- Conference
- Date
- June 16, 2017
- Decision
“Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use, to change the world” Nelson Mandela.
Over the last 10 years the TUC national education programme has trained and developed over half a million trade union representatives. This has ensured:
- Unions are effectively organised and deliver within the workplace;
- Built solidarity amongst union reps from the affiliate Trade Unions;
- Enabled working class people to gain qualifications that have given them life changing opportunities.
In September 2017, as a result of the withdrawal of Government funding, the TUC national education programme will cease to exist and will be replaced by a non-accredited short online course.
Over 127 professionally qualified Trade Union Studies lecturers with a knowledge, experience, commitment and passion for training trade union reps face losing their jobs. A vital resource that will be lost to the movement.
Unions appear to be adopting individual approaches to this problem. This will result in a breakdown in solidarity between affiliate unions. Individual unions cannot hope to provide the scope or coverage that is currently provided by the national programme, especially at a time when many unions’ resources are hard pressed and stretched.
For the trade union movement to organise and grow it is essential that local union representatives and stewards are properly trained. The most effective way of doing this is to maintain the accredited national TUC education programme.
Conference believes we should seek to actively:
- Campaign to keep open the existing Trade Union Studies Units;
- Protect the jobs and avoid redundancies of Trade Union Studies lecturers;
- Keep the national TUC education programme accredited at level 1 & 2;
- Reinstate the national TUC education programme at level 3.
It is noted that when the Government previously cut TUC education funding in the 1990s affiliate unions via the TUC funded the national education programme. It is also noted that in the academic year 2016/17 after funding was cut by 50% the TUC made up the funding shortfall.
In recognising the importance of TUC education in organising and growing the union and recognising that this represents good value for money.
Conference calls on the National Executive Council to work with the TUC to continue to fund the full TUC education programme until Government funding can be reinstated.
Wolverhampton General Branch
NEC POLICY: SUPPORT WITH QUALIFICATIONS