ON MARCH 18, in his latest coronavirus briefing to the nation, Boris Johnson announced that schools in England and Wales would close to all children except those of key workers or who are vulnerable from Friday March 20.

This announcement ended days of debate within the education profession about whether schools, colleges and other education centres should be open, as National Education Union (NEU) representatives and groups of members collectively discussed how to keep safe.

Like many public-sector workers, educators are continuing to work — playing the vital role of looking after the vulnerable and children of key workers, to ensure our health system can care for the country. In these unprecedented times, trades unions have been given an opportunity for renewal, to become ever relevant again.

Unions have a vital role during this crisis, navigating complex situations, democratising decision-making and ensuring the safety of workers and society.

At the NEU there has been a strong and robust response to this outbreak, with the union delivering tailored advice and guidance to all categories of members and representing their views to national government, local government and employers. Activists, like our members generally, have been heroes.

This has led to a rise in the role of local NEU branches negotiating directly with local authorities, forming part of emergency response committees, with NEU acting as a constructive partner in discussions on planning provision of education and how ideas like community hubs can best be realised.

This reinvigorated relationship between trade unions and employers can result in positive changes. In several areas, discussions have taken place about re-establishing local authority-run “supply pools” to protect supply workers, ending the hostile practices of some supply agencies.

While this initial response of providing individual guidance and advice has been important, the role of unions moving forward must be in organising, using this period to support members to collectivise around issues and building a network of strong union groups able to work proactively with school leadership.

The NEU has hosted a number of all-member phone-ins with joint general secretaries Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, which have seen hundreds/thousands of educators taking part and asking questions.

The NEU website’s coronavirus landing page — neu.org.uk/coronavirus — shows the impressive breadth of what the NEU has offered in this difficult period, giving quick access to the advice education staff need.

As the individual queries start to subside, the union’s approach to organising members and strengthening our structures is important for the wellbeing of educators during this period and in the future.

Last Friday, NEU held its first national Zoom calls for workplace reps and branch officers, sharing reports of reps’ experiences from around the country and starting the important discussion about how to deliver the best education system, post-coronavirus.

To help share and celebrate where NEU reps and activists are making a difference to members’ lives, NEU has launched a new web page, which hosts these stories and is available at neu.org.uk/coronavirus-making-difference.

The level of engagement from workplace reps and activists has been overwhelming. In many areas, branches have set up local Zoom meetings for reps and are developing WhatsApp groups for workplaces, branch areas and within employers.

The growth and strengthening of NEU as an industrial union has been born of the need to protect our members and articulate their views during this period.

At the same time, we have seen more members volunteering to become or support existing workplace reps. This instinct to help and support colleagues is impressive, and a testament to educators across the country.

NEU staff are now embarked on a huge project to call every one of our workplace reps, to have those important organising conversations.

At their core, these one-to-one discussions are about the wellbeing of members, but they focus on ensuring each rep has the infrastructure to communicate with their members collectively and has a mechanism to raise the outcomes of these conversations directly with management and employers.

Local organising and support of members has been complemented by national developments. The recent publication of joint union guidance with the Association of School & College Leaders and National Association of Head Teachers clearly states the important role of industrial relations during this period.

It advocates pausing processes like restructuring or academisation to allow a focus on doing the best during these times, has set a clear tone for management and reps working together locally.

There is no doubt that, as the coronavirus situation develops, unions will continue to be at the forefront of supporting important pillars of society. Government spokespeople have acknowledged the important role of trade unions, regularly praising them in the Downing Street daily briefing. We now face a clear opportunity to move from responding to individual queries to supporting collective approaches by workers to employers, meaning our work becomes even more important.

We are in a period where lots of different types of employers are making assessments and decisions that are not always in the best interests of the workforce and service users.

The role of unions to collectively shape the response to coronavirus and the future will be paramount.

It is a pleasure to work for and in a small way be a part of supporting the courageous education workers during this time, and their local workplace reps and fantastic branch officers.

There is no doubt in my mind that our work during this period will not just be important today but will help the NEU shape the future of education.