Making a difference

Making a difference The impact of trade union education on Britain’s workplaces A union reps survey report by Doug Gowan

About the author Doug Gowan is chief executive of the Open Learning Partnership. The Open Learning Partnership is a charity dedicated to widening access to learning through the intelligent use of technology.

Contents Foreword

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Case study Cutting diesel fumes

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Section 1 About this survey Aims Methodology Interviews Key points Previous surveys The sample Trade unions About TUC Education

4 4 4 5 5 6 7 8 8

Case study Bakery learning centre

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Section 2 About the respondents Gender Age Ethnic origin Disability Length of time in role Roles Number of posts held Rep activities Changes in activity How recently had reps attended courses?

11 11 11 12 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Case study Getting the facts

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Section 3 About the courses

20

Case study Work/life balance

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Section 4 Opinions of TUC Education courses

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Case study Fire evacuation

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Section 5 Improving skills for union reps How the courses helped

25 26

Case study Confidence building

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Section 6 Comments from reps

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Case study Professional attitude

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Section 7 Putting skills into practice Recruitment Involving members Training Working methods Meeting management Teamwork Agreements and policies New roles

31 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34

Case study Going green

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Section 8 Some conclusions and recommendations

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Foreword

by Brendan Barber, General Secretary TUC Education has an unrivalled reach into Britain’s workplaces to provide education and training for workplace representatives. Figures for 2008 show an increase of 9.6 per cent on 2007’s record-breaking year, with 57,657 union workplace reps and 1,424 union professionals accessing training through the network of more than 70 partnerships with further education colleges across the UK. This represents another huge increase in numbers and in scope, with more courses and more flexible ways of accessing learning to suit the needs of union reps and employers. Overall, the number of reps trained each year over the last ten years has increased by 119 per cent despite the difficulties reps face in obtaining release from the workplace. These results contribute to a continuing upward trend and reflect union reps’ thirst for learning, as well as the growing complexity and sophistication of their roles.

The quality of trade union education across the UK is very high – OFSTED inspectors have consistently graded TUC Education units at 1 (outstanding), and union education officers are closely involved in maintaining relevance and accessibility. We wanted to find out what happened in UK workplaces as a result of all this work, what impact the training had back where it counts. This is the largest survey of trade union education ever conducted, with full survey returns from 1,046 reps, and it goes to the heart of what TUC Education seeks to accomplish.

The results are impressive. More than 800 union reps took the trouble in this survey to give concrete examples of what they have done back at work as a consequence of being trained. We would like to thank all those hundreds of union reps who took the time to tell us in detail about their experiences on courses and how they translated them into action back at the workplace. We will be conducting follow-up surveys over the next two years to find out more and we welcome feedback to Liz Rees lrees@tuc.org.uk

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making a difference

Mark has been a union rep for almost 20 years. He started out as a workplace rep, then became health and safety rep and is now the union’s regional lifelong learning coordinator. He works for the fire service.

His concern was to improve working conditions within fire station garages by lowering diesel emissions.

The diesel emissions issue was a problem in fire stations nationally. The issue was raised with local management but not understood fully by them. He shared the issue with other reps from around the country and the support of other reps led to the issue being resolved nationally.

Mark took TUC Education’s Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety course at the same time as negotiating with management around the issue of fire station diesel emissions. He used the example as part of his special project for the course. Support of the TUC tutors gave him confidence to raise the issue at station level and then on to the regional health and safety committee.

Mark reports that the courses “undoubtedly helped with my personal development”.

* All case studies are anonymous. Names have been changed and the photographs that accompany the case studies are library pictures, not images of the individuals themselves.

case study *

Cutting diesel fumes

Section 1

About this survey This is the report of the 2009 TUC Education survey of union representatives attending TUC courses. It is the largest survey of trade union education ever conducted and the first to solely use online data collection methods.

The survey was based on union reps attending TUC courses of any type over the previous five years. It included newly elected reps with little, or in some cases no, experience as well as reps with several union posts and twenty years or more of union activity. The sample was randomly drawn, however, with no attempt to make a selection based on any criterion other than availability of an email address. Given the relatively high response rate, the survey therefore provides a reliable profile of the participants in TUC courses and their activities.

Aims The survey aimed to find out who the course participants were, what union roles they carried out, how far TUC courses helped them develop the skills they need for their role, and whether there had been any impact on changes in the workplace and in the union.

We investigated these questions: ❚ What is the profile of participants in TUC courses for union reps? Do the courses reach newly appointed as well as more established reps? What are their age, gender and ethnic origin profiles? ❚ What tasks do union reps carry out, either frequently or less often? ❚ Which of these tasks are increasing or decreasing? ❚ How do union reps rate the skills needed to carry out their role, and which are the most important? ❚ How far do TUC courses meet the participants’ needs for skills development? ❚ Are the reps able to put into practice lessons learned on the courses in their workplace and/or trade union?

Methodology Data collection for the survey was through an online survey distributed by email, with follow-up phone interviews to a number of respondents who had indicated their willingness to take part.

The decision to design an online survey was based on evidence that use of email and the internet is increasingly common in trade union activity, with over nine out of ten delegates at recent union conferences being able to supply an email address. And under the arrangements for the new Qualifications and Credit Framework, which underpins the accreditation of TUC courses for union reps, each learner is required to have an email address in order to register their learner record.

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Another key factor in choosing an online survey method was the higher return rate than that achieved by postal surveys. Well designed, short postal surveys often struggle to get more than a 10 per cent response while online surveys without major defects will consistently achieve over double that rate, even given the high rate of churn of email addresses and spam filtering problems.

A further factor in favour of online surveys is the ability to monitor returns and automatically send reminders that exclude those who have already replied. Two reminders were issued over the period of the survey, sent solely to those who had not responded.

It is envisaged that, given the relative ease of online survey distribution and analysis, this survey could be repeated at regular intervals, thereby forming a baseline for future comparisons.

Interviews Respondents were asked to volunteer for a short follow-up phone interview.

The aims of these follow-up interviews were to elicit further detail and concrete examples of changes resulting from attendance at courses. Twenty interviews were carried out. The interview sample was selected as far as possible to cover different types of course, trade union, and country or region.

The follow-up phone interviews were semi-structured and designed to take up to 10 minutes to complete. Outputs from the interviews are reflected in the case study boxes in this report.

Key points ❚ This was the largest survey ever conducted of TUC course participants and

the first to use solely online data collection. ❚ The survey had an excellent response and a high completion rate, offering confidence in the results. Many respondents volunteered to take part in a follow-up interview. ❚ Respondents covered a broad spectrum of trade unions, age bands, union roles and union experience. Many course participants had only just commenced their union role while others had 20 or more years of experience. ❚ The most common activities carried out by the respondents were: talking to members, finding information, talking to other union reps, meeting management, handling member cases and recruiting members. All these activities show a strong upward trend. ❚ The great majority of respondents would recommend TUC Education courses to other reps. They believe them to be essential for carrying out their union roles, and they agree that they have been able to apply lessons from the courses in their own workplace. Most said that they learned more than they expected on their course. ❚ There was clear agreement on the skills that are important for union reps. The skills they felt they need are closely related to their regular activities outlined above. In addition, nearly all respondents agreed that using a computer is at least of some importance to a union rep.

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❚ Respondents agreed that TUC courses did in practice develop these skills.

The exception is computer skills, which are not included routinely in many of the courses. ❚ Reps gained confidence and a sense of confirmation in their role on the courses.

They learned improved ways of finding information and more systematic ways of handling problems. For some, the course experience was transformative. ❚ Three out of four reps gave concrete examples of improvements they had made at work or in the union after attending a course. These improvements included recruiting members and getting them involved, adopting more systematic working methods, improved relationships with management, better union team working, and new agreements and policies.

Previous surveys A number of other surveys have looked in whole or in part at trade union education and the role of union reps in recent years. A number of these focused on particular types of representative rather than union reps as a whole.

Recent reports have included:

The Impact of the Union Learning Representative: a survey of ULRs and their employers, Nicolas Bacon and Kim Hoque, Nottingham University Business School, unionlearn research paper April 2009 Evaluating the Union Equality Representatives Project, Doug Gowan, Open Learning Partnership, unionlearn research paper March 2009 TUC Education and the QCF – user experience research, Doug Gowan, Open Learning Partnership, National Open College research paper April 2008 TUC Education and Online Learning, Brian Corrigan, Stow College January 2008 Union Learning Representative Research Report – North West, Alison Hollinrake, Lancashire Business School, unionlearn report 2006 Review of the TUC Education Service, Charles Laxton and John Rodger, York Consulting November 2005 Training and Action in Health and Safety, David Walters and Peter Kirby, South Bank University, TUC research report January 2002 Learning that Works: Accrediting the TUC programme, E Capizzi, NIACE/TUC report 1999

This overall survey of all reps engaged in TUC Education builds on, adds to and updates the earlier reports. Combined with the earlier surveys, this body of work is essential reading for anyone concerned with the continued development and effectiveness of trade union education, and in particular how it is changing in response to new circumstances and needs.

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A key focus of this body of trade union education research is investigation of the impact of the lessons learned on the courses in the workplace. TUC and union education courses are designed with the aim of supporting union reps to make a difference for members. We look at this and other key aspects of TUC Education below.

The sample To secure a random sample, TUC Education regions and TUC Education Scotland were asked to supply lists of email addresses of course completers. It was not possible to include participants from courses in Wales for technical reasons.

The first 1,000 email addresses from each region were added to the sample, or the whole list where the number was less. Thus there was either no selection or a random selection from each list.

The mailing was expected to produce a number of ‘bounces’ – returned undelivered mail – for reasons such as incorrectly spelled email addresses, changed addresses, or mailing treated as spam. About a quarter of the email distribution was known to have been rejected in these ways, although the real figure is almost certainly higher because some of the mailing is likely to have failed without being returned as a bounce.

The survey was started by 1,160 respondents and fully completed by 1,046 – just over 90 per cent. The survey design allowed respondents to leave at any point so this is a creditable response. With an estimated effective mailout after deducting known and estimated bounces of 4,000, the return rate is 29 per cent. This is an excellent response which helps support the research findings.

Figure 1 illustrates the proportion of respondents completing the survey fully or partially.

Figure 1 Full or partial survey completers

fully 1,046 partly 114

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Trade unions Thirty trade unions were represented in the survey. They represent the great majority of union members in the UK. They are shown here in alphabetical order

ASLEF

DSA

NUT

UCATT

ATL

EIS

PCS

UCU

BECTU

FBU

POA

UNISON

BFAWU

GMB

Prospect

Unite

BOS

NAPO

RMT

URTU

Community

NASUWT

SCP

USDAW

CSP

NUJ

SoR

CWU

NUM

TSSA

About TUC Education TUC Education for union reps covers all countries and regions of the United Kingdom, working in partnership with a range of further and adult education colleges and delivering a broad programme of courses. Participants come from a wide range of industries and unions. They may hold degree and higher level qualifications or none at all.

And yet in spite of this huge diversity it is possible to investigate TUC Education as an entity. This is because TUC Education is built on a system of shared values, approaches and methods that have been consistently developed over a period of more than 35 years.

Some of the key features of the TUC Education approach are: â?š Dedicated trade union education tutors. While there is some opportunity for preference and specialisation among tutors, the customary approach is for tutors to develop the ability to teach across a wide range of subjects. The tutors are thus in an analogous position to reps on their courses, having to deal with a wide range of information and issues that are often subject to rapid change.

The survey did not ask specific questions about them but a number of respondents commented on the positive role played by their tutors. â?š Problem solving as a core approach. Trade union reps are faced with a wide variety of problems and issues which are affected by changes in legislation and industrial and economic conditions. In these circumstances there is no one fixed body of knowledge that they can acquire to equip them for their role. The TUC Education approach is rather to focus on problem solving and information finding skills, using a systematic approach. This then equips the reps with flexible, adaptable skills that are built on knowing where to find useful information rather than acquiring obsolescent knowledge. In TUC Education the

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Below Teamworking is a key part of TUC Education courses.

systematic problem solving approach is often known as using the Problem – Information – Plan (PIP) method. The survey asked about respondents’ rating of problem handling skills, and how far the courses had helped to develop them.

Free text replies also commented on systematic ways of working as a union rep. ❚ Team working and collaboration. A key to being effective for many union reps is to work in a team with other reps. On TUC courses collaboration is developed by using small group working to tackle problems. The survey asked about time spent talking to other reps. Many free text comments pointed to the confidence-building aspects of working with others, reducing the sense of isolation that many new reps report. ❚ Active and relevant learning. Throughout TUC courses there is a system of workplace reports. In this system topics are introduced on courses through an investigation by the course participants of issues arising in their workplace and trade union. Thus the courses are designed to be situated in real issues and problems to be solved – they are contextualised to use some educational terminology. The survey asked how far respondents had been able to discuss their workplace issues on the courses. ❚ Skills integration. Since its early days TUC Education has adopted the approach of integrating skills development into all course activities. An important focus of the survey was on the respondents’ priorities for skills development and an assessment of how far their courses helped.

Laura became a union learning rep soon after joining the union two and a half years ago. She had no previous union experience. She now works in a team of four ULRs alongside workplace and health and safety reps.

The bakery in the North West of England has around 200 staff working round the clock shifts seven days a week. Many staff have low literacy and numeracy skills.

She worked in the union team to set up a new learning centre in the bakery. Management were approached and agreed to donate the space. Computers and a printer were installed.

Now there are weekly visits by staff from the local college to run Skills for Life sessions. A library bus visits weekly.

There are ECDL tests on site and Laura is the invigilator.

Online safety training has been set up for staff and is much welcomed by management.

A monthly steering group has been established to bring together union reps, management, the FE college and the unionlearn project worker. Laura says “there is a fantastic union team all working together”, and joint effort with local management to make the centre a success.

Sixty-seven staff are currently signed up to courses in the centre – one in three of the workforce. Staff are now encouraged back into learning, after many had had a bad school experience.

Laura reports that her own skills have built up from a low level over a series of TUC courses. Participating in the learning and skills forum is also a great help.

She is now seconded full time on her union role, partly to help set up a new learning centre in a second bakery in the area.

case study

Bakery learning centre

Section 2

About the respondents In this part we look at the characteristics of the respondents.

Gender Figure 2 shows the gender breakdown of respondents.

Males were in a small majority, although more than two out of five (42.2 per cent) were female.

Figure 2 Gender of respondents

female 408 male 558

Age Figure 3 shows an analysis by age band.

The dominant group are in their 40s and early 50s, although there are significant numbers in the adjacent age bands.

Encouragingly, there is also evidence of a younger group, with over 10 per cent being in their early 30s or younger. A small number are over 65.

Figure 3 Age bands

600

number of respondents

500 400 300 200 100 0 16-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

age of respondents

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union representatives survey 2009

55-64

65

2

Ethnic origin Most respondents described themselves as UK/ European, as Figure 4 shows.

Clearly the respondents found some difficulty with the classification offered, as ‘Other’ is the next largest group.

Figure 4 Ethnic origin

African 5 Asian/Pacific 16 Caribbean 17 UK/European 1,048 Other 33

Disability Perhaps surprisingly, almost one respondent in eight (12.1 per cent) declared a disability. Figure 5 shows the picture.

Figure 5 Disability

yes 128 no 931

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Length of time in role How experienced were the respondents? Figure 6 shows an analysis of the length of time they had held any union rep role.

The biggest group has been in place between two and five years, although significant numbers were less experienced than this. The picture is one of a broad distribution of different lengths of experience across courses.

Sharing of experience is a constant theme in written comments by respondents. Reps new to their role often see it as particularly valuable to help set a framework for their union activity. This comment from a workplace rep in the North East is typical: “As a new rep, I received a good overview of my responsibilities and was able to discuss my work with other reps from different workplaces.�

Figure 6 Length of time as a union rep

350 300

number of respondents

250 200 150 100 50 0 <1

1-2

2-5

5-9

10-19

20

length of time (years) as rep

The range of experience among the respondents is partly a reflection of the scope of the survey. All types of courses were sampled, including the introductory courses for new reps, follow-on and specialised courses for established reps, and the diploma courses at Level 3, which are designed for reps with extensive experience.

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Roles What union roles did our respondents carry out in the workplace?

Figure 7 shows the results.

The most common roles were workplace rep and health and safety rep.

Almost two out five respondents said they served on a branch committee.

Despite their recent creation, the roles of union learning rep, equality rep, disability champion and pensions champion are well represented in the survey.

This may well be that for newly established union rep roles there is no extant experience to build on, thus highlighting the need for a ‘get me started’ course.

It is also in part a reflection, as is the case for union learning reps, that attendance at an introductory course is a trigger for accessing legal rights.

Figure 7 also shows a ‘used to hold’ indicator for each type of post. In most cases, this is a substantial figure and may indicate a willingness or desire by union reps to move between roles and possibly take up new roles as they emerge.

Figure 7 Roles held

800 700

used to hold

600 number of respondents

hold now 500 400 300 200 Key WP workplace rep

100

H&S health and safety rep Br branch committee member Ulr union learning rep Eq union equality rep

0 WP

Br

Ulr type of union role

Dis union disability champion Pen pensions champion

14

H&S

making a difference

Eq

Dis

Pen

2

Number of posts held Given that we have evidence that some union reps move between posts, do they also hold multiple posts? Figure 8 shows the analysis.

The total number of union posts identified in the survey amounted to 2,047, giving an average per respondent of 2.1.

However, as Figure 8 shows, the largest group of reps hold only one post. This is partly a reflection of the significance in the programme of introductory courses for new reps, and for the new types of rep such as union learning rep and union equality rep.

The average is pulled up by the inclusion of experienced reps holding three or more posts.

The data includes responses from a number of people with no union rep position. There are a number of reasons for this. Some reps had relinquished their role or moved on to become a union official. Others held roles such as branch education officer, which did not involve representing members.

And others wrote that the economic downturn had caused redundancies, including themselves.

Figure 8 Number of posts held

400 350

number of respondents

300 250 200 150 100 50 0 0

1

2

3

number of union posts held

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union representatives survey 2009

4

5+

2

Rep activities We now go on to look at union rep activities carried out by the respondents.

Figure 9 shows a combined analysis of activities and their frequency. The bars on the chart are ordered left to right by the activities carried out weekly.

Most respondents talk to members and other union reps, and find information every week. Nearly all meet management, but rather less frequently. Most reps are involved in recruiting members and handling their casework. These activities may have increased in recent years as part of an emphasis in some unions on an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;organising modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in which workplace union rep take on broadened roles.

The least common activity is attending regional or national union meetings, although most reps do this occasionally.

Figure 9 Union rep activities

1200 1000 number of respondents

occasionally monthly weekly

800 600 400 200

Key TM talking to members

0 RU

FI finding information

UM

RM

MC type of activity

TR talking to other union reps MM meeting management MC handling member cases RM recruiting members UM local union meetings UC attending union courses RU regional/ national union meetings

16

UC

making a difference

MM

TR

FI

TM

2

Changes in activity To gain further insight into what the respondents’ union activities were, we asked which were increasing in volume and which decreasing. Figure 10 shows a balanced scale, with reduced activities going right to left, and activities increasing or staying the same moving left to right.

We can see that ‘talking to members’, ‘finding information’ and ‘handling member cases’ all showed a strong net increase in activity, and also more reporting an increase than staying the same.

‘Talking to other union reps’ and ‘meeting management’ also show strong increases, and ‘recruiting members’ only slightly less so.

‘Local and regional union meetings’ show a balanced picture, whilst ‘attending union courses’ shows a small net reduction. This is probably because many of the respondents had attended their most recent course over a year ago.

Examples of changes in activity made as a result of course attendance are examined below.

Figure 10 Changes in activity

TM

increasing same

FI

decreasing TR Key MM

FI finding information TR talking to other union reps MM meeting management

type of activity

TM talking to members

MC

MC handling member cases RM

RM recruiting members UM local union meetings UC attending union courses

UM

RU regional/ national union meetings UC

RU

400

200

0

200 number of respondents

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union representatives survey 2009

400

600

800

2

How recently had reps attended courses?

The biggest group of respondents had attended a course in the last six months, and almost as many within six months to one year. One in five had attended a course two or more years ago. For most therefore their course memories were relatively recent.

Figure 11 shows the picture.

Figure 11 When attended

6 months 456 1 year 349 2 years 111 2 years+ 96 5 years+ 14

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Sarah has been a union rep for five years in an energy supply company. Eighteen months ago she joined the local employee relations council and six months ago became a member of the national council on which representatives of five unions meet management.

She says that in the past she had been caught out by not researching cases properly: “On occasions when a member comes to you – the issue might be more complex than at first sight. I have learned to be cautious and thorough in my research and approach an issue in an open-minded manner until I have all the facts.”

Sarah added that coming into contact with other reps gives confidence: “That’s the biggest thing – comradeship – knowing people are in the same position as you – always support behind you – a structure to support you.”

Sarah also finds the union reps online forums very useful.

Her role is still developing. In May she became branch communications officer and says “so I still have a lot to learn”.

She intends to improve communications with members through newsletters.

case study

Getting the facts

Section 3

About the courses The courses that our respondents attended confirm conclusions described earlier in this report about the experience of the reps.

The most commonly attended are the starter courses for workplace, health and safety and union learning reps. The union equality rep initiative has also created a number of respondents. There are also substantial numbers across the more advanced courses and diplomas, reflecting the proportion of experienced reps in the sample.

It is interesting to note that for the more advanced courses there is some doubt over whether respondents did or did not attend. The likely reason is uncertainty over the naming of these courses, some of which have been renamed in recent times.

The total number of courses attended was 2,136, or 2,370 if the ‘not sures’ are included. This gives an average of 2.2 or 2.4 courses per respondent – a figure remarkably close to the average number of union roles.

Figure 12 shows the breakdown.

Figure 12 Courses attended

700 600

not sure yes

Key ER equality reps GR green reps S1 union reps stage 1 SU stepping up H&S health and safety 1 NSSR next steps for safety reps

number of respondents

500 400 300 200 100

ULR union learning reps induction URL3 union reps level 3 certificate

0 ER

GR

SRL3 safety reps level 3 certificate

SU

H&S NSSR ULR URL3 SRL3 attendance by rep type

DIP diploma in contemporary trade unionism SRD safety reps diploma ELD diploma in employment law

20

S1

making a difference

DIP

SRD

ELD

case study

Work/life balance Marie has been a union rep for about 15 years, and more recently a safety rep and ULR. She works for a rural district council.

One of her members had problems because their child had ADHD and needed extra support after school. An After School Club was not able to deal with or willing to accept the child at the club anymore. Marie helped the member present to management her preferred working patterns, giving direct advice and support and attending meetings to discuss the issue.

Marie had learned that the local authority management was required by law to give proper and careful consideration to the request. The result was a favourable outcome and the flexible hours the member requested.

Marie reports that TUC Education gave help and support. The courses helped give her â&#x20AC;&#x153;more confidence to deal with situationsâ&#x20AC;?.

She says she previously lacked self-confidence, for example standing up in front of people and talking. She now enjoys learning.

Section 4

Opinions of TUC Education courses We asked respondents to give their reaction to a number of statements about TUC Education.

The statements alternated between positive and negative and are set out here.

Statements

A TUC Education is essential to help me do my union job B The TUC courses are too academic C I have been able to apply lessons from the TUC courses to my union work D I didn’t get the chance on the course to discuss my workplace situation E I learned more than I expected to from the courses F I would not recommend TUC courses to other reps The results are shown as a balanced chart, with the ‘disagree’ ratings shown as negative (right to left) and the ‘agree’ as positive (left to right) figures.

The strongest view is held over statement F, with over three quarters of the sample disagreeing strongly that they “would not recommend the courses”.

There is also a strong view that TUC courses are “essential to help me do my union job”.

There is lesser, although still clear, endorsement that they have been able to “apply the lessons” at work. The slightly lower rating for statement C may be a reflection of the newness of some of the reps in the sample and the recentness of their course attendance, giving little time to apply the lessons.

A large number tended to agree or agree strongly that they “learned more than they expected to” from the courses. This is in spite of the fact that this number must include many who had attended a TUC course in the past and therefore had some idea what to expect.

Most people rejected the idea that the courses were “too academic”, although a small number took the opposite view.

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4

Figure 13 Views of courses

F

agree strongly tend to agree tend to disagree

E

opinions of TUC courses

disagree strongly D

C

B

A

1000

800

600

400

200

0

number of respondents

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union representatives survey 2009

200

400

600

800

Salim has been a union workplace rep and health and safety rep for seven years.

He works as a caretaker responsible for two schools – one infant, one junior.

He identified an issue within the school hall where examinations and evening adult education classes take place. He carried out a risk assessment together with reps from teaching unions which showed the need to improve emergency lighting on the first floor. Fire exits were not accessible, there was no signage, and stairwell exits were locked with no crash bars.

On the Stage 2 course he looked into the fire regulations, and had to study different scenarios and how to handle them. Especially useful was how to approach management and negotiate an appropriate course of action. These lessons “directly helped to resolve the situation”, according to Salim.

case study

Fire evacuation

Section 5

Improving skills for union reps What skills are important for union reps?

We asked respondents to rate six key skills set out in the box below.

As Figure 14 shows there was overwhelming support for all six skills, with high ratings for ‘talking to members’, ‘finding information’, ‘tackling problems’, and ‘negotiating with management’.

A small number thought using a computer to be not very important, although the great bulk of respondents disagreed. Computers, email and the internet have become a normal part of the union rep toolkit. It must be remembered, however, that all respondents completed this survey online and we were therefore addressing a group with some level of computer literacy.

Figure 14 Important skills

MT

not important TP

not very some importance key skills

essential

Key

UC

FI

MT taking part in a meeting TP tackling problems UC using a computer

NM

FI finding information NM negotiating with management

TM

TM talking to members

200

0

200

400

600

number of respondents

25

union representatives survey 2009

800

1000

1200

5

How the courses helped Taking the same six areas, we asked how far TUC courses had helped develop the respondents’ skills. Figure 15 shows the results.

There are large positive results for five of the six areas, with around 9 out of 10 reps claiming assistance from the courses in ‘finding information’, ‘talking to members’ and ‘tackling problems’. ‘Negotiating with management’ and ‘taking part in meetings’ are only marginally behind.

Whether the courses helped is in part due to the usefulness of the course but also whether any particular activity is part of the rep's role. Not all, for example, will be engaged in discussions with management, although clearly most are.

‘Using computers’ is a balanced area. This, however, is not surprising as few TUC courses explicitly set out to include computer skills.

A major exception is the online course programme in which a key course is Getting Ready for E-learning, covering a range of internet-related skills. It is likely that the inclusion of online learners in the sample has boosted the rating given to computer skills in these results. This area is worthy of further study.

Figure 15 How courses helped

MT

not at all not much

TP

partly great deal

Key

key skills

UC

FI

MT taking part in a meeting TP tackling problems UC using a computer FI finding information

NM

NM negotiating with management TM talking to members

TM

600

100 0

400

number of respondents

26

making a difference

900

case study

Confidence building Steve has been a union rep for three years, working alongside two other union reps in a maintenance depot employing 130 staff.

He took on the union rep role “because nobody else would”. He says he came into the role cold and lacked confidence.

It was six months before he went on his first TUC course.

“It’s dangerous to meet management without background or knowledge of what to do and say”, he reports. He now knows where to find information and what to ask.

Steve went on from the Stage 1 course to a follow-on. “‘Stepping up’ is more challenging if you’re not that type of person – it means you have to do more and speak up in front of other people.”

He still contacts reps he met on the course to swap notes and problems – on the phone and occasional meet-ups – and a little community has been created.

Steve now represents members in meetings, interacts with management over problems, finds information for members, and helps them in sickness and disciplinary cases.

Section 6

Comments from reps Comments from respondents illustrate how the courses help develop skills.

Many commented on the value of learning a systematic way of handling problems: The most valuable thing I gained from (the) courses was the confidence it gave me to tackle membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; problems. To break them down into manageable parts and approach each in a methodical way. ... how to follow set routines to analyse and solve any given situation.

I now have the correct tools to take a member into a situation and in most cases, successfully represent him/her.

Reflecting on how to do things after encouragement from tutors was welcomed: Excellent tutors who make you question what you are doing and actively develop improvements.

A feeling of confirmation was seen as key by many: ... confidence that I am doing things the right way.

Confidence also helped many respondents to improve relationships with both members and their employer: I have much more confidence when approaching management about problems or representing my members. ... the ability to assert myself and be confident in putting points of view either from myself or members to management. The course gave me a good grounding to establish a good working relationship with members and management. ... confidence to approach management and solve problems for members and management.

Improved skills at getting and using information were also frequently mentioned: ... how to get help and information and who to get it from.

I have developed an amazing network of reps from college who I call on for advice and support at anytime. ... how to research. ... established that there is a lot more to health and safety than meets the eye.

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... how to research and build information in response to arising matters/problems. ... an ability to glean and interpret essential information from any and all situations and to be able to put it to full use. ... an ability to search and find any relevant policy or procedure necessary TUC courses give reps the confidence and knowledge to do the job.

Without them, it is just groping around in the dark.

A key factor for many reps was the feeling of mutual support and teamworking that the courses helped to generate: ...networking. Knowing there is someone else in similar situation/you are not on your own.

It taught me that I was not alone and that there were many other reps out there with a wealth of experience to call on, only a phone call (or letter) away.

I left feeling a member of a large family of like-minded union reps.

The main thing I gained was a realisation that I was not alone. Also networking with others who work in different parts of the country. ... found that people are generous in giving information in their own field.

I also got an understanding of what is achievable. ... learning that no matter what your workplace or industry you work in, all our problems are the same.

Improved skills and confidence together with qualifications gained through the courses can bring a feeling of greater credibility as a union rep: Diploma courses provide credibility with management. ... accredited qualifications which can lead to greater confidence in raising issues/concerns with management.

For some reps, the mixture of new skills, mutual support and new-found confidence can be life-changing: I was an undiagnosed dyslexic, and was written off as a failure... it is through the TUC Education service that I gained confidence and... it helped my self esteem. ... enthusiasm and valuable experience is second to none... the (tutors) have helped change my life by the way they encourage learning.

The courses have been liberating, by this I mean I have been able to pass my keenness on to my members.

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Dan works in an engineering workshop and has been a union rep for two years. There are 52 people in his department and a total of 190 in the building.

After attending a TUC course, he initiated monthly safety rep meetings and managed to get a prohibition notice put on an unsafe machine. This was something that managers should have spotted but they were very impressed by the professionalism of the union reps.

Dan says that he and his colleagues were all interested in taking up safety responsibilities but were unsure of how to do it. He continued by saying the TUC tutors instilled the importance of taking a professional attitude to their role. They stressed the importance of remaining calm and focused on their responsibilities.

case study

Professional attitude

Section 7

Putting skills into practice We have seen that our respondents overwhelmingly agreed that the range of skills developed on TUC courses are essential to the work of a union rep, and strongly backed the view that the courses did develop those skills. In the previous section we looked at examples of how the reps felt about their skills and confidence after attending a course.

But were the reps able to make changes that reflected their new abilities?

The survey asked respondents to give in their own words any example of a change made at work as a result of attending a TUC course.

Over three out of four respondents were able to report a positive change – the real test of course effectiveness. We examine themes and issues that emerged below.

We have seen the importance that reps placed on talking with members and noted that many believed that their communication skills had improved.

A number of respondents commented on the changes they had made.

Recruitment A first step for some was getting more colleagues to join the union: An informative and well presented recruitment drive, challenging those who are against the union... brought in new members being able to point out reasons for joining.

I have been active in reversing the trend of people leaving the union... we are now starting to see a climb in membership.

Involving members Improving communications with members, getting them more involved and hearing everyone – not just the loudest – was a common example of change: Better communications with members which include effective notices...

Introduction of... workplace surveys to establish members views.

Have gained a stronger following from members and more involvement from them when tackling issues.

I have implemented informal shop meetings as people feel more relaxed and more able to discuss matters in this format.

More open with members – explaining everything to them – weekly newsletters, enquiries, opening the conversation rather than sitting back and waiting for them to come to me.

Created a union website. … hear everyone – not just the loudest.

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For some the economic downturn has created new avenues for member support: Assisting and supporting members being made redundant through their consultations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; finding information on outplacements, training, helping them with CVs and job applications and moral support.

Training Union reps may also be directly engaged in organising training for members.

This activity has been boosted by, but is not limited to, the creation of union learning reps: All staff have now been trained in manual handling done during their normal shift â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ten extra first aiders trained.

There has been a massive change in the ULR role as we now have literacy and numeracy classes set up on site.

I conducted a Skills for Life programme that covers all 305 staff, with paid time off negotiated to attend the initial assessments, workshops and final test.

Working methods As we noted earlier, TUC Education emphasises the need for union reps to develop systematic approaches to handling information, finding the right information and developing plans. A common theme reported by reps was change in their working methods and approaches.

Better documentation is important: Using case recording sheets to formalise arrangements when managing meetings with members and management.

I have now modified... the union branch's approach to handling personal cases. â&#x20AC;Ś structured union meetings now occur with action programmes being implemented. ... we have become a lot better organised and implemented standardised paperwork and newletters to keep members informed and process their queries quicker and in a professional manner... and we have papertrails to cover ourselves for any actions we take.

Getting the facts right is crucial: I have learned to be cautious and thorough in my research and approach an issue in an open-minded manner until I have all the facts.

Getting all the facts first before any meeting ... precise notetaking.

I am far more aware that there are always two sides to every story.

I am more organised and better researched when dealing with issues the members bring to me.

I changed my approach to dealing with management and became more measured and professional.

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I felt more confident in approaching management locally and also in dealing with senior management. I learnt techniques to deal with my frustration in management attitudes in a more positive way and found that I was taken more seriously.

I finally got a health and safety committee set up in my workplace made up of reps and management and we meet regularly to discuss issues and solve problems.

Meeting management Negotiating skills are recognised by the union reps as key to their role.

Many commented on positive changes in their dealings with management resulting from a changed approach on their part: When attending meetings with senior management, Directors, and the Chief Executive I pay a lot more attention to the details of the discussion or presentation and I am a lot more measured in my responses or questions. As they say ‘the devil is in the detail’.

Arranged meetings with manager to resolve workplace issues – previously had just complained massively to manager and anyone who would listen about these issues... dealing with issues in a formal-ish meeting resolved them.

Management now talk to us as soon as they form the thought of a change… we call it the ‘cup of tea stage’ prior to formal consultation.

I have started investigating accidents and incidents and meeting with management to discuss these.

Every meeting doesn’t have to be confrontational!

In some cases new institutional arrangements and roles were set up: In my workplace we now have a health and safety committee with regular meetings with management and staff which helps to alleviate any major problems.

A (new) office user group, where all issues relating to the building, including H&S, can be discussed by staff reps with the estate management team.

Introduced equality reps into the organisation.

Management now accept union recognition in the workplace as being able to add to the running of the establishment.

Teamwork We have seen how the respondents put a high value on support they got from other reps.

A common theme was how they had improved working relationships with their union colleagues. In some cases this involved recruiting more union reps, and helping new reps to find their feet in the role: Getting reps to work together consistently.

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I have made up skills packs for the shop stewards in the branch, to assist them to represent their members.

I have recruited more ULRs to assist and have set up a Learning Steering Group.

Delegation and buddying new stewards to help improve their ability and confidence.

Agreements and policies In addition to changes in working methods, organisation and teamwork, the reps also reported improvements in agreements and policies at work: A review and change of the violence at work policy.

A ban on certain chemical sprays used at work. COSHH provided the evidence needed.

Achieved paid time off for union duties. Achieved pro rata public holidays for part-time workers.

Began negotiating with management to get a learning centre.

Since attending these courses I have a number of results but my biggest would be getting my employer to issue new personal protective equipment.

We had only been doing full inspections once a year but I have got this to the recommended three months.

I have managed to get great improvements in the way we deal with apprentices.

Successes in casework were also reported: I have been able to avert severe warnings and two dismissal cases in my short time as a rep in my store, both for managers and staff alike.

With the skills I was taught I have represented and had three members of staff reinstated after dismissal.

Work/life balance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a member had child care problems resulting from a child with ADHD. Negotiation with manager and support of member resulted in work planning around the problems.

New roles For some the courses led to new and more responsible roles: Have become branch secretary.

I used to attend workplace health and safety committee meetings as the minute taker and nothing more, but since attending the courses, I now have my say and I am actively involved.

Appointed as full-time officer.

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Adam has been active in the union since 1989.

He is now a branch rep, ULR, health and safety rep, membership secretary and branch treasurer, and also got involved with the TUC Green Camps, which run alongside the Tolpuddle festival.

He works in an emergency service and has to travel round different sites as health and safety rep for the area. The union committee now negotiates with chief officer at monthly meetings.

Green issues are raised â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they include transport, buildings and carbon saving. There are now consistent recycling schemes at all locations instead of isolated initiatives.

He finds it helpful on courses to meet reps from other unions, and also reps from comparable industries such as transport, logistics and officebased work.

Next month Adam will run the first ever green issues section on the branch reps course. He is taking a TUC online course and welcomes exchange with other reps online.

case study

Going green

Section 8

Some conclusions and recommendations The survey methodology proved to be effective, with high return and completion rates. There were also many volunteers for follow-up interviews.

The results can serve as baseline data for future studies of this type. If the survey were to be repeated annually, for example, then a valuable picture would be gained of trends in TUC Education.

An area where the data is weak is the ethnic origin of respondents. After UK/European, the next largest category selected was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, indicating that the choices offered did not match the respondents' self-perception Computer skills were thought to be important by nearly all respondents, and this is the lowest rated area for support from TUC courses. Use of computers by union reps and support for IT skills is an area worthy of further study.

The picture shown in this report is of a strong consensus on the skills union reps need, and an equally strong belief that TUC Education helps develop those skills.

If the real test of the value of the education programme is that its lessons can be put into practice, then there is emphatic evidence here that TUC Education passes that test.

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