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
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
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