- Conference
- 2006 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 28 February 2006
- Decision
- Carried
Conference welcomes the continuing successful integration of education and learning issues within the union’s organising strategy, recognising that union education and training is a vital part of achieving organisational change and growth. UNISON’s educational resources have a major part to play in:
1)supporting recruitment and organising initiatives at branch and workplace level;
2)developing a new generation of activists;
3)equipping new and existing activists with the skills and knowledge they need to carry out their duties on behalf of the Union;
4)opening up learning opportunities for members and potential members at work.
The One Step Ahead programme currently being rolled out in regions is a major plank in the Union’s organising strategy and aims to train 6,000 existing stewards during the project. The use of UNISONdirect to contact stewards and offer them training opportunities has been successful in a number of regions. In addition, the establishment of Branch Education Teams has helped to promote trade union education and participation in courses.
Conference welcomes the progress made in linking workplace learning and union organising through UNISON’s Organising for Learning Strategy and the Establishing a Culture of Learning Project in England and related projects in Scotland, Cymru/Wales and Northern Ireland . Conference notes that as a result the number of UNISON Learning Representatives (ULRs) grew by 11 per cent in 2005 to 2058, that 64 per cent of ULRs are women and 44 per cent of those are new to trade union activity.
Conference also welcomes the continuation of the Union Learning Fund (ULF) project which began in April 2006 and will play a key role in taking our Organising for Learning Strategy forward. We note, however, that ULF funded work can be fragmented as different funding streams can apply to specific countries or regions. This can result in an uneven distribution of resources and consequently of local activity on organising for learning which may be further exacerbated by the Union Academy as regional union learning funds are established.
Conference calls on the National Executive Council to:
a)lobby governments and devolved governments to ensure that there is a consistent United Kingdom-wide approach to resourcing the Organising for Learning Strategy;
b)ensure that all regional organising plans include a strategy for activist education and promoting organising for learning. This to be achieved by:
i)the inclusion of education and training of activists and members in
Branch Development Plans;
ii)promoting the establishment of Branch Education Teams and the
use of the Branch Development Toolkit and other materials which underline the importance of education in delivering the organising agenda;
iii)ensuring that branches set aside resources for education and training of activists and have a coherent activist education strategy;
c)develop further methods for branches to train, support and mentor newly trained activists through targeted training programmes linked to branch development;
d)continue to promote the establishment of learning partnerships with employers, including developing recruitment and organising activity around these partnerships.