Building trade union support - Unionlearn

Building trade union support for workplace learning throughout Europe

Project coordinator Unionlearn, Trades Union Congress (TUC), United Kingdom Project partners DGB Bildungswerk, Germany European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) FNV Formaat, Netherlands Конфедерация на независимите синдикати в България (KNSB), Bulgaria Landsorganisationen (LO-S), Sweden Unione Italiana del Lavoro (UIL), Italy Związek Nauczycielstwa Polskiego (ZNP), Poland

IL SINDACATO DEI CITTADINI

This booklet was produced with financial support from the European Union. The content does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s).

2 | Building trade union support for workplace learning throughout Europe

Contents

Page 4 Foreword - European Trade Union Confederation 5 Foreword - Unionlearn, Trades Union Congress 6 Introduction to the project 7 What is the basis for trade union support for workplace learning? Workplace learning underpinned by legal provision Workplace learning underpinned by legal provision on the basis of national framework agreements Workplace learning underpinned by a national inter-sectoral framework agreement Workplace learning underpinned by sectoral agreements Workplace learning underpinned by company agreements 13 Who carries out the work of supporting workplace learning? 14 What support do these trade unionists have to carry out their duties? 17 What tasks do these trade unionists carry out to support workplace learning? 20 What types of training for workers do unions generally support? 23 What type of workplace learners do the unions mainly support? 25 Is there a process of recognising or accrediting workplace learning? 27 Does supporting workplace learning help to reinforce trade unions? 28 What more could be done at the national level to improve trade union support for workplace learning? 30 What could the European trade union movement do to improve support for workplace learning?

Building trade union support for workplace learning throughout Europe | 3

European Trade Union Confederation Luca Visentini, Confederal Secretary The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) exists to speak with a single voice, on behalf of the common interests of workers, at the European level. Founded in 1973, it now represents 85 national trade union organisations in 36 European countries, plus 10 Europe-wide industry-based federations. At our 12th Congress in 2011 we made a commitment to place more and better jobs at the top of our European agenda, and our Strategy and Action Plan underlines “the need to devote more resources to improving workplace skills in accordance with the needs of our time and to recognise and implement the right for all to have access to quality education and lifelong training”. We strongly believe that vocational education and training is key to combating the economic crisis and unemployment. However, given the challenges posed by the economic situation, further efforts are needed to combat unemployment and early school leaving and to reduce the skills mismatch. It is also important that European workers get the best out of the EU tools put in place so that they can move up the skills ladder. Our Lifelong Learning Working Group, made up of trade union experts in education and training coming from all EU Member States, provides a forum for information exchange and consultation and a network for defining and implementing a European trade union strategy for education and training.


Recommendations for future trade union work at the European level » Engage in Social Dialogue with employers’ representatives so as to reinforce the contribution that trade unions can make to the general enhancement of workers’ skills throughout Europe. » Lobby the European Commission to produce a Communication which establishes certain minimum rights for trade union support for workplace learning. » Ensure that trade unions are involved as full partners at all levels of the governance structures of the European Social Fund in all Member States. » Ensure that part of the resources of the European Social Fund is earmarked to support workplace learning and produce a booklet advising trade unions on how they can access ESF funds for workplace learning. » Activate the ETUC Lifelong Learning working group to provide support for workplace learning. » Set up further projects to highlight the role that trade unionists play in supporting workplace learning, with an emphasis on exchange of experience and the establishment of online networks.

Unionlearn, Trades Union Congress Tom Wilson, Director The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is the voice of Britain at work. With 53 affiliated unions representing six million working people from all walks of life, we campaign for a fair deal at work and for social justice at home and abroad. Unionlearn is the learning and skills department of the Trades Union Congress. It works to assist unions in the delivery of learning opportunities for their members, as well as managing the £15m Union Learning Fund (ULF). Over the past 12 years, more than 28,000 union learning representatives (ULRs) have been trained and 230,000 people are given training and learning opportunities through their union every year. Unionlearn is also responsible for providing education and training opportunities for workplace representatives and professionals via TUC Education. Each year more than 50,000 trade union members enrol in trade union education courses organised by the TUC. Union learning is growing fast. Almost every union in the United Kingdom is now involved, supported by unionlearn, helping hundreds of thousands of learners at all levels, from basic numeracy and literacy to degree level qualifications.

In a recent survey of 400 employers, covering a total of six million workers, 87 per cent said that they wanted to continue to support union learning, with two thirds saying that it benefited the organisation and 81 per cent saying it benefited the individual. Recommendations for future trade union work at the national level » Continue to investigate ways in which trade unions support workplace learning. » Engage in projects to improve trade union support for workplace learning. » Continue to raise awareness of the importance of workplace learning and of the role that trade unions are playing to support it. » Campaign to provide funding for workplace learning and also for trade unions so that they can continue to support workplace learning. » Campaign to ensure that workers have access to workplace learning. » Train trade union representatives so that they have the knowledge and skills to support workplace learning.


Introduction to the project

Unionlearn launched this project Building Trade Union Support for Workplace Learning throughout Europe in 2012. Its overall objective is to increase the capacity of trade unions at the European and national levels so that they are in a better position to: » encourage, advise and guide workers in making informed choices as regards the take-up of education and training opportunities » engage with employers, by collective bargaining or by social dialogue, in a process to improve workplace learning and to enhance workers’ skills. One of the specific objectives of the project has been to make a EU-wide study of ways in which trade unions help workers to take up education and training opportunities, with an emphasis on existing examples of good practice in the form of case studies. A survey questionnaire was distributed to all 85 affiliated national organisations of the ETUC, and the responses from 19 different countries form the basis of this booklet.1 The most obvious and important message is that trade unions play an important role in supporting workplace learning in its different forms. They act as intermediaries between workers and employers. They provide information to workers about learning opportunities. They carry out analyses of the learning needs of the workplace. They negotiate paid time off for workplace learning. They negotiate training strategies with employers.


They negotiate funding for workplace learning with employers in around half of the countries surveyed. They help workers to access funding from public authorities. They organise training courses for workers, help workers to access funding for learning from employers and act as intermediaries between workers and training providers. In short they are central to the success of workplace learning throughout Europe. The partners would like to thank all the TUC colleagues for driving the project forward. They would also like to thank their colleague Jeff Bridgford from the Department of Education and Professional Studies, King’s College London, for his expertise in preparing and analysing the survey and in writing this booklet. Tom Wilson – unionlearn TUC Ulrich Nordhaus – DGB Bildungswerk Luca Visentini – ETUC Karin Mulder – FNV Formaat Yuliya Simeonova – KNSB Bo Carselid – LO-S Milena Micheletti – UIL Dorota Obidniak – ZNP

1

Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

What is the basis for trade union support for workplace learning? Trade union support for workplace learning has been established in most European countries, on the basis of legal or contractual arrangements. In many countries, for example Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Sweden and the United Kingdom, trade union support for workplace learning is underpinned specifically by legal provision and covers a variety of different activities: promoting continuing vocational education and training (CVET), establishing and managing training facilities and programmes, implementing CVET, managing funding agencies, providing guidance and analysing needs. Workplace learning underpinned by legal provision In Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, for example, trade unions support workplace learning, via legislation regarding works councils which provides for trade union representation. In Austria the law provides the works council with extensive rights in terms of continuing vocational education and training (CVET), notably the right to information on planned initial and continuing training programmes and participation in the planning and implementation of in-company continuing training and retraining measures, as can be seen in Table 1.

Table 1 Works Council involvement in Continuing Vocational Education and Training in Austria (excerpts – Article 94 of the Arbeitsverfassungsgesetz) The company shall notify the works council of planned measures for company training and retraining at the earliest possible time. The works council shall have the right to submit proposals on matters of company training and retraining and to request training measures. The company is obliged to consult with the works council on these proposals and measures. The works council shall have the right to participate in the planning and implementation of the company training and retraining programme. The type and extent of this participation will be determined by company agreement. The works council shall have the right to participate in negotiations between the company and the Departments for Labour Market Administration concerning training and retraining… The works council shall have the right to participate in the management of the company's own training institutions. The type and extent of participation will be regulated by company agreement… The foundation, construction and closure of the company’s training institutions may be regulated by company agreement.


CASE STUDY 1 Michael Raschke Industriegewerkschaft Bergbau, Chemie, Energie (IG BCE), Germany Hello. My name is Michael Raschke. I work at Monier Roofing Components in Berlin, where I am the chairperson of the works council. The company produces high-quality roof components, and this requires sophisticated machinery and specialised knowledge and skills. Work processes are changing all the time, and so is the demand for all the workers in the plant to improve their skills. In the works council we had been thinking about what to do for some time, but we did not have the time nor the knowledge and skills to develop the training concepts ourselves. So we invited a vocational training consultant from my union, (IG BCE,) to the works council, and on the basis of the collective agreement ‘working life and demography’ in the chemical sector, we carried out a training needs analysis which revealed a demand for knowledge management skills. We presented our analysis to the plant manager. On the basis of a clear commitment from her and support from our trade union, we were able to develop and carry out an interesting mentoring programme. We signed a company agreement on qualifications. We set up interviews and surveys on the subject of training. As for knowledge management, we prepared a project KeaA (skills development in the workplace) with Kompera GmbH and the IG BCE. This included training for mentors, documentation on work processes and production equipment, as well as leadership training and the preparation of training materials. This training initiative has been of great benefit to the company and the individual workers, as can be seen from their career development. It has been running for two years now, thanks to the dedication of the works council, the resolute action taken by the plant manager and especially the support of our union, IG BCE.


In the Netherlands the works council has a general responsibility for vocational education and training, and Article 27 of the Works Council Act stipulates that the agreement of the works council shall be required for all proposals on regulations relating to staff training. In Germany the works council has the right to be consulted on matters relating to CVET, for example the establishment and equipment of in-house training facilities, the introduction of vocational training programmes in the company and participation in external vocational training programmes. It also participates in decision-making relating to the implementation of vocational training programmes in the company. It has a role to play in ensuring that workers are given an opportunity to participate in training programmes inside or outside the company and may also propose workers or groups of workers for participation in such training. In Italy the emphasis is on the involvement of trade unions in planning for training. Law No. 388/2000, Article 118 (as modified by law No. 289/2002 Article 48) determines the level of funding for training initiatives for workers in company or territorial training programmes which have been agreed by social partners within the context of Joint Interprofessional Funds for the Support of Continuing Vocational Training. It is this law which provides the basis for trade unions to define a common training strategy with employers. Currently in Italy there are 20 of these funds, 11 of which are managed by 23 employers’ associations and the three

major trade union confederations (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro, Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori and Unione Italiana del Lavoro), covering a total of 527,001 businesses and 6,763,165 workers. In Bulgaria the emphasis is on trade union involvement in training provision, and the Employment Promotion Act enables social partners to initiate, organise and implement training activities, if they have a training centre which is recognised under the law on Vocational Education and Training. In the United Kingdom, trade unions play a key role, via union learning representatives (ULRs), in helping workers into training opportunities. ULRs are workplace union representatives with statutory rights established by the Employment Act 2002. This Act sets out the five key functions for which it grants statutory rights to reasonable paid time off, as follows: » analysing learning or training needs » providing information and advice about learning or training matters » arranging and supporting learning and training » consulting the employer about carrying out such activities » preparing to carry out these activities.


Workplace learning underpinned by legal provision on the basis of national framework agreements In some countries, France and Portugal, for example, legal provision has been established on the basis of an agreement signed between national employers’ organisations and trade union organisations.

parcours professionnels, on the basis of an agreement between employers’ organisations and trade unions, for the training of workers and job seekers in the private sector. It also establishes regional contracts for the development of vocational training, which allow for the consultation of the social partners at the regional level.

On this basis the Portuguese Labour Code (7/2009) reiterates that vocational training is an individual right for workers and a duty for employers. Workers are legally entitled to a minimum of 35 CVET hours per year, and if this training is not provided by the employer they can use these hours as a credit for training outside the company. The employer is required to establish annual or multi-annual training plans which are the subject for consultation with works councils.

The law also stipulates that organisations bound by a sectoral agreement shall meet at least every three years to negotiate the priorities, objectives and means for training workers. This negotiation is guided by principles such as equal access to training for all workers regardless of professional status and size of company, the portability of the individual right to training, validation of acquired experience, access to qualifications, the implementation of the guidance and training passport, the development of mentoring and, in particular, the ways in which it can be used by workers over the age of 55 (Article 14).

In France a national interprofessional agreement was unanimously signed by employers’ organisations and trade unions in October 2009, and the French law on Lifelong Guidance and Training was voted in shortly afterwards. It proposes a coordinated national strategy which is defined and implemented by a broad constituency, the State, the regions, employers and trade unions, and carried out by a National Council for Lifelong Vocational Training with trade union representation (Article 1). It introduces a number of innovations – the portability of an individual training right for workers, the possibility for workers to attend training courses outside working hours and a new fund, Fonds paritaire de sécurisation des


Workplace learning underpinned by a national inter-sectoral framework agreement In Norway the prime basis for trade union support for workplace learning is a national intersectoral framework agreement. It was signed by the most important trade union confederation (Landsorganisasjonen i Norge) and the employers’ organisation (Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon) for the period 2010–2013. It makes provision for ‘educational shop stewards’, who are to be consulted before any vocational training measures are implemented (Article 5.5).

It also makes provision for leave of absence for educational purposes (Article 10.11). In addition it states that each company must present its objectives for future development as a basis for mapping appropriate qualifications. In cooperation with the workers, it will be the company that is responsible for mapping and initiating the necessary measures. Mapping must normally be updated once a year. Wherever there is a gap between existing qualifications at the company and its future needs, this should be covered by appropriate training measures or other means (Article 16.3). In February 2013 the three Italian trade union confederations – CGIL, CISL and UIL – signed a specific agreement with Confindustria, the employers’ confederation, on training for economic growth and youth employment. It highlighted the importance of vocational guidance, technical and professional education, and the recognition of non-formal and informal learning and apprenticeships. Workplace learning underpinned by sectoral agreements In other countries, Germany for example, there are agreements on qualifications in a variety of different sectors – metalworking and electrical industry, chemical, public sector, and textiles. In the metalworking and electrical industry a regional agreement on CVET was signed in the Baden-Württemberg region in 2001, and it has served as a model for agreements in other German regions. In this context workplace learning is defined as qualification measures which serve to enable workers to:

Table 2 Training in the Lebensarbeitszeit und Demografie agreement in the German chemical industry (Article 6.III – excerpts) Training planning and training measures In order to provide for the development of vocational qualifications it is necessary to determine existing skills and future training needs in terms of the qualification requirements for each activity. On this basis, training objectives and adequate training programmes can be established. Planning for vocational qualifications is based on occupational requirements and the need to maintain and develop workers’ skills. In the process of planning for vocational qualifications and developing training objectives and programmes it is necessary to take into consideration the interests of the workers, including special groups of workers such as older workers, shift workers and workers on parental leave. At the company level an agreed procedure, which involves staff and group discussions, should be established for qualification planning. The training programmes can be offered by employers at company level on the basis of company and individual needs, qualifications objectives and eligibility criteria for the programmes. Employers and workers will establish an appropriate qualifications agreement. The qualifications agreement will determine the costs to be covered by the employer and the workers. The two parties are required to establish the principles for the fair distribution of costs, taking account of the benefits to the company and to the individual. If there is no collective agreement on qualifications programmes, the workers on an individual basis may request time off for a qualifications programme outside the company, if they take this time from a training time account or a working time account. The definition of the period for time off will take requirements of the company into consideration.


» understand the constant development of specialised, methodological and social knowledge in the context of their own field of work (maintenance qualification) » meet the new requirements in their own field of work (adaptation qualification) » assume other equally skilled or higher skilled tasks. The agreements give works council representatives more rights and duties regarding company-level training and contain provision, inter alia, for planning CVET, time off for training and the implementation of training measures. In the chemical sector, for example an agreement ‘Lebensarbeitszeit und Demografie’ which was signed in April 2008 by the national employers’ organisation (Bundesarbeitgeberverband Chemie) and the trade union (IG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie), contains initiatives to support skills development throughout working life and to provide training guidance, as can be seen in Table 2. There are sectoral agreements in other countries, for example, Bulgaria, France and the Netherlands.

Workplace learning underpinned by company agreements Some countries – Finland, France, Germany Italy, Netherlands, Norway and Portugal for example, have company-based agreements. In Germany, for example, a recent study has identified examples of workplace learning in a total of 504 company agreements, covering 46 different sectors of the economy.2 More specifically, an interesting example from the Netherlands provides an indication of the importance of these company agreements. ING, the multinational banking and financial services corporation, signed an agreement with four trade union organisations (FNV Bondgenoten, De Unie, Beroepsorganisatie Banken Verzekeringen and CNV Dienstenbond). Article 8, entitled employability, highlights the need to maintain and develop knowledge and skills, and the company agreed to set up an ING Task Force, made up of representatives of management and unions to drive the process forward. The agreement provides for vocational education and training, specific funding in addition to the normal training budget, coaching and guidance and opportunities for certification.

2


Busse, G. and Heidemann, W., Betriebliche Weiterbildung, 3.Auswertung. Frankfurt am Main: Bund-Verlag. 2012.

Who carries out the work of supporting workplace learning? In most countries trade union representatives carry out the work of supporting workplace learning, closely followed by regional and/or national officers, and trade union trainers. In countries where works councils play a central role in workplace industrial relations, works councillors are particularly active. They are either elected by trade union members or appointed by their trade unions, or where this is appropriate appointed by works councils. In some countries, particularly Norway and the United Kingdom, educational shop stewards or union learning representatives play a central role on behalf of trade unions in supporting workplace learning.

CASE STUDY 2 Helen King Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw), United Kingdom My name is Helen. I’ve been working for Tesco since 1994. I became a shop steward in 2004, then a health and safety representative and then a union learning representative (ULR) for my store in Martlesham, near Ipswich, in 2007. In a typical week, I can attend shop stewards’ meetings to talk about how to move learning forward in the workplace; talking to people in stores about what I’m doing and running learning surveys to see what courses people want; looking for libraries or learning centres we can work with; arranging courses from training providers for different stores; and talking to people about running learning campaigns. In fact we run six or seven campaigns in Usdaw’s Eastern Region every year. Running these campaigns in stores raises morale, raises the profile of Usdaw and shows that we’re diversifying. We recruit new members, new activists, new learning representatives, and we can work with them after the campaign is finished to try and organise their workplace in a more efficient and effective way. Members may tend to see Usdaw as just grievances and disciplinary cases, but learning gives them something else from the union. It’s different with management as well – you get a lot more buy-in – because as a mobile ULR, I’m going in to stores to do learning, which is something positive, something that benefits their staff and benefits the store. I don’t get problems from any managers, they’re fully on board, and that’s what makes the difference. Making people feel better about themselves was what drew me to become a union learning representative. It’s about encouraging people to do something different, gain self-esteem and raise their morale.


What support do these trade unionists have to carry out their duties? They have a considerable level of support. In nearly all countries they receive information about training opportunities (either for themselves or for their members) from their own trade unions. They are entitled to time off to carry out their duties, generally in terms of the time off that is provided for shop stewards/union representatives or works council representatives. They may receive training from their own trade unions or from their own trade union training centres. In the United Kingdom unionlearn has trained over 28,000 union learning representatives over the last twelve years. In Italy the Joint Interprofessional Fund for the Support of Continuing Vocational Training also finances activities that contribute to the promotion, development and management of the Funds themselves, to the provision of technical assistance for those responsible for training projects, to the preparation of training needs analyses of companies and workers and to the identification of tools for control and monitoring of the financing of the activities.


CASE STUDY 3 Iliana Mincheva Конфедерация на независимите синдикати в България (KNSB) – Bulgaria Hi, my name is Iliana Mincheva. I work as an officer in the Human Resources Department of the Regional Directorate of Forestry in the city of Kardzhali. Last year I got married, and we have a young baby. My formal education enabled me to obtain a job in the first place. However, I also needed to improve my knowledge and skills in economics, social policy and management, employment and social security. So I enrolled on a course in Industrial Relations organised by the Regional Council of the Bulgarian Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Kardzhali. It was no accident that I chose this particular course. I wanted to study without having to use up all my leave. A trade union officer invited me to take part in five short theoretical training modules on Industrial Relations, with an opportunity to follow this up in the workplace over a 10-week period – in all 960 hours training. I confirmed my participation. I was able to develop the skills I needed and improve my understanding of a wide range of industrial relations issues. The course was well organised, the training materials were well prepared, as were the tutorials. Upon completion of the course, I felt a lot stronger in my position within the department and the organisation, and I am sure that the knowledge and skills that I acquired and improved will help me a lot in my future career. Moreover, this training is formally recognised. I now have the right to take examinations, both in theoretical and practical work, for a Vocational Qualification (Level 3) for the profession of Industrial Relations Management Associate, which is awarded by the KNSB VET Centre and accredited by the Bulgarian National Agency for Vocational Education and Training.


CASE STUDY 4 Natacha Soua Fédération des Employés et Cadres, Force Ouvrière (FEC-FO), France Hello, I am Natacha, I am 24 years old. Up until two years ago, I was in a very difficult situation. I had no qualifications and no professional experience and no job. I was able to join Zara, the clothing company, thanks to a training programme for disadvantaged young people which had been set up specifically by the company and the most representative trade union in the company, Force Ouvrière. At the job centre my adviser knew that I was interested in clothes and fashion and he told me about this special project. The fact that I could apply without having any qualifications was a great relief. Another surprise was that, as soon as I started my training, I earned my first pay – the minimum wage plus six per cent, as laid down in the company agreement. The initial training period lasted five weeks, and I really appreciated the support that I received from both the managers and the trade union representatives who were able to accompany me and guide me all the way. The first two weeks were great, out of the city and far away from the problems of my everyday life. We had discussions with workers about their professional experiences. We were able to forget our difficulties and build up our own self-confidence a little. These two weeks were like the beginning of my new life. What is more, the company also helped me to find a new place to live. Now I work as an assistant, in the children’s department, in two different Zara shops. I am working full-time, with a permanent employment contract, which is pretty unusual in this line of work. I have had a great chance to do a job I have always wanted to do. The next thing for me I would like to learn to read and write.


What tasks do these trade unionists carry out to support workplace learning? They carry out many and varied tasks to support workplace learning. Their most prevalent activity is unsurprisingly to act as intermediaries between workers and employers. In France they accompany workers in discussions about continuing vocational education and training and inform them about their rights and responsibilities.

They negotiate paid time off for workplace learning. Indeed in the United Kingdom negotiation at the workplace level is more likely to be about time off for training rather than funding. Requests for non job-specific training often result in a type of co-investment, with workers doing half the training in company time and half in their own leisure time.

The next most prevalent activity is to provide information to workers about learning opportunities (via leaflets, brochures, works council minutes, union magazines, union websites, direct mailshots and face-to-face meetings), to motivate workers to participate in training and to engage in awareness-raising activities about learning. In Sweden, for example, trade union representatives inform workers about their rights and responsibilities, often at an introduction day for newly employed workers, and this would include information about vocational education and training. In the United Kingdom union learning representatives are given specific training to be able to carry out these types of activities.

They negotiate training strategies with employers. In the United Kingdom, although on a limited scale (one in 10 union-recognised workplaces), union learning representatives negotiate training strategies in those companies that have a joint union/employer learning committee and a joint learning agreement. In France, however, the emphasis is on consultation, not negotiation, and this takes place at higher levels.

In around two thirds of the countries surveyed they also carry out analyses of the learning needs of the workplace. In Finland qualifications committees define and recognise training and collect information about skills needs. In France this work is not done specifically at company level, but at sectoral level in the context of sectoral observatories established within the context of the national interprofessional agreement.

Less prevalent is the monitoring of these training strategies. However, in France evaluation is obligatory, in articulation with other forms of negotiation and consultation, for example, for strategic workforce planning. In Germany these training strategies are monitored at the company level by trade union representatives in cooperation with the personnel department and the works council. In Norway, these training strategies can be monitored at the workplace level, if they form part of a collective agreement. They negotiate funding for workplace learning with employers in around half of the countries surveyed. In Germany the context would be the


agreements on training signed at the sectoral and/or regional level, for example in the chemical, textiles and metalworking industries. In France the negotiation of funding would take place within the context of Organisme Paritaire Collecteur Agréé (OPCA), an accredited bipartite training fund organisation. In other countries, Lithuania for example, this would be limited, due to the financial weakness of the employers and the resistance of local companies to investing in training.

In just over half the countries surveyed they organise training courses for workers, help workers to access funding for learning from employers and act as intermediaries between workers and training providers. In some countries, Bulgaria for example, they may offer information about the reliability of different training providers and advice about different training courses. In the United Kingdom they negotiate programmes of study and fee levels with training providers.

In half of the countries surveyed they help workers to access funding from public authorities. In Germany this would focus on such initiatives as the training programmes set up by the Federal Agency for Labour. In Bulgaria and Portugal, for example, they provide information about training voucher schemes and national employment promotion projects. In Norway this would be done through information about the availability of funding from VOX, the National Agency for Lifelong Learning, for setting up company-based training in basic skills (literacy/reading and writing, numeracy/everyday mathematics, digital competence/ICT skills and oral communication). In Sweden, although they do not directly negotiate funding with employers, they provide information about training opportunities in Folk High Schools and Adult Education Association centres.

Elsewhere, for example in the Netherlands, the FNV unions (FNV Bondgenoten, ABVA, KABO FNV, Kiem en Sport) provide careers guidance in the form of ‘careers desks’. These desks, which are normally staffed by specialised and trained trade union members, provide information on career development for workers or job seekers at all levels and constitute a base for organising specific training activities on career planning – applying for jobs and improving personal development and skills.


CASE STUDY 5 Valentina Olimpi Unione Italiana Lavoratori Turismo Commercio e Servizi, Italy Ciao, my name is Valentina Olimpi. I am responsible for personnel management in DA.NI.SAN, an SME which employees 100 people in four supermarkets in the Lazio region. In Italy it is possible for a company to enrol in an Interprofessional Fund and so allocate 0.30 per cent of the contributions that it should pay to the Italian National Social Security Institute (INPS) for training purposes. On this basis the Unione Italiana Lavoratori Turismo Commercio e Servizi presented a project which was carried out by the Regional Agency for Education and Vocational Training in Lazio, with funding from For.Te., one of the Interprofessional Funds. Trainers from the Regional Agency carried out a skills analysis of all the workers and then set up a series of training activities that concentrated on three specific themes - food hygiene, health and safety and customer satisfaction. In the first instance the emphasis was on the legislative decree 81/08 on food hygiene and how to monitor it. The second area of work focused on risk assessment, providing information on legal requirements and employers’ obligations, particularly as regards the handling of equipment used every day in our supermarkets, such as knives and slicers. Thirdly we dealt with customer satisfaction, something that had never been discussed previously in our company – understanding customers’ needs, managing stress in difficult situations, establishing a successful commercial relationship and retaining customer loyalty. I have a very positive opinion of this in-company training, both as a learner and a personnel manager. It provides an important opportunity for the growth of the company and for the development of human resources through continuous learning and the acquisition of a variety of skills. It has also led to a significant improvement in working relationships between colleagues and given them a chance to feel ‘an integral part’ of our company.


What types of training for workers do unions generally support? Unions support a variety of different types of training. Unsurprisingly the most widespread is basic trade union training, followed closely by jobrelated skills, information and communication technologies and apprenticeships. In less than half of the countries surveyed they support basic literacy skills and basic numeracy and foreign language skills. In approximately a third of the countries surveyed trade unions provide support for training at higher education level. The least support is for personal interest training, which is only provided in four countries surveyed – the Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania and the United Kingdom. In some countries there is no direct trade union support at workplace level for any of these types of training (Italy and Luxembourg). However in others (Germany and the United Kingdom) there is support for all of them.


CASE STUDY 6 Liliana Dabrowska Związek Nauczycielstwa Polskiego (ZNP), Poland Hello, my name is Liliana. I’ve been working in the educational sector for many years now, and I’m currently employed by Związek Nauczycielstwa Polskiego (ZNP), the trade union that represents teachers and other allied staff. I started my career in ZNP in 1984 in the administration of the union, as a secretary. Whilst working with different teams within the union, I performed a variety of tasks and I acquired a number of new skills on the job. I also went on computer courses, but then so did my other colleagues, so my training was not particularly exceptional. At one particular moment however, it became clear that administrative posts, such as mine, were going to be cut, and as I had not completed higher education, I didn’t have a chance of becoming a core employee. Then the head of the trade union section at my workplace advised me to begin studies at the Faculty of Pedagogical Sciences in order to raise my professional status, increase my chances of getting promotion and most importantly of remaining in a job. On the basis of her assistance, my employer agreed to cover part of the fees for my MA studies. Moreover I then became entitled to 26 days’ paid educational leave and in addition leave of absence to write my Master’s thesis. After graduating I was able to become a core employee and put into practice the knowledge and skills that I acquired during my studies. It gives me a lot of satisfaction and reassurance to know that the decision I took to continue my education was the right one. What’s more, I received a 25 per cent increase in salary thanks to the development of my professional skills. My experience shows that further education saved me from losing my job, and it also allowed me to develop my career.


CASE STUDY 7 Björn Fredblad Svenska Metallindustriarbetareförbundet, Sweden Hi, my name is Björn Fredblad and I’m 35 years old. I’m married with two sons, 9 and 11, and we live in Ingarö some 20 kilometers east of Stockholm. I did nine years of schooling, which is the minimum required in Sweden, and then I got a job in a porcelain factory. This was 20 years ago, and I’m still here working as a process technician, but now the factory is owned by Villeroy & Boch. Today we produce sanitary ware, mainly lavatory pans. My job is to mix the ingredients for the slip and glaze. I’m also a trade union member and representative. The workforce is getting smaller. Over the last ten years lots of people have left. Today there are 180 of us, and another 45 must leave within a year. In the summer of 2012 an officer from my trade union asked if I was interested in developing my skills. I said yes. After some discussions the employer and the unions agreed, and thanks to this I’ve now completed courses in ICT and economics. I never had a chance to learn ICT at school, so this is useful, and I need economics to understand budgets and balance sheets. I hope I don’t need to find another job, but, if I do, these courses will be useful. I now have some certificates which I could show to a new employer. The courses have also given me self-confidence when it comes to learning, and that has encouraged me to learn other things. My union selected the course providers and discussed with them and the employer what courses I needed. The union financed the courses with help from external funds. The employer covered my salary when I attended the course. Hopefully this will continue, and I’ll have other opportunities to develop my skills in the future.


What type of workplace learners do the unions mainly support? There is generally a high level of support for all workplace learners: » » » » » » » »

those with recognised qualifications those with no recognised qualifications those with permanent contracts those with short-term contracts men and women young people older workers immigrants.

In some countries unions support all types of workplace learners – Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In France, however, the priorities are defined by the 2009 National Interprofessional Agreement, with sectoral specificities decided by the sectoral social partners – that is to say, workers most at risk of losing their jobs, workers with qualifications at Level 5 or lower (ie those who have a basic vocational qualification), workers who have had no training over the last five years, workers who have been frequently in and out of work, workers on part-time contracts, and workers in SMEs and micro companies. There is clear evidence from a number of countries that trade unions have been able to respond to the specific needs of the immigrant communities.

CASE STUDY 8 Khawla Naji Hassan Fagforbundet, Norway My name is Khawla Naji Hassan, I have lived here in Norway for the last 12 years, but originally I come from the Kurdish areas in Iraq. I am 35 years old now and have five children. I never had the opportunity to go to school in Iraq. My father taught me how to read and write. I can read the Quran in Arabic, but I have never learned to read my own mother tongue – Kurdish. When I came to Norway, I had to deal with a new language and a new alphabet. In the beginning, it was exhausting, but I understand a little bit more every day. I have had many different jobs: in a kindergarten, in a shop, as assistant in a school and for the last few years, I’ve been working as a cleaner in the town hall. It was the union learning representative (ULR) at my workplace who contacted me and asked if I was interested in going to school in the evenings, together with some of my colleagues. We did courses in computing, mathematics and Norwegian. On the course, we were nine foreign women – only the ULR was Norwegian. I learnt a lot, and we also had a good time together every time we met! None of this would have been possible without the support and help from our ULR who gave us advice about the possibilities that exist for education and qualifications at work. Now I just want to learn more about everything! The next thing I want to do is to qualify as a skilled cleaner. The most important thing for me is not the money, but to prove for myself and others that I am able to do new things. I’m looking forward to getting started!


Is there a process of recognising or accrediting workplace learning? In 12 of the countries there is a process of recognising or accrediting this type of learning – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom. This is often the case where there is a welldeveloped system for the validation of non-formal and informal learning.


CASE STUDY 9 José Antonio de Jesus Arsenio SINDETELCO, Portugal Hello, I am José Antonio de Jesus Arsenio. I am 51 and I have worked in the communications sector of CTT Correios de Portugal since 1981. In 1998 I became an officer in SINDETELCO, the trade union for the media and telecommunications sector, and I am presently the Deputy Secretary General. I have always considered vocational education and training as an important trade union issue. I have supported the need for improving workers’ skills through the Portuguese Human Potential Operational Programme, and I have been closely connected with the Centro de Formação Sindical e Aperfeiçoamento Profissional, the training centre of our confederation, the União Geral de Trabalhadores. When the centre for the recognition of non-formal and informal learning was created, we launched a number of campaigns for the recognition of our trade union members’ skills. These centres enable workers to get qualifications, motivate them to enhance their skills and to engage in learning throughout their working lives and contribute to the general improvement in educational levels in companies in Portugal. Then I thought that perhaps I could also take advantage of this opportunity for myself. Perhaps I could obtain a qualification on the basis of the skills that I had developed over the years. So I signed up. First of all my skills were assessed. Then my ‘life story’ portfolio was drawn up, and I had a chance to study different topics along with some research work for the areas that still required improvement. In the end I obtained my qualification – a secondary education diploma equivalent to 12 years of schooling. I’m not doing it for career advancement, but it is a great achievement for me on a personal level, and perhaps I will go on to higher education at some later date.


CASE STUDY 10 Ronald van der Flier FNV Bondgenoten, the Netherlands Hello, I am Ronald. I am a member of FNV Bondgenoten, the largest trade union in the Netherlands, which has about 470.000 members in the retail, services, industrial, metalworking, agricultural, technical, and transport sectors of the economy. It also recruits temporary agency workers. I work for Lidl, the international supermarket chain. The works council in the company has traditionally been very weak and very much under the influence of the Chief Executive Officer. Only staff members were allowed to participate in the works council deliberations, and they were wary of speaking out, for fear of losing their jobs. A group of us from FNV Bondgenoten refused to accept this situation. But we were unsure about what to do and how to go about it. As members of the works council we are allowed to take five days’ time off to participate in education activities, and so I enrolled on the course ‘Winnen met Leren’ (Winning with Learning). The purpose of this training is to gain a better understanding of FNV Bondgenoten, to acquire the skills to put forward and defend the union’s policies and to build up our confidence so that we are able to act more independently on behalf of the union in the works council. On the basis of this training we were confident enough to put ourselves forward and have a real influence, and trade unionists now participate actively in works council meetings. The culture of fear is broken, and we are able to show that speaking out does not mean dismissal. And last but not least, we were able to share our successful experiences with colleagues from Walmart in Chile in an international trade union project. All in all the training provided by FNV Bondgenoten has been of real benefit for ordinary trade unionists in our company.


Does supporting workplace learning help to reinforce trade unions? Generally speaking supporting workplace learning reinforces trade unions in the workplace, as can be seen from Table 3. In three quarters of the countries surveyed this work helps to retain existing union members, to recruit new members, and to enable them to become more active in their union. The main argument is that this is a practical subject of direct interest to workers and one where trade unions can make a real impact. In addition, in two thirds of the countries the respondents thought that this work encourages social partnership (better relationships between employers and unions) in the workplace, and that this type of work supports collective bargaining on learning issues. There is evidence to show that in general collective bargaining is under intense pressure and employers are unwilling to engage in negotiations. However in six of the countries surveyed respondents thought that collective bargaining on learning issues was in fact on the increase, in eight others there was no change, and in only three was there evidence to show that it was actually declining.

Table 3 Learning and organising in North West England The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has recognised the potential benefits of linking learning and organising – so much so that this objective now forms a key part of the education and training department’s national work plan. The arrival of Manual Data Entry Centres (MDECs) in the Royal Mail has brought about a new intake of staff working on temporary contracts. Many are working for the Royal Mail for the very first time and have no experience of unions. Most are low paid, with relatively poor conditions. Around 57 per cent of the workers are from ethnic minority backgrounds, and a significant number are migrant workers. Learning is directly helping to build the union at Stockport MDEC, where the CWU has already recruited 360 out of 500 contract staff. Not only have so many new members come on board, but there are currently four union learning representatives (ULRs) and more are waiting to be trained. ‘What we’ve been accustomed to in the past is walking into a delivery office or mail centre where 99.9 per cent of the people are already in a trade union, with experienced representatives in place. This was not the case at Royal Mail’s new MDEC in Stockport. There were no trade union members, and we had to start from nothing. Looking at the workforce and the difficult environment, we knew we would need a different approach to recruitment. So we actively used learning to recruit members. Many of the workers had few qualifications, and providing them with learning opportunities was the only way to put them in a better position to bargain for better pay and conditions.’ Andy Sorton, CWU Branch Secretary.


What more could be done at the national level to improve trade union support for workplace learning? Raising awareness A number of trade union organisations, such as Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund (ÖGB), Austria, insist upon the need in general terms to raise awareness of the importance of education and learning, and more specifically upon the need to organise awareness-raising campaigns on the benefits of workplace learning for all stakeholders (Конфедерация на независимите синдикати в България – KNSB, Bulgaria).

There is a need to encourage employers, training institutions and citizens to invest in qualification measures, to include these objectives in strategic documents at national and European level and to share, collect, analyse and multiply examples of good practice (KNSB, Bulgaria). Equally in other countries, Portugal for example, there is a need to develop an educational policy for adult education (UGT, Portugal).

Developing a learning culture Many trade union organisations emphasise the importance of developing a learning culture, (União Geral de Trabalhadores – UGT, Portugal). In Germany there is a lack of systematic training provided by the State, the social partners and the companies – federal law, collective agreements and company agreements. The difficulties of transposing sectoral agreements to the company level demonstrate that there is a clear need to develop a learning culture with personnel managers (DGB Bildungswerk, Germany). This learning culture needs to be extended to the regional authorities, as in France they will be increasingly called upon to participate in the process (Force Ouvrière – FO, France).

Improving social dialogue Flowing from the notion of a shared learning culture, many trade union organisations propose improved involvement of social partners in policy development, implementation and assessment, and the adoption and implementation of a model of ‘shared responsibility’ for workplace learning (KNSB, Bulgaria) or ‘a real partnership on the basis of the legitimacy of each partner’ (FO, France). Some trade union organisations propose a more concrete form of social dialogue. The British TUC for example is in favour of giving unions in union-recognised workplaces the statutory right to negotiate on training in addition to pay and conditions, and KNSB calls for the negotiation of clauses in collective agreements relating to workplace learning.


Increasing funding Increasing funding is a key issue for many trade union organisations: Českomoravská konfederace odborových svazů – CMKOS, Czech Republic; Lietuvos Profesiniu Sajungu Konfederacija – LPSK, Lithuania; General Workers’ Union – GWU, Malta; Landsorganisasjonen i Norge – LO-N, Norway; and Latvijas Brivo Arodbiedrìbu Savieníba – LBAS, Latvia. More specifically the LPSK calls for a transparent division of responsibilities in funding based on the interests and long-term benefits of all stakeholders. This of course presents real challenges in those countries where there is no tradition and experience of funding or co-funding vocational education and training from private sources. To improve the situation throughout Europe there are more specific proposals:

Improving access Access to workplace training is a significant issue. UGT Portugal is in favour of developing a whole new system of training which would provide workers in all sectors with an opportunity to be easily substituted at the workplace and to participate in training activities. The British TUC is in favour of new legislation which would require employers to provide paid time off to train workers.

» restoring the funding for the Institutes of Advanced Labour Studies to enable them to continue to train trade union activists (FO, France); » supporting social partners’ initiatives for the development and introduction of financial instruments for workplace learning (KNSB, Bulgaria); » increasing the level of the percentage devoted to training within the compulsory insurance scheme against involuntary unemployment which is paid by employers, and thus provide more funding for VET (Unione Italiana del Lavoro – UIL, Italy).

KNSB is in favour of a system of mentors for workplace learning of employed and young people, and the British TUC proposes enhanced support for the recruitment of more union learning representatives in the workplace and more support from employers so that union learning representatives can carry out their activities more effectively.

Improving guidance For many workers access to reliable and helpful advice and guidance is an important issue. The ÖGB, Austria, is in favour of the preparation of information for participation in the existing provision of training guidance. FO, France, supports the proposal to provide workers with the right to lifelong training guidance.


What could the European trade union movement do to improve support for workplace learning? Recommendations for future trade union work at the European level » Engage in Social Dialogue with employers’ representatives so as to reinforce the contribution that trade unions can make to the general enhancement of workers’ skills throughout Europe. » Lobby the European Commission to produce a Communication which establishes certain minimum rights for trade union support for workplace learning. » Ensure that trade unions are involved as full partners at all levels of the governance structures of the European Social Fund in all Member States. » Ensure that part of the resources of the European Social Fund is earmarked to support workplace learning and produce a booklet advising trade unions on how they can access ESF funds for workplace learning. » Activate the ETUC Lifelong Learning working group to provide support for workplace learning. » Set up further projects to highlight the role that trade unionists play in supporting workplace learning, with an emphasis on exchange of experience and the establishment of online networks.


Recommendations for future trade union work at the national level » Continue to investigate ways in which trade unions support workplace learning. » Engage in projects to improve trade union support for workplace learning. » Continue to raise awareness of the importance of workplace learning and of the role that trade unions are playing to support it. » Campaign to provide funding for workplace learning and also for trade unions so that they can continue to support workplace learning. » Campaign to ensure that workers have access to workplace learning. » Train trade union representatives so that they have the knowledge and skills to support workplace learning.


unionlearn Trades Union Congress Congress House Great Russell Street London, WC1B 3LS June 2013 Design: www.design-mill.co.uk Print: Precision Printing Illustrations: Gillian Blease