LEARNING DEVELOPMENT DAY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2016 :: RMTnews 25 A round 50 RMT Union Learning reps gathered at the Trades and Labour Club in Doncaster recently for their traditional one day event. The event allows reps to share ideas and successes, learn from others experience, catch up with ULRs they have met or worked with and build their network of contacts. This year the RMT learning team built the day around feedback given by the ULRs themselves, designing much of the content and subject matter around their needs and aspirations. RMT education officer Andy Gilchrist opened the day and there were keynote speeches from the general secretary Mick Cash and senior assistant general secretary Steve Hedley. All the speakers emphasised the value of the union learning rep to the core work of the union and how they can be key in spreading the message of striving even harder and more effectively in the battle to resist the coming attacks enshrined in the new Anti-Trade Union Laws. "Make no mistake this is the biggest challenge to the trade union movement in the last 30 years. “We must all stand together and ULRs are uniquely placed to spread this message, whilst still carrying out their role of empowering workers and their families through learning and education," Mick Cash said. A new ULR handbook was launched which is a one stop shop for guidance and contacts that gave information from paid time off to links for learning providers and campaigns. Many branch secretaries who joined i the day and the workshops, helping reps to get a perspective and understanding of how the branch can support them and what they can do to organise within the branch. The RMT Learning Team Emily King, Donna Murray, Karen Skelly, Petrit Mihaj, Paul Shaw and Ivor Riddell would like to thank all those ULRs who came along and all the for their work and support in keeping the learning agenda alive. LEARNING DEVELOPMENT DAY