Monday 29 October 2007
Blogging the night away
Well what a fun day (last Thursday) we contacted all the reps and have started to get a trickle of replies back, the next Forum is now being planned and also christmas ah yes we all know what that means. So come on down Thursday its the last of the Spanish lessons with Juan, by the way please reply to your emails you lovely people as we are trying to get figures together also BLOG its the only way to live Bye Bye
Organising through education
I wrote this for the forthcoming recruitment week - comments please!
The trade union movement has always relied heavily on education as a means of empowering its members and thereby strengthening the movement. Rail Union Learning (RUL) is no exception. Begun at the turn of this century to build on services already in place, RUL differs in that it is concerned primarily with the transport industry and is spearheaded by a network of “Learning representatives” who have been trained to offer information and guidance in the workplace, and encourage non traditional and isolated workers to take ownership of their personal development. Since its inception, RUL has helped hundreds of learners throughout the U.K. with issues ranging from basic literacy and numeracy (skills for life) through I.T. to Higher education. On a lighter side, we have helped people become adept in Indian head massage and seen whole groups learn Salsa!
In many workplaces members whose careers have stalled or stagnated have been assisted through internal assessments where often only their own fear of failure has held them back from promotion. For all these people and the ones we have not even met yet, what they see and what they get is a front line service from their Union in their workplace that adds up to enhanced value for membership. There are very few workers who, having engaged with a Union Learning rep does not join up. The R.M.T. recognises the value of this project and will be submitting a bid next year to the Union Learning Fund for continuing funding which means, as in previous years, there is also no cost to the membership – which is what I would call a “positive learning outcome”!
The trade union movement has always relied heavily on education as a means of empowering its members and thereby strengthening the movement. Rail Union Learning (RUL) is no exception. Begun at the turn of this century to build on services already in place, RUL differs in that it is concerned primarily with the transport industry and is spearheaded by a network of “Learning representatives” who have been trained to offer information and guidance in the workplace, and encourage non traditional and isolated workers to take ownership of their personal development. Since its inception, RUL has helped hundreds of learners throughout the U.K. with issues ranging from basic literacy and numeracy (skills for life) through I.T. to Higher education. On a lighter side, we have helped people become adept in Indian head massage and seen whole groups learn Salsa!
In many workplaces members whose careers have stalled or stagnated have been assisted through internal assessments where often only their own fear of failure has held them back from promotion. For all these people and the ones we have not even met yet, what they see and what they get is a front line service from their Union in their workplace that adds up to enhanced value for membership. There are very few workers who, having engaged with a Union Learning rep does not join up. The R.M.T. recognises the value of this project and will be submitting a bid next year to the Union Learning Fund for continuing funding which means, as in previous years, there is also no cost to the membership – which is what I would call a “positive learning outcome”!
Friday 26 October 2007
More French notes
Phew! at last the heats off as Hassina has been paid. She is smiling at me again! However, if we want to continue with French language classes we need to think of ways to fund it. So I am asking all of you out there, students as well as learning reps, to think about ways of making it happen. Be creative and try to think about it from another angle (I hate "outside the box" don't you?) because we need to come up with a good scam! On a lighter note, but continuing with the French theme, I went to see another french film last weekend - La Vie En Rose - which is a biopic of the life of Edith Piaf - the little sparrow. A rather sanitised version I feel, (No mention of the war years!) but a belting performance from the lead. In french with subtitles but I found some of it fairly understandable. Well worth a look.
Monday 22 October 2007
new reps
Well done to the new reps who finished their course today at the Red Star Centre. I have great hopes for them all and some good ideas came out of the course work. I look forward to see
ing some of these develop. Make sure you get your release organised and "SET IN STONE" with your managers/roster clerks! oh, and badger your lead reps all the time! keep them busy as well - remember, next forum they are up for election!
Go get "em folks -= and good luck!
ing some of these develop. Make sure you get your release organised and "SET IN STONE" with your managers/roster clerks! oh, and badger your lead reps all the time! keep them busy as well - remember, next forum they are up for election!
Go get "em folks -= and good luck!
Monday 15 October 2007
Reflections from Mike
Driving around the country lanes as I do, I have been given many reasons to question why there are so many squished squirrels in the road? Have they developed a death wish? Is this the 21st century answer to lemmings? Do they play chicken? or is there some kind of population explosion? Anyway as there are so many about - here is a recipe for you to try at home!
1 Flattened squirrel 1 Bottle of booze, home made 2 c Vegetables fresh greens White rice, cooked Find a flattened Roadkill squirrel and pick out all the little hairs. Take it to the country kitchen and cut it into one inch squares. Marinate it overnight in a bowl of some homemade booze. Then dice some veggies mix with squirrel and fry `em in a skillet. Take the homemade booze left in your bowl and tip it up, and kill it. Cook your diced veggies and your squirrel until they smell real nice. Serve `em with some collard greens upon a pile of cooked white rice.
Now that I have (I hope!) your attention, let me tell you that I am chuffed to bits at - no, not you lot, but - Tom and John and all their learners at Slade Green. I have heard from the college provider who is virtually wetting herself with glee at the response, so lets big it up for Slade Green and the I.T.Q. class !
Now for those of you taking French lessons from Hassina, and all you Francophiles out there, let me tell you of my film of the week. Currently doing the rounds is a most excellent film entitled
"Paris Je T'aime" which consists of eighteen small vignettes of supposed life in Paris. It has a number of well known faces and each section is directed by someone different. Mostly in French with some English it is subtitled, but I found a lot was fairly easy to understand. I recommend it to you all!
More on the RUL front. I have been informed that we will be bidding for further funding to continue the project for another two years from March next year which means that with a bit of luck (for me!) you won't get rid of me that easily! Anyway the people who know about this stuff tell me that we are held in high regard - so fingers crossed!
Lastly, on another brain skip; have you been out in the woods lately? This time of year the colours are amazing and the views sublime. The last couple of weekends I have had the good fortune to get out and rediscover why I love living in this part of the country. When you have the weather you can't beat it - oh and a nice Sunday lunch in a country pub afterwards! There are many leaflets and web sites that tell you the nearest BR station to walks of interest and also helpful info so you don't get lost (Like I did last week!)
1 Flattened squirrel 1 Bottle of booze, home made 2 c Vegetables fresh greens White rice, cooked Find a flattened Roadkill squirrel and pick out all the little hairs. Take it to the country kitchen and cut it into one inch squares. Marinate it overnight in a bowl of some homemade booze. Then dice some veggies mix with squirrel and fry `em in a skillet. Take the homemade booze left in your bowl and tip it up, and kill it. Cook your diced veggies and your squirrel until they smell real nice. Serve `em with some collard greens upon a pile of cooked white rice.
Now that I have (I hope!) your attention, let me tell you that I am chuffed to bits at - no, not you lot, but - Tom and John and all their learners at Slade Green. I have heard from the college provider who is virtually wetting herself with glee at the response, so lets big it up for Slade Green and the I.T.Q. class !
Now for those of you taking French lessons from Hassina, and all you Francophiles out there, let me tell you of my film of the week. Currently doing the rounds is a most excellent film entitled
"Paris Je T'aime" which consists of eighteen small vignettes of supposed life in Paris. It has a number of well known faces and each section is directed by someone different. Mostly in French with some English it is subtitled, but I found a lot was fairly easy to understand. I recommend it to you all!
More on the RUL front. I have been informed that we will be bidding for further funding to continue the project for another two years from March next year which means that with a bit of luck (for me!) you won't get rid of me that easily! Anyway the people who know about this stuff tell me that we are held in high regard - so fingers crossed!
Lastly, on another brain skip; have you been out in the woods lately? This time of year the colours are amazing and the views sublime. The last couple of weekends I have had the good fortune to get out and rediscover why I love living in this part of the country. When you have the weather you can't beat it - oh and a nice Sunday lunch in a country pub afterwards! There are many leaflets and web sites that tell you the nearest BR station to walks of interest and also helpful info so you don't get lost (Like I did last week!)
Sunday 7 October 2007
New Railway Learning Centre
New railway learning centre for Central Trains staff
Staff learning and development has moved up another gear with the opening of a new centre for Central Trains’ staff at New Street station, Birmingham.
Equipped with computers and a library giving information on a wide range of courses, the centre provides excellent educational and development opportunities for train, station and administration staff alike.
The learning centre, which was officially opened by Central Trains Managing Director Stephen Banaghan on 26th September, was developed as a joint venture between the rail unions and the company.
The learning centre project was funded by the TUC’s Rail Union Learning initiative, which provides educational opportunities for members of all three rail unions, and is supported by Central Trains.
The centre, based at the ‘booking-on’ point, reflects the changing nature of jobs and the workplace in general in the UK, as the introduction of new technology and the shift from manufacturing to service industries requires employees to learn and adapt to new skills.
The creators of the centre have worked with Solihull College to develop a suite of initial courses, some of which are non-vocational, ranging from IT skills to numeracy, all aimed at encouraging staff to learn new skills for the future.
www.railwayherald.co.uk
Issue 103 – 5 October 2007
Staff learning and development has moved up another gear with the opening of a new centre for Central Trains’ staff at New Street station, Birmingham.
Equipped with computers and a library giving information on a wide range of courses, the centre provides excellent educational and development opportunities for train, station and administration staff alike.
The learning centre, which was officially opened by Central Trains Managing Director Stephen Banaghan on 26th September, was developed as a joint venture between the rail unions and the company.
The learning centre project was funded by the TUC’s Rail Union Learning initiative, which provides educational opportunities for members of all three rail unions, and is supported by Central Trains.
The centre, based at the ‘booking-on’ point, reflects the changing nature of jobs and the workplace in general in the UK, as the introduction of new technology and the shift from manufacturing to service industries requires employees to learn and adapt to new skills.
The creators of the centre have worked with Solihull College to develop a suite of initial courses, some of which are non-vocational, ranging from IT skills to numeracy, all aimed at encouraging staff to learn new skills for the future.
www.railwayherald.co.uk
Issue 103 – 5 October 2007
Monday 1 October 2007
BSL IS A SIGN OF THE TIMES
Rail Union Learning
are providing an opportunity for staff and there spouses to gain a nationally recognised qualification in British Sign Language.
The level 1 course takes almost eight months to complete at Two hours a week but at the end of the course the stuidents will have gained a level 1 qualification in BSL, which can be used in the workplace and in the wider world to help communicate with over 250,000 people in the UK who use it as their 1st language.
Week 1 was last Friday with the same module being delivered in the morning and the afternoon to accommodate shift workers.
If you would like to do the BSL Level 1 course it may not be too late, we do have 2 places left but you will need to hurry to register as once you get to week three the book will be closed.
For more information email rslc-c@hotmail.co.uk or phone 07714 158754
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