Top Tips for Learning and Organising
Getting Started
* Publicise and promote the union and what it offers
* Organise first union reps or union learning reps and get them trained
*Map all union activities and identify what learning and skills opportunities there are
* Identify how other workplace issues can be used to involve members, i.e. health and safety, equality, consultation with employers
* Talk to members and conduct surveys to find out what learning and skills they want and link with recruitment to the union
* Find out what the employer needs are for learning and up-skilling the workforce
* Organise regular taster sessions to get people interested
* Ensure union reps and ULRs are known in the workplace and are easily contactable, i.e. photos and contact details are displayed
* Ensure learning is included on all union agendas and features in union newsletters, notice boards and publicity
* Plan ahead so that all events feature union and ULR activities
* Build in report bakcs and reviews from ULRs at all union and workplace meetings
* Start to plan a learning agreement to formalise time off and learning facilities
* Use your ULF Project Team for advice and guidance
Working with other reps
* Find out who are reps, including ULRs at different levels - work, branch, regional, national
* Get to know other reps and ULRs in your workplace - organise some joint events such as a recruitment campaign
* Publicise who you are and put up a team of reps photographs so members know whom you are, what your individual roles are and who to contact under what circumstances. Ensure ULRs are included.
* Map the skills that other reps and ULRs have and where the gaps are, e.g. public speaking skills, negotiating skills, computer skills, etc.
* Map the training that reps have and plan course that they need to build up their skills and knowledge
* Make sure you are involved with procedures at work at every stage so that you become familiar with how things are dealt with
* Ensure you pass on infromation to other reps about individual or collective grievances, disciplinaries or developments so that all aew aware and can plan a collective response to management and members
* Give regular reports of what you are involved in so that other reps can suggest improvements and strategies
* Report problems and difficultis so that other reps can help
* Publicise union successes so that members know reps are active