Union Modernisation Fund
Monday 29 January 2007, 9.30 - 13.30, Congress House, London
The purpose of this seminar was to look at the progress so far on the UMF and to generate ideas about where the UMF process might take unions.
It was jointly run by Unions 21 with the TUC and Union Ideas Network
The seminar looked at the work of the Union Modernisation Fund and highlighted some of the projects, which have been supported during Round One of the Fund.
The first session sought to set the context for union modernisation. Paul Nowak (TUC National Organiser) outlined the current challenges that unions face. There was both good news and bad news for those in attendance. Paul spoke about the changing fortunes of unions in recent years. The thirty year decline in union membership appears to have halted but the great quest for modern unions is to reach out to the millions that have never been union members. Download Paul Nowak's presentation Rachel Lopata Download Rachel Lopata's presentation The final perspective on the context for modernisation was provided by David Yeandle, Deputy Director of Employment Policy for the Engineering Employers's Federation. David summarised the EEF's view of the UMF - it had a number of initial reservations about the fund but felt that they were taken into consideration. He was particularly keen on the funding strand that focused on more partnership work between unions and employers. He felt that the UMF was an opportunity for unions to help further the concept of High Performance Working. Download David Yeandle's presentation l-r Diana Holland (T&G), Bill Conor (Chair UMF Supervisory Board) John Lloyd (Community) The second session looked at some of the Round One projects. Diana Holland from the T&G spoke about their project to develop a toolkit for equality reps. The union already had good equality structures but the UMF provided an opportunity to both increase the profile of and improve the resources for equality reps. Developing Equality Reps had now become a funding strand for the Round Two of the UMF. Diana urged the unions present to take up the funding opportunity saying that the Government was waiting to see how the work of equality reps developed before it would consider a statutory role for them. Download Diana Holland's presentation Louise Grainger (below right) presented Equity's Round One project. The entertainment union decided it needed to respond to the specific situation of its membership - where at any one time there are more members job-seeking than in full-time employment. Equity is using the fund to help them develop and set-up an online talent directory - members will be able to list numerous details from their age to their shoe size and prospective employers will be able to carry out detailed searches to fill open positions. Louise noted that carrying out the application for their project had provoked the union to think about its overall strategy for modernisation. It had also been a challenge for such a small union with limited resources. She echoed comments of other speakers not to underestimate the amount of administration involved and that all applicants should factor in the costs from the beginning. She also paid tribute to the advice that was available from DTI officials during the application process and the project. John Lloyd (above left) from Community, and Chair of Unions 21, outlined his union's UMF project by emphasising the importance of culture change in merging unions. The Community project looked at culture, strategy, marketing and managing experts in the trade union context, and above all, surfaced all the changes that will have to be made in the new union. Community worked in partnership with the Henley School of Management, adapting their enormous expertise in third sector management issues to the union's priorities. John pointed out how exciting it was for Community in looking at trade union issues in this way. 'There's no going back' he said, and acknowledged the powerful effect the UMF work had had on his union. TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O'Grady was the final speaker. Frances rejected the doom and gloom predictions that some commentators are making about the future of the trade union movement. Modernisation is not something that is being done to unions. Unions had always been agents for progressive change - the challenge now is to adapt to the increased pace of change. Modernisation means "not abandoning our principles, not apologising for our beliefs, not for one moment overlooking our history, but building our capacity, reforming our structures and developing our services." Frances went on to set the UMF in a wider context. She felt that it is a part of modernising the economy and that the UMF is recognition of the important contribution that unions make to UK plc. Nobody expects it to be a panacea but it does give unions "the breathing space we need to respond to a changing world."
Jim Fitzpatrick MP (left), the Under Secretary of State for Employment Relations,opened the seminar and outlined the Government's thinking behind the Union Modernisation Fund.
from Opinion Leader Research followed on from Paul Nowak as she spoke about what non-members or never-members thought about trade unions. One element of the research was to ask focus group members to draw a picture that represented their idea of unions. The initial amusement for trade unionists at seeing how they are perceived was soon tempered on more reflection by what the movement needs to do to change attitudes towards and raise awareness of unions.
