggest on the Thursday, because the school had been far from honest in the information they’d given us, eg, how many redundancies there’d be, where the school was moving to ( they said they didn’t know ) and projected student numbers in 2020.

Thursday came, and we weren’t given much more info in that meeting. Just that we’d know around lunch time on Friday who was going to become out of work. All of this was causing a great deal of stress, and we were still teaching, trying to keep the forthcoming dismay in the background. On the Friday we learnt that the criteria for redundancies had changed from last in, first out to ‘skills’. This being unclear as each member of the teaching team was a skilled individual who had given their all to supplying engaging lessons at the school. We waited all day for news that Friday. The school was busy packing up its materials, clearly with a destination in mind. In fact, management came into classes to announce the new location they were moving to, but still no news for the teachers.

It was around half past six that Friday evening, that one by one, the school systematically gave redundancy notice to each of the teachers. That evening would have been the beginning of a much earned and needed break for the teachers. Instead we found through social media contact that they’d got rid of us all.

When the school opened its doors again in the new year, we discovered that classes were running with teachers from an agency.

Christmas 2019 was cancelled for a dedicated team of teachers at Delfin School.

5 days before Christmas Delfin English unlawfully sacked their entire teacher staff, the majority of whom were members of the IWW TEFL Workers Union.

Help us send a message to Delfin and any company that does business with Delfin: The IWW will not stand for attacks on our members!

Monday 2Oth January: 24 hour email zap of Evocation EFL Agency

Why: Because Evocation is supplying agency teachers to do the work of the sacked Delfin teachers

Please send the following email to

martin@evocationefl.net

efl@evocationefl.net

dperlin@delfin.ie

DropDelfin

Dear Martin,

I’m writing in support of the unlawfully dismissed Delfin teachers.

Five days before Christmas Delfin made their entire teaching staff redundant.

Redundancies are made on the premise that a job role is redundant. By employing agency workers to do the work of the redundant staff, Delfin has shown that the redundancies were not genuine and, therefore, unlawful.

By supplying cover teachers to Delfin, Evocation is complicit in Delfin’s unlawful behaviour.

There is a week of action planned to target Evocation for its continued relationship with Delfin. This will include physical protests as well numerous actions that will have a significant impact on Evocation’s digital reputation.

Evocation has the option to do the right things and DROP DELFIN NOW!!!

This week of action will be cancelled when:

a) Evocation severs its business relationship with Delfin and no longer provides cover teachers

or

b) Delfin negotiates an enhanced redundancy package and re-instatement options with its staff through their trade union representatives.

IWW members and language teachers across the UK and Ireland stand behind the Delfin teachers.

Evocation: #DropDelfin