Training for Trade Union Workplace Reps
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Contacts – Education Officers TUC Education officers (national): TUC regional education officers (REOs) Harry Cunningham Liz Rees : Ian West National Education Manager REO in Scotland REO in the Northern Region, and t 020 7079 6923 t 0141 221 8845 Yorkshire and the Humber e [email protected] e [email protected] t 0191 232 3175 e [email protected] Jackie Williams Pete Holland Education & Training Officer REO in the North West Pete Try t 020 7079 6924 t 0151 236 7678 REO in East & West Midlands e [email protected] e [email protected] t 0121 236 4454 e [email protected] Training for Martin Hegarty Julie Cook Education & Training Officer REO in Wales Rob Hancock t 020 7079 6946 t 02920 347010 REO in Southern & Eastern Region e [email protected] e [email protected] t 020 7467 1369 e [email protected] Craig Hawkins Marie Hughes Trade Union Online Learning Officer REO in the South West Phil Gowan t 020 7079 6947 t 0117 947 0521 REO in Southern & Eastern Region e [email protected] e [email protected] t 020 7467 1238 e [email protected] Kevin Doherty Workplace Northern Ireland ICTU Education & Training Officer t 02890 247940 e [email protected] Reps A guide for employers Design: Eureka! Design Consultants Ltd Print: Newnorth Print Ltd June 2013 Foreword Contents In today’s difficult economic Clearly representatives need appropriate time climate, it is more important and facilities to undertake training. This guide 1 Foreword than ever that all resources is designed to inform employers of the return 2 About this guide available to the workplace for their investment in paid release. The TUC is are well deployed. There are particularly proud of its trade union education 3 How do employers benefit from having well-trained union representatives? approximately 200,000 union programme, offered in partnership with individual representatives on-site at British affiliates and further education colleges across 4 What is the official guidance on paid release? workplaces and they constitute a major resource the country. The programme has an unrivalled 5 What does the training cover? for their colleagues and for employers. Most are reputation for quality and innovation – fourteen traditional representatives such as shop stewards, consecutive Grade 1 inspection reports from 7 How to reach agreement on time off for training convenors, branch secretaries and safety OFSTED – and offers practical, professional 9 TUC Education and union courses representatives. But numbers of specialist union support to union reps at work. representatives – in particular, learning, green Please contact the appropriate TUC Education 11 How do I find out more? or equality representatives – are on the rise. Officer (see back cover) for details of programmes 12 Directory of TUC Trade Union Studies Centres Government research in 2007 found that union near you. reps in the public sector save the taxpayer between £167m and £397m every year by helping to resolve disputes, increasing the take up of training and reducing staff turnover. Workplace reps in both public and private sectors reduce dismissals, creating a benefit to employers that is worth between £107m and £213m, and by reducing voluntary exits benefit employers to the tune of between £72m and £143m. Union learning reps are worth between £94m and £156m to Frances O’Grady employers in enhanced productivity. TUC General Secretary 1 How do employers benefit from having well-trained union representatives? About this guide Acas, the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service, I am far more aware that there are always two says that training for union representatives sides to every story. This guide is for employers who receive requests Employers need to know that requests for time from trade union representatives for time off off to train are legitimate and will be made with …will enable them to undertake their role with I am more organised and better researched when work to take part in union training. regard to their business. Employers also need greater confidence, efficiency and speed and dealing with issues the members bring to me. to see how the training will add value. thus help them work with management, build We outline the responsibilities of employers I changed my approach to dealing with effective employment relations and represent and unions over training for representatives, And representatives need to know that they management and became more measured their members properly. and give practical advice about how the benefits can gain time off with pay to be trained, to and professional. (Trade Union Representation in the Workplace, Acas) can be shared. ensure that they are competent in their role and confident when talking to managers and There is strong evidence to support this official view. (Making a Difference, Doug Gowan. TUC Education, 2010) The work of union representatives has expanded members alike. A recent evaluation of the TUC’s unionlearn work, for Research into the business benefits of equality as new issues have come to the fore in the example, found that reps showed modern workplace. These issues include health “We have contact centres across several and safety, redundancies and reorganisation, …over half the employers (in the study) involved sites in the UK. In each site, our colleagues …improved workforce morale, improved equality and diversity, training and upskilling in union learning projects stated that the take and the management (including myself) recruitment and retention, higher productivity the workforce, and environmental and green up of employees attaining qualifications had are fortunate to have trained, well versed, and reduced tribunal costs. It is also notable that strategies. One result has been that training increased....moreover, almost a third of employers union representatives. These reps, through equality reps are just as likely to report that they for union representatives has become more believed that organisational performance had their training, provide expertise in a number have had a positive impact in the private sector complex. However a common sense approach increased and two in five stated that levels of trust of domains, that massively benefit not just as they are in the public sector, suggesting just as based on agreement is usually all that is between management and unions had improved. their members but the business as a whole.” great an appreciation on the part of private sector required to resolve any complexity. (Assessing the Impact of Union Learning and the Union Learning Darren Cornish MBA, Head of Residential managers of the benefits equality reps can bring. Fund, Leeds University Business School 2010) Servicing, E.ON UK Equality reps in SMEs are also just as likely to Representatives who have taken part in union learning report having had an impact in their workplaces report how relations with management have improved as are equality reps in large organisations, as a result. Here are some typical comments from a suggesting that the equality rep initiative has recent survey: the potential to bring benefits to all sectors of the British economy. … (I gained) confidence to approach management and solve problems for members and management. (Nottingham University Business School report on the survey of equality reps, 2009) 2 3 What is the official guidance on paid release? What does the training cover? From 1975 there has been legislation on paid Specialist representatives For union representatives, training must link to For health and safety representatives, training release for union training. This has since been “aspects of industrial relations relevant to their should help them carry out their functions, which Unions may have representatives who specialise extended and amended and now covers: trade union duties” (Acas code). Relevant topics are are set out by law. These functions include: in certain areas. They include: those that are covered in negotiations between union • union workplace representatives • investigating potential hazards, dangerous • equality representatives and employer and can include the following: occurrences and complaints • health and safety representatives • pensions champions • pay and conditions • making representations to the employer • union learning representatives. • environmental or green representatives • recruitment and dismissals • inspecting the workplace Although the legislation can be complex, useful • disability champions. • work patterns official guidance on rights to union training • meeting safety inspectors and getting information for these representatives has been published These representatives are covered by • discipline • attending safety committees. by Acas and the Health and Safety Executive legislation on time off for union activities, • union membership and facilities (HSE). Both these bodies include employers but not specifically for union training. For more detail see the HSE code. and trade union members and both issue Training recommendations are however • negotiation and consultation codes of practice, which have legal status. included in the Acas good practice guidance. The guidance is practical and based on • any other issues discussed between experience of what works. management and unions. For more detail see the Acas code. • Time off for trade union duties and activities “Trade unions are co-owners of the Acas Code of Practice 3 company.” Vincent de Rivaz, EDF Energy Company • Trade Union Representation in the Workplace Council, 19 July 2010 Acas booklet “At Tata Steel,