Scottish Union Learning Conference

How does union learning contribute to Scotland’s economic future? That is the theme Union Learning Reps from all over Scotland will consider at the annual Scottish Union Learning Conference this Thursday, 19th November.

Without a legal entitlement to paid time off for learning and without legal rights to negotiate on training and learning, Union Learning Reps are working within the dwindling economic climate against many barriers. However, the evidence suggests that trade unions have a powerful influence in determining the level of training amongst employers. Trade unions are effective in arguing for training and learning within the workplace. Within unionised firms, 78% of employers provide training for staff.




Davy Moody is the CWU’s Lead Union Learning Rep at the Edinburgh Royal Mail Centre and is just one of 1,500 Union Learning Reps who have been trained in Scotland.


If we take a closer look there is evidence that at the lower end of the labour market, UK employers aim to compete on low cost rather than high skills and quality. There is no legal obligation for employers to negotiate on training and learning. In the UK, only 3% of employers negotiate and 13% consult with their staff on training and learning.

In this economic climate, everyone seems to be looking for the bottom line. Employee morale is down and costs are up. We are already seeing companies cutting back on training budgets and reducing facility time for union reps. However, lifelong learning should be viewed as part of the solution instead of part of the problem. For employers, union-led workplace learning delivers ‘soft’ performance benefits as well as improved employee relations. Union-led learning also contributes positively to employability and social inclusion.

Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary, will be speaking at the Learning Conference this Thursday where the STUC will renew its call on the Scottish Government to set up a campaign aimed specifically at employers to encourage continued investment in training during the recession. In his speech, he will say, “The evidence shows that employers who invest in training emerge stronger from recession. However, we are seeing increasingly worrying signs that employers are reluctant to continue training the workforce.”

Our experience shows that it is those who lack skills and qualifications who predominantly lose their jobs in an economic downturn and are then unable to find new employment. During the Conference on Thursday, Union Learning Reps will explore how to tackle problems in the workplace, including providing support to workers in vulnerable employment. They will take part in workshops on funding, including the ESF Scottish Fund for Union Learning, engage with Sector Skills Councils and explore how the Green movement will affect the skills of tomorrow’s workers.

The current economic situation has definitely impacted on our agenda for learning and skills within the workplace. Through Union Learning Reps, trade unions are uniquely positioned to help address gaps in skills provision and develop the full potential of individual workers. After all, Union Learning Reps provide learning support in their workplaces to many of the 644,000 trade unionists in Scotland who are affiliated to the STUC. It is a good idea to give these highly motivated lay activists as much support as possible in doing so, especially now.

Jennifer Payne
Marketing Officer
Scottish Union Learning

On the march with the STUC

It’s been a march a minute for STUC and its affiliated unions this year.

Last week a highly successful event was held in St Andrews’ during the G20 Finance Minister’s Summit as part of the Put People First campaign. In a fortnight we will take to the streets to celebrate the STUC’s annual St Andrew’s Day march against racism and fascism and the week after that thousands of people will take to the street in support of the “The Wave” – a coming together of environmental, trade union and anti-poverty campaigners calling on those at the United Nations Climate change Conference in Copenhagen to break the log jam and deliver real climate justice for the next generation.

On top of all this there are two major demonstrations tomorrow (Saturday 14th). Coinciding with the visit of NATO to Scotland, STUC is supporting the Stop the War Demonstration ‘No to NATO, Scrap Trident, Troops out of Afghanistan’ and in Glasgow we have played a major role in bringing together Scotland’s civic, faith and political organisations to support the Scotland United initiative which is organising an event to counter the attempts of the fascist Scottish Defence League to spread their particular brand of racism and islamaphobia.

Whist the historical lack of support for the BNP up here is a cause for some satisfaction, most sensible commentators recognise that the failure of the British National Party and their other fascist cousins to gain a foothold in Scotland should not imply that there is no racism here and no future threat. STUC’s St Andrew’s Day March and Rally was founded precisely because the far right were attempting to subvert genuine the national day of celebration. As our General Secretary Grahame Smith will say tomorrow “Wrapping yourself in the Saltire or wearing a t-shirt with William Wallace on it, or waving a union jack and singing Rule Britannia doesn’t make you a patriot - particularly when it’s accompanied by a Nazi salute.”

Saturday’s demonstration will be a broad based, multi-cultural celebration of Scotland’s diversity. We will avoid direct confrontation with the jack booted fascists. But a more significant confrontation will take place – between the decent values we espouse and their politics of hate. We will have the numbers and we will have the people of Scotland on our side.

Dave Moxham
Deputy General Secretary