date: Tuesday 23 January 2001 embargo: immediate

Attention: Industrial, Internet Correspondents, Union Journals, IT Press

Newly Designed TUC Website Offers Ease of Use and Better Features

The TUC has launched the TUC’s new, colourful, in-depth website, containing a wealth of information on trade unions and the world of work.

Replacing the TUC’s old website - which first went online four years ago and is now rather dated - the new site contains all the information the old site had, but is organised in a more user-friendly, more accessible way. It also has a variety of new features to help the visitor navigate easily around the site and keep up-to-date with TUC news.

Reached via www.tuc.org.uk, the site features the TUC’s latest news and campaigns, with all the information reached speedily using powerful search tools. A text-only version enables faster download to those with older computers or those who prefer to read the information without graphics and colours. This and the comprehensive alt tags that label the images are of particular use to the visually-impaired. The website has been designed within current guidelines on visibility and has a web accessibility page which allows a choice of text and colour options.

This new site has a number of campaigning features to support the TUC’s campaigns and promotional activities, such as the recently launched TUC Partnership Institute microsite (www.partnership-institute.org.uk), or the forthcoming TUC call centre campaign, It’s your call (launches 12th February).

Journalists will find the newsroom area particularly useful (www.tuc.org.uk/newsroom). This is where all the latest press releases are posted as soon as they are released. Users can register for an email alert every time a new release has been uploaded. The powersearch tool allows users to narrow down the search to specific subject areas and types of documents as well as keywords. What’s new on the homepage keeps visitors up-to-date with the latest documents to be added to the site.

The new TUC site features a whole host of features which will be of use to the media, students, researchers and working people alike:

• The site is arranged by different subjects including employment research, equality, health and safety, learning, organisation and recruitment, partnership, pensions, the law at work and working life.
• Britain’s unions gives details on the 76 unions affiliated to the TUC, alphabetically grouped for ease of use. People who do not yet belong to a union can use this area to fill in an online form so that they can find out the best union to join.
• The know your rights pages contain the popular TUC leaflets on work-related issues, from pensions to parental leave, and from dealing with racism at work to health and safety issues.
• Mainly students features facts and figures about the TUC, trade unions and workplace issues that unions help to solve.

In the coming months, a number of additions to the site are planned including online purchasing of TUC publications, a new learning area, discussion forums for online campaigns, subscription-only services for TUC reports and surveys, and e-newsletters for registered users.

John Monks, TUC General Secretary, says, 'Thousands of people have visited our website since it first went live in 1996. But technology moves on, and the site had become a little tired, dull and disorganised. Its replacement offers something for everyone. Its easy-to-use, well-organised format should help us tell more of you what we’re doing and bring the world of work and trade unions to a new, younger audience'.

Notes to Editors:

All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

A series of TUC rights leaflets are available on the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 8am-10pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.

The TUC website has been designed by Synergy (www.synergy-communications.co.uk) on 020 7251 0303.

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Gemma Lavender on 020 7467 1269 or 076 26 318128 (pager)

Liz Chinchen on 020 7467 1248 or 076 99 744115 (pager)

Press release (700 words) issued 23 Jan 2001