 |
Arena Magazine 2005 Issue 5 |
 |
National stage for unions voice
The annual conference of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) saw Usdaw reaffirm its position as a fast-growing forward-thinking union which is winning widespread respect in Government and trade union circles.
Usdaw's Supporting Parents and Carers campaign won massive support as did the push to increase the National Minimum Wage for 16&17 year-olds - making it a busy week for the union's delegation.
Usdaw will continue to be at the forefront of a modern trade union movement as it responds to the challenges of the 21st Century labour market, that was the message from general secretary John Hannett at the TUC 2005.
John and other union leaders also met with prime minister Tony Blair at a specially convened meeting. "The premier made it clear that he regards a healthy relationship between the unions and the Government as central to Labour's success," said John. "We have won many victories for Usdaw members by having a positive dialogue with Labour government ministers and we intend to carry on with that approach."
Usdaw won praise from chancellor Gordon Brown for its commitment to Lifelong Learning and the opportunities it is providing for thousands of members throughout the UK. "Like Gordon Brown I'm incredibly proud of Usdaw's achievements with lifelong learning," said John Hannett. "Our learning reps have done a fantastic job in providing courses for our members who may have missed out on education first time around. Lifelong learning is one of the reasons why Usdaw deserves its mantle as a modern union for modern times."
Deputy general secretary Paddy Lillis also took up the learning theme. "We are lobbying hard for statutory workplace learning committees," he said. "These would encourage reps and employers to work together to provide the best in learning opportunities for the workforce.
"Usdaw is committed to offering more and more courses because the simple fact is that a well trained workforce is better motivated, less likely to have time off, and more able to progress their career inside or outside of the workplace."
In a separate speech Paddy Lillis called for better regulation of the time staff spend at work. "We want to see employers encourage the workforce to work smarter not longer," he said. "In too many workplaces there is the silly notion that if you work long hours you are therefore more productive. This just isn't the case.
"We intend to lobby the Government for better regulation and to remind everyone that working excessive hours is bad for individuals, their families, and business because workers end up being too tired to do an effective job."
 Printer Friendly Page  Email to a Friend
|
