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The Union Modernisation Fund: A Guide To Emerging Learning

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Foreword

The Union Modernisation Fund (UMF) exists to promote transformational change within unions. This guide summarises the key learning points that were identified by the Centre for Employment Relations Innovation and Change at the University of Leeds Business School (CERIC) in their evaluation of Round One of the UMF.

The CERIC report contains fascinating insights into the range of challenges that trades unions face as they respond to the rapidly changing economic landscape and embark on their modernisation journeys.

The UMF has acted as a catalyst for innovation and a range of projects have demonstrated how unions can use the creative space it provides to take risks, experiment with different ways of doing things and promote innovation. UMF projects have delivered significant change for many unions and benefits to members. This is good news, as unions seek to improve the way they work, provide a better service for members and make an effective contribution to constructive employment relations.

The purpose of this guide is to bring out the key learning points from the report and enable you to draw on the experiences of other unions. Successful unions can use UMF to improve their profile, grow their membership and face the future with greater confidence.

Government and the TUC commend this guide to you and hope that it will encourage a debate about the modernisation agenda. We are keen to encourage you to reflect on the lessons for your modernisation programmes.

We will be working hard to ensure that the lessons learned from UMF projects are effectively promoted and disseminated across the wider trade union movement and beyond.

Lord Young of Norwood Green

Department for Business, Innovation & Skills

Brendan Barber

TUC

Briefing document (300 words) issued 9 Feb 2010