TUC President visits Kirklees Council

To mark Adult Learners’ Week Kirklees Council welcomed the President of the Trade Union Congress Mohammed Taj who spoke at two events at Huddersfield Town Hall on Monday 16 June.  

One of the events celebrated the 1^st Anniversary since Kirklees Council, Unison, Unite, GMB and Unionlearn signed-up to their first ever Learning Agreement. 

The Council is one of the few Councils in Yorkshire and Humberside to actively progress joint working with the Trade Unions - to support functional skills in the workforce. The agreement recognises the special role Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) play in encouraging employees to come forward and develop their English and Maths skills.

The partnership aims to inspire and motivate adults to get over the stigma sometimes attached to learning. Adults can be put off from learning because of their previous experience at school, or perhaps because they have not undertaken any formal learning for a long time.

As an employer, the council wants to lead by example to create the right environment for staff to learn. Investing in the basic skills of any workforce helps to maximise their potential and achieve improvements in work performance.  It also supports individual’s career development and improves their confidence to gain new skills in a rapidly changing work environment. 

Mohammad Taj is the first Asian and Muslim trade unionist to be elected President of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Taj has worked in public transport since 1974 when he started working for Bradford City Transport as a bus conductor. Commenting at the event, he said: ‘’promoting learning to working people has been at the heart of the Trade Union movement from its early pioneering days. It continues today through the work of Union Learning Reps and education officers up and down the country.  ULR’s act as evangelists for learning and training among their colleagues and workmates. Higher skills and training mean improved productivity and performance, better morale and a workforce that can adapt to new work processes. These benefits transfer to their home life as well.’’

Bill Adams, Regional Secretary TUC, spoke of the importance of how trade union learning representatives are pivotal in the work carried out, ensuring they play an essential and constructive part in core business training priorities.

In the afternoon Taj gave a presentation and took part in a discussion about the role of trade unions in a modern, flexible and emotionally intelligent organisation.

These events were part of Adult Learners’ Week 14 – 20 June - the UK’s largest learning campaign to encourage more adults to give learning a go. This can involve catching up on skills not learnt at school, to learn for or at work, to learn for fun or meet new people.