RMT LEARNING: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: november/december 2008 :: RMTnews 32 1. WHAT IS THE UNION LEARNING FUND (ULF) AND WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? Union Learning Fund was set in 1998 and the money comes from the government. The aim in creating the Union Learning Fund was to promote activity by trade unions in support of the objective of creating a learning society. 2. WHY HAS THE GOVERNMENT SET UP THE ULF AND WHERE DID THE ULR ROLE COME FROM? • The government, in the late nineties, commissioned reports to see if the UK workforce is on track to compete with other countries in skills and the business needs of the future. • They found out that the UK is 17th out of 30 industrialised countries for adults without the skills needed for a modern economy. • One in five adults, it stated, are functionally illiterate - that is, if given the Yellow Pages they cannot find the page for plumbers • The Moser report made 17 recommendations and one recommendation was to develop a new union role (Union Learning Representative) that would support and encourage people into learning. 3. HAS RMT BEEN INVOLVED? RMT has been bidding successfully for ULF fund since 2004 as a part of Rail Union Learning (see below). Previous to this the RMT had some successful company based projects funded by ULF. More recently the RMT has formed its own project called RMT Learning and has secured ULF funding until March 31st 2010. 4. WHAT WAS RAIL UNION LEARNING? Rail Union Learning was formed in 2004, bringing together under one umbrella the individual learning projects that ASLEF, RMT and TSSA were running. After four years of working together, successfully establishing the unique role of the ‘Rail Union Learning Rep’, the time has come for each of these unions to concentrate on making learning integral within their structures. Taking forward the many positive aspects of Rail Union Learning, ASLEF, RMT and TSSA will be running separate learning programmes from April 2008. Naturally, ASLEF, RMT and TSSA will continue to act together within workplaces to benefit all learners. 5. WHY HAS RMT BEEN INVOLVED? RMT takes education very seriously, from the training of all our representatives to the professional and personal development of all our members. We know how education empowers people to become activists, to move on in their careers and take control in their personal lives. We know how important it is to have the knowhow of how to find help when you need it, whether finding a plumber in the Yellow pages or contacting your local rep. RMT LEARNING: FREQUE What is this learning stuff all about anyway? Learning team: RMT education officer Ray Spry-Shute, Development Worker (North) Graham Chesters, Project manager Teresa Williams, Shipping Development Worker Mike Sargent, Network Rail Development Worker Jen York, Administrator Andrew Brattle. Development Worker (South) Sharon Allen.