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The Organising Steward
This is a new 5 day course which is suitable for all newly
elected stewards and health & safety reps. It is run in
various ways – as a 5 day block, as a 2 days then 3 days,
as one day a week for 5 weeks, as 2 residential weekends
etc. The key thing is that attendance at all 5 days is
compulsory.
The course will develop skills knowledge and confidence
to enable stewards to carry out their role and it covers
the role of the organising union in public services, the
importance of equalities, tackling issues in the workplace,
working with members, understanding procedures, handling
grievances and disciplinaries and understanding the world
UNISON works in both nationally and internationally. This
is an essential course for those who want to become effective
as workplace representatives and is compulsory for new accreditation.
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Bridging Course Grievances and Disciplinaries
There will be a small number of people who have attended
the old 3 day Organising Stewards course but not the Grievance
and Disciplinary 2 day part.Rather than ask individuals
to repeat the whole 5 days we are offering one day “Bridging”
courses which will cover the process of an organising approach
to casework, working with procedures and representing members.
It is also suitable for those who have had basic training
but have not undertaken any casework.
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Advanced Representation (Was Grievances and Disciplinaries
2)
This is an advanced course which requires completion of
the Organising Steward course. This is a video based course
designed to develop representation skills. The course is
structured around one extended case study and looks at three
differentways inwhich the case could evolve.
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ACTIVISTS REFRESHER TRAINING (ERA REACCREDITATION)
This 2-day course is for Stewards/Branch officers who have
not attended any training in the last 5 years. It is NOT
suitable for new and inexperienced reps. It updates participants
on new developments in UNISON and relevant legal updates.
Participants will reflect on their role as trade union activists
and update their knowledge and skills on organising and
representation. It is an essential course to gain reaccreditation
under the ERA.
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Handling Redundancies
This is a one-day workshop designed to help participants
understand the legal framework (including equalities) and
examine their local policies for possible improvements.
In addition it looks at organising in a redundancy situation.
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Organising for Health and Safety
This 3 day course is an essential starting point for all
UNISON H&S Representatives. It covers the role and rights
of the Safety Representative using H&S legislation, building
H&S organisation and developing strategies for H&S.On completion,
participants will receive the UNISON H&S pack. Participants
may then choose to attend the more advanced TUC H&S training
and/or one of UNISON’s specialised courses in for example,
stress at work, bullying and harassment and violence at
work.
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Equalities Representatives
This 3 day course is aimed at new stewards or those who
are not stewards butmight be interested in becoming equality
representatives. It is also suitable for more experienced
stewards with an interest in more detailed work on equalities.
The course covers a general introduction to the various
strands of equality, introduces the legal framework and
concentrates on how Branches can deal with equality issues
in the workplace including the use of Equality Impact Assessments.
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Assertiveness for Women
This is a weekend course for women only aimed at activists
who wish to gain skills in assertiveness techniques and
build confidence to use in all areas of their lives.
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Branch Officer Training
Once again this year we are planning to hold
most of the training over one weekend in Glasgow. This residential
event involves getting together on Friday night and breaking
into course groups on Saturday morning before going home
after lunch on Sunday,with opportunities throughout the
weekend for the Branch Officers to come together. The courses
are aimed at newly elected Officers or those who want to
understandmore about a particular role. Itmay also be useful
for those who have not done training for a while as materials
are updated and they can share their experience with those
who are new. The courses look at roles, responsibilities
and best practice for each post.
BRANCH SECRETARIES: A number of training
opportunities are available as part of UNISON’s national
leadership programme. For this weekend we will be running
the general overall introduction to being a Branch Secretary
and we will also discuss planning for the future.
BRANCH CHAIRPERSONS This course covers
the practical skills necessary to chair meetings and deals
with procedural issues on motions and amendments. It will
also assist to build confidence as a leader in the Branch.
BRANCH TREASURERS This is a practical
course explaining UNISON’s financial systems and associated
procedures and processes and how to prepare budgets, keep
accounts and produce annual returns.
BRANCH EDUCATION COORDINATORS This course
explains the various training opportunities and the ways
they can be brought together to meet the needs of Branches
and individual stewards. It looks at producing a Branch
education plan. It covers buddying and mentoring at Branch
level and maintenance of training records for ERA purposes.
LIFELONG LEARNING COORDINATORS This role
differs from the Education Coordinator in that the latter
is focussing on the training needs of activists. The Lifelong
Learning Coordinator role is more focussed on member training
and coordinating thework of Union Learning Representatives
in the Branch. The course offers assistance in identifying
these issues and looks at recruitment around learning initiatives.
EQUALITY OFFICERS This course shows how
to build equality issues into the bargaining agenda, how
to recruit and co-ordinate equality representatives and
how to promote equality issues. Please note – the ERA reaccreditation
course covers the Public Sector Equality duties and the
Equality reps course covers Equalities Impact Assessments.
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS This course is
for all those who deal with Branch communications including
magazine and newsletter editors,website managers etc. It
is the introduction to the Getting the Message Across campaign
which includes courses on campaigning, newsletter production,
media handling, website development etc. The course will
introduce these various elements and will focus on organising
to present a positive image for the Branch. It will provide
the basic skills to get you started and will be built on
by specialist courses later in the year.
HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICERS This is different
from the health and safety representatives course in that
it does not focus on dealing with individual workplace issues
but instead aims to show how to coordinate the work of the
various H&S reps and pursue health & safety issues through
the bargaining agenda. It also covers the general promotion
of health and safety issues.
Other UNISON Branch Officer Training Courses
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS This is a course
usually run in London for Branches from across the UK.
BRANCH WELFARE OFFICERS This is a 2 stage
course run nationally across Regions. Full details at UNISON
website http://www.unison.org.uk/welfare/BWOtraining.asp.
The Welfare Committee are keen to try to run a course in
Scotland and if we can organise that we will let Branches
know.
MEMBERSHIP OFFICERS In some Branches
this post exists solely to updatemembership records and
specific courses are run by our RMS department to cover
this. In others it deals more with recruitment events and
recruitment techniques are covered in our stewards courses.
If a Branch identifies demand for recruitment training this
can run at local level usually as part of a branch development
event.
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Bullying and Harassment
This is a weekend course which will help participants define
and recognise bullying, identify what may contribute to
workplace bullying, make employers aware of what they can
do to recognise and eliminate it and develop strategies/policies
for their own Branches/workplaces.
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Employment Law Courses
These courses were heavily over subscribed in 2010 and
we expect them to be equally popular this year. They cover
the areas of employment law most likely to affect our members
and organisation. The courses will be tutored by Thompsons
solicitors. Branches who want to have briefings on specific
areas of the law can ask UNISON’s Legal Officer Suzanne
Craig s.craig@unison.co.uk for assistance.
INTRODUCTION
This one-day course will cover a general overview of employment
law. It will look at the process of cases, dismissals, contracts,
wages, redundancy, discrimination, and general employment
rights
UNFAIR DISMISSAL
This one-day introductory course will give an overall guide
to unfair dismissal,conduct,misconduct and consistency in
dismissals,capability and incapability/incompetence dismissals.
It will also cover time limits and remedies.
INTRODUCTION TO CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT
This one-day introductory course covers implied employment
contract terms including the implied term of trust and confidence,
analysing a real contract, changes allowed and equality
implications when a contract is changed. The course is designed
to give participants an overview and general feel for howcontract
lawworks. It is not possible to deal with all aspects of
this very technical subject.
DISCRIMINATION
This is a new two-day introductory course in response to
the new Equality Act. It looks at the various strands of
discrimination, covers an outline of the law, direct discrimination,
indirect discrimination, victimisation, time limits and
statutory procedures.
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New Conference delegates
This is a one day course to introduce new and potential
delegates to Conference to the arrangements and procedures
used to manage the business of conference. It will help
participants understand how to represent and voice their
Branch views and how to report back. It will assist delegates
to prepare to attend the Conference in June.
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Stress in the Workplace
This course examines work-related causes of stress and
trade union strategies to get employers to take it seriously
and do something to eliminate it. It is recommended that
the Organising for Health & Safety Course is completed prior
to this training.
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Public Speaking
This one day course will focus on the core skills required
for effective speaking in a variety of situations. It will
equip participants with the knowledge skills and confidence
to participate effectivelywhen public speaking.
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Magazine Editing and Website Building and Design
These courses are run concurrently and participants
can only sign up for the Magazine Editing or Website
Design.
Magazine Editing
This training course offers an opportunity for magazine
editors to acquire and improve the skills relevant to producing
an informative Branch Magazine.
Having basic I.T skills before joining this course is an
advantage and it is recommended that those without these
skills attend a basic I.T course before the Magazine Editors’
Training Weekend.
The course has lots of practical work and over the course
of the weekend,members will produce a one or two page magazine
using a computer. The course, tutored by Communications
Officer (Scotland) and the Scotland in UNISON editor and
involves:
• Organising, production, distribution
• Basic design and layout
• Writing skills, editing, headlines
• Use of text and graphics
• Introduction to Desk Top Publishing (Microsoft Publisher)
• Legal issues like defamation
• Where to get help
Website Building and Design
This training course offers an opportunity for branches
to acquire the skills to set up and maintain a branch website.
Having basic I.T skills before joining - this course
is an advantage and it is recommended that those without
these skills attend a basic I.T course before the website
weekend.
The course has lots of practical work and over the course
of the weekend, members will design, set up and hopefully
put online a basic website for their branch.
The course, tutored by Chris Bartter, Communications Officer
(Scotland), John Stevenson, UNISONScotland webmanager
and Jane Aitchison, covers
- Web introduction and basics
- Why and how to use a website
- Use of website authoring tool (FrontPage)
- Use of text and graphics
- Hyperlinks
- General design issues
- How to set up an Internet account and publish your website.
Students should come with all of the following:
- Information about their branch, contacts, addresses
etc
- Any photographs, logos they may want to use
- The username, password and dialup number of their Internet
Service provider (if they have one) plus the passwords
and details for FTP uploading. If you don't already have
an ISP, we will try to set you up with unisonfree.net
- Your branch's email address if it has one
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Organising for the Media
This is a weekend course which covers all the essentials
of dealing effectivelywith themedia. It aims to give participants
skills,knowledge and understanding of relevant methods to
facilitate improved branch level media contact.
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Campaigning
Using the expertise of UNISON's Communications and Campaigning
structure this is a practical course that takes you through
the basic questions that you need to ask at the beginning
of any campaign, the people that you need to convince, and
all the respective methods that you can use.
It also deals with how you can best ensure that campaigns
are not simply restricted to a handful of activists talking
to each other. It is not restricted to Communications Officers.
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Lay Tutor Training
The National Lay Tutor Training Scheme is being replacedwith
a system of undertaking a professional qualification in
Adult Learning.Therefore, there will be no internal training
offered nationally in future.The only internal course will
be the one for Discussion Leaders which is suitable for
those who wish to lead short workshops at Branch level.This
is OK for other Regions who do not widely use lay tutors
but is not appropriate for Scotland. Here we have a large
number of lay tutors, some of whom do formal tutoring on
Branch and Regional courses. A number of these are still
waiting to attend the compulsory Equalities Module and another
of these will be offered to those on the waiting list.
The L&OCommittee are agreed thatwe need to continue a programme
of training lay tutors but we need to firmup what that training
will be. In the meantime those who have already registered
interest will be invited to attend the usual 5 day introductory
course but there will be no course generally advertised
at this stage.
For the future the Committee envisage continuing the 5
day course and the Compulsory Equalities Module but eliminating
the requirement to produce a portfolio and have a formal
practice assessment. This is likely to be replaced by a
protocol around tutor personal development including a period
of co-tutoring and some compulsory Branchwork.Look out for
further information.
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Trade Unions and Politics
This is a new weekend course we hope will interest those
of you who want to know more about the origins and history
of trade unions,how society and the law has viewed trade
unionism, and the link with political life today.We ran
one last yearwhich proved to be very popular so we are offering
it again to those who might be interested.
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Procurement and Outsourcing
This is a 2 day course which aims to help participants
meet the challenge of an outsourcing environment. It will
help develop understanding of the commissioning and procurement
processes togetherwith strategies for influencing and intervening.
It is ideally run at Branch level.
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Challenging Racism in the Workplace
This 2-day course is designed to familiarise Branch officers
and workplace reps with the key elements of the Race Relations
(Amendment) Act 2000 including the duty it places on employers
to promote equality and carry out Race Equality Impact Assessments.
The course will also help participants to develop a branch
action plan for raising race equality issues with employers.
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LOCAL BARGAINING
This course has been designed for stewardswho have already
attended the existing UNISON Organising Stewards Course.
It would also be suitable for stewardswho have done the
full training butwho have not been involved in collective
bargaining situations. The course focuses on the talking
to employers as an essential part of the steward’s role
and stresses the importance of preparation and practice.
It is NOT a course for those activists who are already involved
in bargaining and want to develop their skills.
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