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Sub-committee: organising and learning

Members:

  • Members will be decided at the regional committee meeting on Friday, 2 September, 2011 

Role of the sub-committee

The following points were discussed and agreed on 12 September, 2008.

Terms of reference

The terms of reference for this sub-committee were discussed.

It was agreed the sub-committee reports to regional committee.

The purpose of the sub-committee was agreed as:

  • To advise regional committee and to coordinate trade union education, union learning and organising across the eastern region
  • To report and recommend on the above to regional committee and regional officers.

It was agreed the frequency of meetings would be four times a year; prior to each regional committee meeting and after the regional annual general meeting.

Composition

The composition of the sub-committee will be the regional vice chair for organising and learning; five ordinary members nominated by the regional committee; regional organiser and regional learning organiser (RLO).

Every member of the sub-committee has a vote, the chair (regional vice chair) carries the casting vote but every attempt should be made to reach decisions by consensus.

The code of conduct directly reflects the code of conduct for regional committee.

Report back of sub-committee meetings will be in writing and will be circulated and agreed by the sub-committee.

Organisers report

It was agreed at each of its meetings the sub-committee would want to see the report the organiser produces for the regional meetings. This would be helpful to direct the sub-committee workplan.

ULR (union learning rep) report

It was agreed it would be useful to have an indication of where branches have ULRs, which ULRs have been trained and as time progresses this information could be by workplace rather than branch.

It would also be useful to have information of local agreements on learning or ULRs, events held and events planned.

The RLO advised ULR activity in the region has been mapped and is working through contacting each ULR to check if they are still active. It will take time to get an accurate picture of the region as it currently stands.

TUEd report

The RLO has looked at the TUEd situation. Lots of courses are not running due to low numbers. The RLO is looking to produce flow charts showing the various courses available. The regional newsletter would seem a good method of advertising courses.

There was discussion around proposing new courses to meet specific needs. It is important to identify a real need that is currently unmet before embarking on this. The possibility of putting on events using lay tutors was also discussed, for example taking sections of existing courses as stand alone events. The key issue is funding. 

Regional plan

The following sections of the Eastern regional plan are to be actioned by this sub-committee.

Abbreviations:

  • RE - Richard Edwards, regional organiser
  • FM - Fiona McLatchie, regional learning organiser

2. Membership/organising

The short-term necessities are to obtain a fuller and clearer picture of the current situation; this is achievable by following these objectives:

1   Seek to establish the density of membership within the region (RE, FM, branch organisers)

2   Seek to establish a culture within branches of regular mapping (RE, FM)

5   Establish sustainable ULR networks within eastern region (FM)

9   Seek to hold health and safety training event with a view to forming a health and safety network (RE, FM)

10  Promote Learning at Work Day/Week and aim to maximise participation by branches (FM)


4. Learning and trade union education

2   Adopt a more structured and flexible approach to what training is offered including development of courses/modules as required (FM)

4   Encourage better take up of courses by undertaking a pro-active approach (FM)

5   Improve notice of courses to ensure that wherever possible no less than four weeks notice of a course is provided and include in those notices details of applying for time off, facilities time etc (FM)

12  Map provision and ULR activities across the region (FM)


7. Equality

1   Help deliver the Norwich Pride event (RE, FM, Regional PROUD rep)

View the complete regional plan.

Latest report

From annual report, December 2010

Although we have been campaigning since last year against job cuts, reductions in civil service compensation scheme and other terms and conditions since the general election our fight has become harder with a change of government to the Conservative-led coalition as we are now fundamentally battling against ideologies before justification.
The new government far from pretending that it believes in the public sector like New Labour did, instead it is outspoken about attacking us on every issue: jobs, pay, pensions, civil service compensation scheme with in many instances the goal of privatisation or eradication.

As regional vice chair with responsibility for organising, learning and TU education the focus for our sub-committee is now focused more than ever in equipping reps with the tools in order to campaign effectively against the threats they are going to come across, hence the recent essential skills for reps courses that I say with experience from participation have been successful and should be offered to more reps in the new year.

These courses focus on the work that we need to do regardless of position and with other activists in PCS and across other unions and community groups will need to continue to agitate into action and be organised to deliver effective action across both public sector and private sector in protection of the rights and welfare of working people.

My experience in Peterborough working with other branches in the town committee and with other unions in the Trade Union Council and other interested groups like the pensioners enable us to deliver wide ranging campaigns with good media coverage which has assisted in making PCS a strong voice in Peterborough and a leading player in the trade union movement in Peterborough which has been and can be a motivation for the rest of the region. We have held rallies and demonstrations attracting big name speakers like Jerry Hicks and John McInally, and together we will continue to do so.

As a regional committee we need to continue to organise and proactively assist and support in campaigns in all departments across the region.

We need to raise our voice politically in lobbying and campaigning to put our alternative message out to the public and change government’s mind where possible.

Finally we also need to battle against the racism of the far right across the East of England, trying to prey on working people’s problems.
One example I want to draw your attention to now is the planned English Defence League march in Peterborough on 11 December, Peterborough Trade Union Council has organised a counter march and rally at the same time, please help us by joining with us on the day to send out a strong message from PCS Eastern that racists aren’t welcome here.

Angus Ellis