Summer courses
Summer learning
The heat may be on but it’s cool to learn with Unite! Choose from an array of courses on advanced negotiation skills, organising and bargaining skills, equalities for Black and Asian members, health and safety courses, and some interesting stuff for young members too
ADVANCED NEGOTIATION SKILLS
There will be three different courses in advanced negotiation skills held over five days at our venue – and you can only attend one course.
The date of the courses are April 15 to 19; the venue is The View Hotel, Eastbourne.
Advanced Negotiation Skills for Jobs and Jobs of the future
This is an advanced course for senior workplace reps. It will provide reps with the skills to frame your discussions with employers over business strategy and its impact on jobs. This course will examine the nature of work. We will examine jobs in today’s labour market, what shapes those jobs, the economics of work and the nature of supply chains.
The course will look at procurement and investment and you will gain research skills in the context of current industrial and economics challenges such as free-ports, deregulation, industrial restructuring, and automation.
This course is primarily designed for experienced representatives.
Advanced Negotiation Skills for Decent Conditions
This is an advanced course for senior workplace reps. This course is designed to develop senior reps in high level negotiation skills.
We will use a range of techniques including role play and case studies in order to recreate realistic negotiation arenas in which to test and enhance our skills. The course will use a range of techniques including role play and case studies through which our skills can be enhanced.
We will look at working time, work study engineering, performance management, job evaluation, lone working, home, and hybrid working and many other issues common to the negotiating table.
Advanced Negotiation Skills for Pay
This is an advanced course for senior workplace reps. This course will provide activists with an understanding of Unite’s strategy on pay and pay claims.
You will learn how to research and develop pay claims and use the pay claim generator. You will also see the value of forensic methods of interrogating accounts and look at the value of mapping your community to build alliances to support Unite members in furtherance of improving pay and conditions and creating jobs.
You will practice bargaining skills: will look at elements of pay systems including performance pay and you will identify how to build successful member consultation in support of claims.
YOUNG MEMBERS
Young Member Political Education (Weekend) Course
The selection of delegates to attend this course is based on criteria determined by our National Young Members’ Committee and Regional Political Officer to ensure fairness and transparency.
The date of the course is May 10 to 12; the venue is The View Hotel, Eastbourne.
The industrial relations landscape has never been so political, governments continue to legislate against unions and the wider activist movement, automation and Ai is slowly creeping into our working lives and the threat of climate crisis looms.
Unite operates industrially, politically, and internationally to challenge the issues which confront our members and their families in work and beyond the workplace. This weekend school looks at how you might become more involved with ongoing campaigns.
This is an opportunity for young members from all regions and nations (who do not need to be an Elected Rep) to come together in a relaxed training environment to learn more about Unite and how to get involved. We look forward to welcoming you on our course!
Young Member Education Course
The date of the course is June 17 to 21 and the venue is Birmingham.
The selection of delegates to attend this course is based on criteria determined by our National Young Members’ Committee to ensure fairness and transparency.
This course will equip you with the knowledge of Unite’s structures, break down some of the Trade Union Jargon, and most importantly show delegates where Young Members fit into our Union and the next steps to getting involved.
The National Unite Young Members course is an opportunity for young members from all regions and nations (who do not need to be an Elected Rep) to come together in a relaxed training environment to learn more about Unite and how to get involved.
There will be sessions on the Union’s International, Political, Industrial and Environmental Policies and Campaigns and you will learn how to build effective campaigns. Creative elements to the course will also provide opportunity to work with others to create short films for a mock campaign you can plan during the course. We look forward to welcoming you on our course!
ORGANISING AND BARGAINING
There are three courses for you to choose from – held over five days at our venue – and you can only attend one course.
The date of the courses are June 3 to 7; the venue is The View Hotel, Eastbourne.
Organising & Bargaining in a Global Labour Market
This is an advanced course for senior workplace reps. This course delves into the nature of global organising and links with global trade union federations.
You will find out about Unite’s international policies and links with other organisations worldwide. You will discover how to make practical links with workers in your own company or sector, in other countries and understanding of how to campaign globally building labour power within global supply chains. You will also learn the value of European Works Councils and Information and Consultation Regulations.
Organising and Bargaining for Equality
This course is open to all Unite workplace reps and workplace Branch Officers to attend. This course will assist all workplace reps and branch officials to understand the importance of equal opportunities for all, and why it is essential to organise, negotiate and campaign around equality in the workplace.
This course covers issues for all under-represented groups within our membership: Women, Black and Asian ethnic Minorities, Disabled and LGBT+, young and older workers.
Organising, Bargaining and Campaigning at Work
This advanced course is for senior workplace reps interested in developing their understanding of workplace organising relating to collective bargaining strategy in the workplace. We will look at multi layered campaigning and building workplace power.
We will utilise legal, industrial, shareholder, media, political and international strategies, in order to create strong alliances whilst using Unite and wider movement relationships to build effective campaigns and win for workers.
We will identify how “member consultation” works so that you can organise effectively how to bring employers to the bargaining table.
HEALTH & SAFETY ADVANCED COURSES
There are three H&S courses running in the same week, please only choose one course for the duration of the week.
Who should attend: Experienced safety reps who have completed Health and Safety 1A&1B and 2A &2B in their region.
The date of the courses are June 17 to 21; the venue is The Aloft Hotel, Birmingham.
Organising and Bargaining in Mental Health
This is an advanced course designed for workplace reps and Branch Officers and looks at the key issue of mental health as an organising issue.
Prior to attending this course reps should have attended Mental Health Awareness in their region. The course will delve into the workplace environmental factors that can contribute to mental ill health. Workplace stress, long working hours, lone working and performance targets are just some of the issues that the course will examine in the context of mental health and well-being.
The course examines ways to create healthy workplaces and provide representation for members experiencing mental health conditions. You will develop effective strategies and methods to ensure employers are taking responsibility to provide mental health support for workers.
Risk Assessment for New Methods of Working
This course will examine the challenges of risk assessment in a fast-changing working environment encompassing the issue of home and hybrid working, lone working, mobile working, and future technological change.
Our members have faced huge changes in work over the past few years and often the assessment of risk has been offloaded to workers to accommodate what were thought to be temporary changes. Now many workers are expected to do their own risk assessment with minimal guidance or supervision.
The increase in automation and AI has also led to huge challenges in the field of safety, alongside the concerns over air quality and ventilation sparked by the pandemic.
EQUALITIES
Black & Asian Members’ Leadership Development Course
The date of the course is July 15 to 19; the venue is The Aloft Hotel, Birmingham.
This course is open to Black and Asian Unite workplace representatives and branch officers, we positively encourage applications from Black and Asian women.
This course will empower Black and Asian workplace reps to build their confidence and progress by identifying effective ways and methods to encourage Black and Asian union reps and branch officers to get further involved in Unite.
You will develop the skills needed in the Workplace, in the Union, at conference and in the wider Labour Movement, at all levels, to build involvement and take action for Race Equality.
