Report - Fire Brigades Union

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SECTION H — EDUCATION The review of the union’s education provision agreed at the 2010 conference in part focussed on the education support that will be required to help officials face the industrial relations challenges ahead. Since the approval of that approach, planning for the 2011 programme has identified the need for priority to be given to several new courses targeted at brigade and regional officials. As a consequence, two new courses will be piloted during 2011: “An introduction to fire and rescue service funding and public sector financial information” and “Rising to the challenge – contingency planning”. Materials for these courses are in the process of being drafted and will be piloted during the spring and summer. All courses have been designed to be delivered within the TUC Open College framework for accreditation and the union has been assisted by TUC tutors from a number of TUC education centres. the national team and also the regional coordinators. Course programmes and materials for both the national ULR seminar and the joint regional courses were written and delivered during the year. Particular emphasis has been given to producing materials that can assist officials handling workforce development, Skills for Life etc. Courses provided have included: ● Promoting union learning in regions; ● Union learning and organising in the UKFRS; and ● Developing union education and union learning. The executive council will continue to strive to provide the greatest range of access to educational opportunities for members and officials at all levels and positions within the FBU. The union now has a standardised system for course evaluation and feedback from each course/school is summarised by head office and provided for discussion at the appropriate committees including the national education committee, regional education meeting and the executive council. Regional education All regions continued to receive funding for educational courses and seminars as part of their overall financial allocation each quarter. Most regions have run successful courses on occasion in conjunction with other regions, a practice it is hoped will continue. National officials and the director of education/education advisor have continued discussions with regions regarding a range of issues including: ● assistance with programme planning; ● development of course materials; ● TUC discussion leaders courses; and ● support from TUC education centres. Several regions have requested assistance with course materials for use with their regional TUC education centres and materials have been provided. Courses delivered have included: ● Introductory branch officials; ● Introductory health & safety representatives; ● Introductory fairness at work; ● Handling internal (ADAE) investigations; ● Using the media; ● Dealing with accidents, injuries and claims; ● Engaging with politics – introductory; ● Engaging with politics – campaigning and organising skills; ● Handling discipline and grievance; ● Handling medical appeals; ● Time management for union officials; ● Tackling bullying and harassment; ● Conference skills/ public speaking; ● Discussion leaders and education methods; and ● Pensions briefing – update. H2 National School 2010 National School 2010 was held from Sunday 7 November to Friday 12 November at Wortley Hall, Sheffield, attracting 41 students in all. The programme was designed by national officials with the assistance of Trevor Cave, director of education, and TUC tutors John Botterill, Katherine Fry, Julie Heselwood and Paddy Hutchinson. National School Year 1 was attended by 27 members and supported by three TUC/FBU tutors: John Botterill, TUC tutor at Leeds City College School of Trade Union Studies; Julie Heselwood, TUC tutor at Leeds City College School of Trade Union Studies; and Paddy Hutchinson, TUC tutor at Newcastle College Department of Trade Union Studies. National School Year 2 was attended by 15 members and supported by Trevor Cave, director of education, and Katherine Fry,TUC/FBU tutor at Leeds City College School of Trade Union Studies. The class chairs assisting the tutors were: Ian Murray, EC member/national education committee, Region 4; Karl Horan, EC member/education committee, Region 12; Pete Smith Region 4; and Pete Wilcox, national education committee, Region 3. The school was designed to help participants: ● understand the importance of trade union activities at both local, national and international levels and the ways in which these can interlink; ● discuss key current issues for the FBU within the UK fire service of concern to the National Joint Council and identify priorities for the union and its members; Union Learning Project National officials and the director of education have continued to support the union’s Union Learning Project, working with ● consider wider issues of concern to trade unionists, including an opportunity to update themselves on fairness, equality and employment law; 142 FBU Annual Report 2011
SECTION H — EDUCATION ● ● ● ● consider how the union might develop strategies for building an effective organisation at all levels in order to protect the interests of the membership; think about the relevance of political ideas in pursuit of trade union objectives such as fair and equal treatment; discuss how to tackle racism and challenge far right ideas in the workplace; and understand the broader trade union and labour movement, both national and international, and factors affecting its development, both now and in the past. As outlined above, the school was delivered to two groups in Year 1 and one group in Year 2. A range of discussion activities was supported by inputs from both tutors and guest speakers. The school included separate programmes of study for Year 1 and Year 2. The programme of work for Year 2 was built on the assumption that learners have previously covered the work of the first year. All students were sent written pre-course reading covering both study skills and issues to be discussed during the school. The school was opened on Sunday afternoon by Sean Starbuck, national officer, and Trevor Cave, director of education. Participants then divided into their respective classes in either Year 1 or 2 for introductory sessions with their tutors and class chairs. The sessions covered an introduction to studies and a discussion of learning aims, methods and skills. On Monday the school was opened by Matt Wrack, general secretary, who introduced a session entitled “Defending quality public services and the fire and rescue service – new challenges with a new government”, followed by a question and answer session. The school then broke into group sessions to further develop the discussion. After lunch the school met again in plenary session for an introduction by Trevor Cave, FBU director of education, on “The National Joint Council for local authority fire and rescue services – understanding and defending the NJC; knowing and using your agreements”. This was followed by Year 1 group discussions on understanding the NJC and Year 2 considering national and local campaign priorities. The penultimate session of the day for Year 1 was introduced by Sean Starbuck who delivered a briefing for the next day’s visits to the National Coal Mining Museum, the exhibition of banners and the 25th anniversary of the miners’ strike 1984-85 at the NUM headquarters, Miners’ Hall, in Barnsley, and the Huskar pit disaster memorial in Silkstone churchyard. The penultimate session of the day for Year 2 was introduced by Trevor Cave who delivered a briefing for the next day’s visit to the Wilberforce House Museum in Hull. On Tuesday Year 1 visited Silkstone churchyard where participants were given the opportunity to view the Huskar pit disaster memorial of 1838. The group then proceeded to the National Union of Mineworkers headquarters in Barnsley where they were met by officials from the NUM who gave a talk on the exhibitions and the hall itself. This was followed by a visit to the National Coal Mining Museum where participants went on an underground tour to see for themselves the conditions that prevailed in the mining industry and to put the visit to the memorial and the miners’ hall in context. Year 2 made a visit to the Wilberforce Museum in Hull where they were given the opportunity to discover the history of the slave trade and the campaign to have it abolished. Participants also had the opportunity to examine the modern trade in slaves and make comparisons. This visit was a departure from previous years and, along with the visit to the mining museum, was hailed as a great success. On return to Wortley Hall the groups prepared presentations on their respective visits. These presentations were in response to activities around the themes of the visits and were to be presented in plenary session on day five. On Wednesday the morning started with a contribution entitled “Trade unions and contemporary employment relations – understanding what’s happening today”, given by guest speaker Professor Gregor Gall from the University of Hertfordshire. This was followed by a question and answer session before the school broke into groups for the classroom activities. Year 1 concentrated upon attacks on trade unions whilst Year 2 looked at dealing with hostile employers and management. Gregor Gall joined the group as guest tutor. At lunchtime all participants gathered on the steps of Wortley Hall for the traditional group photograph. The afternoon commenced with a lively plenary session led by Colin Burgon, retired Labour Member of Parliament for the Elmet constituency 1997-2010 and member of the FBU Parliamentary Support Group. The session was entitled “Understanding the current political situation” and was followed by group work developing the same theme. The final session of the day was the international session “Defend the rescuers – attacks on medics in Gaza”, led by guest speaker Sharyn Lock from the organisation Access for Peace. Sharyn gave a brief introduction followed by a sometimes harrowing film on her visit to Gaza, followed by a question and answer session. On Thursday the school opened with a plenary session led by guest speakers Alan Freeman and Bob McKee, entitled “Providing quality public services: what they cost and why we need them – countering myths and propaganda”. The groups from both years then went off to prepare for radio interviews on the government cuts to public services before returning for a plenary session where they gave their interviews. The afternoon plenary session on “Race and trade unions” was led by Dr Brian Kelly, director of the After Slavery Project, Queen’s University, Belfast. This was followed by questions and answers before splitting into groups to consider how best the FBU can go about building unity in the workplace. FBU Annual Report 2011 143
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The Fire Brigades Union Executive C
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