TUC Unions into Schools: The next generation of trade unionists

REPORT□ TUCUNIONSINTOSCHOOLS TUC Unions into Schools: The next generation of trade unionists I Schools and new what It that knowledge that is developed the Unions the have they unions the materials benefits address lack TUC's bring been into do of of to knowledge of what unionsdo and the benefits thattheybring thattheTUC's new Unionsinto Schools materials have been developed to address CARL ROPER, TUC National Organiser The the only British frequency bytheir Trade exaggeration. of Union thereports movement Whilst ofthe it's ismatched death true that of theBritish TradeUnionmovement ismatched only bytheir exaggeration. Whilst it'strue that since1979bothunionmembership and density havedeclineddramatically, theTUCanditsaffiliatesstill represent over6 million working people making themovement byfar andawaythebiggest civilsociety organisation intheUK. Formanyworking people tradeunionsarean important part ofworking life. Theyempower them bygiving them a voiceandoffer essential support in theworkplace. Theyhelpbusinessestowork better byencouraging fair andresponsible workingpractices andthere isevenevidence that unions makea significant contribution to theimprovement ofproductivity andoverallefficiency. Yetmuchofthis workgoesunnoticed bya large proportion ofthepopulation. ThereareI think two reasonsforthis.Firstly, thewaythat muchofthe mediareports unionactivity is often partial, subjectiveand inaccurate and constantly harksback toevents that occurred whilst mostofthecurrent working population wereatschoolorbefore they wereevenborn. Secondly, andperhapsmoresignificantly, large swathes oftheworkforce areuntouched bytrade unionorganisation. Unions only represent just over a quarter oftheworkforce andbargain on behalf ofjustovera third. Theyhavefound itdifficult to breakoutintonew sectors oftheeconomyand thenature ofthemodern workforce - morefragmentedand madeup ofworkers in less secure, short term employment -hasposedchallenges to moretraditional forms ofunionorganising. The resultofthisis an increasing numberof 'never members' and therefore a reduction inthenumberofworking peoplewho areabletopass on a positive vieworexperience ofunionmembership. Itis thislackofknowledgeand awarenessof whatunionsdo and thebenefits thattheybring notonlytoindividuals andgroupsofworkers but tosociety aswholethat theTUC'snewUnions into Schoolsmaterials havebeendevelopedtoaddress. Promoting trade unions inschools Previous TUC and unionworkpromoting trades unionsinschoolsbeganin 1997,whentheTUC first puttogether theteaching resourcepack 'A Better WaytoWork'.Thisworkwas augmented withvolunteer tradeunionactivists presenting in schools, the'Speakers inSchools'programme, and then workingwith QCA (Qualificationsand Curriculum Authority) and thethenDepartment for Children Schools& Families inpromoting trade unionsthrough thecurriculum. Theobjectives ofthis work weretosupport efforts to buildawarenessofunionsand thenmembershipthrough promotion ofa positive image oftrade unionsto youngpeople, raisingawarenessof employment rights and theroleoftradeunions and mainstreaming employment rights andtrade unionism within theprovision ofcitizenship, PSHE (Personal, Social,Health andEconomic) andbusiness education.An additionalobjectivewas to developa cohort of(preferably young) trade union activists through the speakersin schools programme . In 2008,theTUC Congress calledfora greater emphasis tobe placedon organising youngpeople and asked fora reviewofthedelivery and structure oftheTradeUnionists intheClassroom programme so that bestpractice might be identifiedandimprovements madetobothcontent and promotion. Responsibility forthedelivery oftheSpeakers inSchoolsprogramme hadbeensharedbetween national TUCandregional TUCoffices witheach takingthe lead at different times.The system required theidentification, then training anddevelopmentofvolunteer speakers(wherepossible undertheage of27) and to broker contact with schools. Despitethebestefforts ofall concerned deliveryofthis element oftheprogramme waspatchy. Demandfrom schools wasvariable andwereitdid existcouldnotalwaysbe metfrom thecohort of volunteers. A keyreasonfor thisbeingtheinabilityofmanyvolunteer repsto gettimeofffrom worktotakepartintheprogramme The secondpartoftheprogramme, theBetter Wayto Workresource packwas first developed in1997andwas revised andre-published in2001 and 2003. BetterWaytoWork The materials weredesignedtobe usedinclassroomsettings forcareers,citizenship and work related learning andwereaimedprimarily atstudents inthe14to16 agegroup. Thematerials consisted offive sections covering theworkofunions intheworkplace, rights andresponsibilities, equal opportunities issues,healthand safety and the future ofwork. Whilst therewas a consistent demandforthe materials, by2008itwas clearthatthematerials werebecoming datedbothinterms oftheir applicability to theschoolteaching curriculum and in relation totheexisting framework ofemployment rights. Therewere also issuesin relation to the ease ofuse ofthematerials forteachers. Thenew'UnionsintoSchools'materials, which werelaunched atunionconferences intheSpring of 2011 are entirely web based and have been developedbytheTUCinpartnership withteachingunions ,NASUWT, NUTand ATL,as wellas UNISON, Unite andUnionlearn, theeducation arm INTERNATIONAL union rights Page 26Volume 18Issue 3201 1 REPORT□ TUCUNIONSINTOSCHOOLS oftheTUC.Theyalso containhistorical content producedin partnership withtheTUC Library Collections atLondonMetropolitan University. Thewebsite brings together bothhistorical and contemporary information, using rich content such as videosandroleplayactivities aimedatmaking learning aboutunions anexciting interactive experience . Thewebresources include lessonplansfor teachersandothers , slidepresentations featuring videos, activities andquizzes,fact sheets andlinks toother sitesproviding complementary materials to help extend students' understanding ofunions, their history and theroletheyplayin thecontemporary workplace andsociety. Likethe'Better WaytoWork'materials, Unions intoSchoolsresources are dividedintofivesections . The essentials is a beginner's guideto unions, explaining whatthey are,whothey represent and whatthey do andisa great introduction for young peoplewho havelittle orno prior knowledge of unions.Theworking livessectionlinksthework ofunionsa guidetounionstothemodern world ofwork;Rights and Responsibilities providesa basicbutup to dateguideto employment rights and thehistory sectionsetscontemporary union worksagainst thebackdropofover200yearsof British labourhistory andfeatures a seriesoffourminute documentaries ondifferent periods. Finally, theWorking forGlobalJustice sectionconsiders unioncampaigns forgloballabourstandards and humanrights, withspecialprofiles on keycountries anda guidetoplanning andlaunching a campaign...

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