Union Learning Conference
Wednesday 18th June 2008


Well what can I say the conference this year was one of the best myself Ivor Riddell and Mike Sergeant attended from the Red Star Learning centre but was we were disappointed by the lack of southeastern learning reps in attendance in fact besides the two Johns from Slade Green there was no one else out of approx 40 reps no one attended, this will an agenda item at the forum “The lack of Learning Reps activity”.

Anyway back to the matter in hand in attendance at the conference were:
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the idea of the union learning came from Tony Benn’s son Hilary Benn whilst working for David Blunket when he was Education Sec and Home Sec who then championed it through the house of parliament.

Brenden Barber General Sec of the TUC

“ Employers that negotiate and consult with train unions in the work place are on record show that there was higher productivity than work places without the consultation process and it’s a win win situation”

John Denham Sec of State for Department of Innovation and Universities and Skills DIUS

“ Employers can get finical support and advise to train staff and from autumn we will be providing the opportunity of people to develop there skills even further up to the age of 25 years of age”
(Seen Web site below for further information)

http://www.dius.gov.uk/speeches/denham_unionlearn_180608.html

While all the speech were going on the conference was being broadcasted via the web to universities and collages all over the country Sheffield and Manchester to name but a few and people were e mailing questions for the speakers to answer also various trade unions were also on line asking questions to the various speakers.
It was also brought up about the larger learning centre sharing their facilities with the smaller work places and this was generally already accepted by RMT, TSSA and ASLEF already, so we are at the for-front of union education already.

We had two additional speakers:

Val McDermid the well know writer who when she was working in the print industry before taking up writing was an active trade unionist who delight the conference with here speech and provided the delegates with a free copy of her book “Union Jack” a murder mystery of a union delegate who was murdered while at a conference ( Strange book to pass out at a conference) She is also the author of “The wire in the Blood” which was televised on ITV with Robson Green as Tony Hill which was such a big success.

Which leaves us with our last speaker which was “Lenny Henry” who in 19080 took his O levels, BA in English Literature in 2000 and who is know studying for his MA all through Open university. The comedian had the conference in stitches with his speech and I wish a lot more delegates were there from South-eastern to listen to this man and the passion he has for the trade union movement and further education.

Well that’s nearly every thing except please attend at the Red Star Learning Centre at Chatham as this is your centre.

Well see you soon

Karl Rogers Lead Learner TSSA