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McFadden announces Union Modernisation Fund awards

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM News Release (2007/047) issued by The Government News Network on 11 September 2007

Employment Relations Minister Pat McFadden today announced 28 projects awarded grants worth a total of £2.8m from the Union Modernisation Fund (UMF).

The fund was set up two years ago to help trade unions adapt to a changing labour market and modern workplaces, and to provide examples of best practice for other unions to follow. Last year a first round of 35 projects worth £3m was awarded.

A range of innovative bids have secured funding under the second stage of the funding. They include projects to:

* Help adapt to increasing diversity in the workplace (and address vulnerable worker issues)

* Improving two-way communications within unions

* Support development of union representatives to promote equality

* Apply modern management methods to unions

* develop the professional competence of union officers

Announcing the winning bids, Pat McFadden said it was encouraging that the projects under Round One were already making good progress. He said:

'A strong economy needs modern workplaces, and modern unions are a part of that. Unions are making a significant contribution to greater productivity and a highly-trained and motivated workforce.

"Although disputes are often what makes the news, unions can and do help bring constructive employment relations, and help members manage their working lives.

"Like many businesses, unions can benefit from targeted support to keep pace with the rapidly changing economic and employment landscape.

"We want these projects to be a catalyst for change."

Leeds University Business School will provide a final independent evaluation of the fund in late 2008.

Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC said: "British business gets direct public spending support every year. This welcome support for the latest union projects will help provide a quality service in the modern world of work. They will benefit members and are good for employers and the wider economy. Other unions can and should follow the lead they set."

A full list of the successful bids and the selection criteria is below.

Notes for Editors

1. 53 applications were received by DTI by the closing date (20 April 2007). 28 projects have been awarded funding under Round Two, subject to clarification with officials of particular project elements or costings before formal grant offers are made. Total commitment for these projects is around £2.8m, though this sum may reduce as a consequence of individual negotiations with bidders. A further five bidders, whose projects were considered to have intrinsic merit, and would have clear transformational potential, provided certain gaps or deficiencies can be addressed, have been invited to re-submit their applications

2. Capacity building for equality reps was added as a priority theme in Round Two, following recommendations made by the Women & Work Commission.

3. The projects were selected on the basis of recommendations made by the independent Supervisory Board, comprising individuals with academic, union and business backgrounds and chaired by Sir Bill Connor. Bids were assessed against the following selection criteria:

* Transformational change - the extent to which the proposed project demonstrated the potential for transformational change, with regard to the definition of a modernisation project.

* Priority themes - the extent to which the project addressed one or more of the six priority themes.

* Additionality - it had to be shown that without UMF support the project would either not go ahead at all, not go ahead on the same timescale or scale, or would be of a significantly different nature.

* Sustainability - it had to be shown that proposed project benefits would be sustained and developed after the period of UMF assistance.

* Dissemination - the proposed project must be capable of providing a demonstration effect for others within the union movement.

* Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)- the bid must include a robust M&E strategy, explicitly linked to project objectives, milestones and timelines.

* Value for money - the proposed project must offer value for money.

* Project design - the application must show a clear rationale for the project, clear and realistic objectives linked to appropriate performance measures, clearly identified milestones and outputs, and an appropriate assessment of the potential risks of the proposal.

* Project management - the project must be realistically costed, with suitable project management and governance arrangements, realistic timetable and resource planning, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities of key participants.

4. The UMF was created by the Employment Relations Act 2004. When it was launched it was envisaged that the Fund would be in the region of £5-10m overall, spread over several years. The UMF cannot be used to support: direct recruitment activity in respect of particular employers; enhancing a union's ability to engage in collective bargaining, trade disputes or in representing individuals in disputes with employers; or expenditure on political objects, as defined in section 72 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. (The first two exclusions do not apply if the particular employer in question gives consent to the project.)

5. BERR will work with individual unions and the TUC to share the learning that emerges from individual projects via published case studies, websites/communications networks and networking opportunities.

6. Further information on the UMF is available on the website:

http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/trade-union-rights/modernisation/page16097.html

UMF Winners under Round Two

Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) - BECTU: the networked union
The project seeks to transform the members' relationship with the union by using web-enabled tools to empower them and enable them to: influence policy, take control of their own records, communicate directly with colleagues and access services more easily. The union would be empowered centrally to improve communications, service delivery and promote diversity.

Unison - Migrant Workers Participation Project
The project seeks to respond to the increasing diversity of the labour market (including those originating from within the EU) and improve Unison's ability to supply services geared to the needs of a diverse membership. The aim is to involve migrant workers at all levels of the union, and reduce economic and social exclusion.

TGWU - T&G21: Modernising Management and Training
The project seeks to bring in external expertise to design and pilot a management training programme as part of a broader change process which aims to tackle the challenges presented by the changing workplace.

GMB - Developing Modern Management Methods in the GMB
The project seeks to respond to the challenges generated by recent change within the union and pro-actively improve internal management systems, develop a team culture and implement a sustained performance improvement.

TUC - Green Workplaces
The project seeks to develop new skill-sets for members and employers which will enable them to work together to promote energy and resource efficient, sustainable workplaces. This will be achieved via a series of pace-setter projects, the results of which will be widely disseminated.

Scottish TUC - One Workplace Equal Rights: Tools and training for workplace representatives
The project seeks to address the significant gap between initial successes in its equalities work and the effective mainstreaming of equalities activities within affiliate unions. This will be achieved via development of a training package; development of a best practice network; the dissemination of outcomes across affiliates; and mainstreaming of the activity within the STUC workplan.

USDAW - Developing Competent and Confident Managers
The project builds on their successful Round One UMF project, which focused on developing the systems and processes for the strategic management of the union, via introduction of a best practice management model. It seeks to develop new skills and behaviours in the senior management team, which will drive the new system, as well as extend the training to the next tier of the organisation.

Accord and Amicus - Rep training in partnership
The project seeks to develop capacity to support and train reps in understanding modern business practices as part of the existing partnership agreement with HBOS.

Unison - Establishing equality reps in Unison
The project seeks to support Unison's equality strategy by training and development of equality reps; capacity building to engage more effectively with employers; and improvements to service delivery to ensure equality and diversity issues are addressed effectively by employers.

FDA - FDA Integrated Membership System and Website
The project seeks to develop an integrated membership system and website to transform the unions' communications and membership services. The system would: communicate more effectively to a diverse audience; better engage members in democratic processes; facilitate two-way communications; improve internal efficiency; and provide on-line tools for lay reps.

TUC - Training and evaluating union equality reps
The project seeks to develop a targeted training programme for tutors and union equality reps to ensure they focus on relevant issues and engage effectively with both employers and members. TUC would work with unions to provide general courses open to all; targeted training for individual unions; and to share good practice from those undertaking their own training

General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) and Connect - A New Agenda for Equality in the Workplace: training for equality reps
The project seeks to develop training and on-line learning opportunities for equality reps, as well as establish national and union-based networks for reps. GFTU will work with the CEHR to ensure synergies with their policy priorities.

Prospect - Building capacity within the defence sector to develop and sustain Prospect equality reps
The project seeks to extend the scope of the union's activities in the defence sector, to groups currently marginalised, and transform representative structures. This would be achieved by undertaking initial research; developing strategies to overcome barriers to participation; establishing training, development and mentoring programmes; and mainstreaming the activity in collective bargaining/consultative machinery.

Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) - Developing Effective and Representative Lay Structures
The project seeks to equip lay reps to undertake a broader branch role via an improved communications infrastructure and a training and development programme.

Union of Construction Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) - Managing Change: modernising our capacity to respond, develop effective partnerships and engage with members
The project seeks to respond to a series of internal and external challenges and implement a broad-based change programme. This would be delivered via: development of an on-line communications centre; a membership survey to inform the modernisation process; and a training programme for lay reps and officers.

National Union of Teachers (NUT) - Fairer futures: Putting Equality Opportunities at the Heart of NUT Local Structures
The project seeks to build the capacity and effectiveness of equal opportunities officers (EOOs) and re-vitalise participation in NUT's local structures. This will be delivered via recruitment of additional EOOs, a training and development programme and development of a good-practice network.

Unison - Virtual Branches Proposal
The project seeks to respond to changing employment patterns and pilot a virtual branch network to better target members, empower them to participate in branch affairs, and overcome traditional barriers to participation.

Communications Workers Union (CWU) - Youth Empowerment Strategy
The project seeks to radically transform CWU's approach to recruiting and empowering young workers via development of a dedicated resource focussed on developing and supporting young reps, and with the aim of mainstreaming youth activity across union structures.

Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA) - Underpinning Equalities: capacity building and beyond
The project seeks to mainstream the equalities agenda by assisting the unions Self-Organising Groups to engage with their constituents; provide modular, tailored training for reps; and build capacity through a network of lay advisors.

National Union of Schoolmasters, Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) - Support for overseas trained teachers in London and the South-East
The project seeks to provide more effective access to information for overseas trained teachers (OTTs) on professional aspects of the teachers' role as well as social and cultural issues; and to enhance the effectiveness with which the union responds to the needs of OTTs. This would be delivered via a dedicated website and targeted training for union equality officers.

Communications Workers Union (CWU) - Deconstructing Equality Barriers through Union Training
The project seeks to further modernise their equality-based education and training materials via an interactive toolkit on equality legislation and a best practice guide on industrial relations.

The Musicians Union (MU) - Managing Change: transforming our traditional structures
The bid seeks to build on their Round One project and undertake a major consultation exercise to research the effectiveness of existing structures - and identify options for modernising them, increasing diversity and improving members' participation in union affairs.

Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) - Modernising our organisation
The project seeks to implement outcomes from their two successful Round One projects, by developing a training programme for members to use the new membership system and using a professional data cleansing and collection service to populate the new system.

Fire Brigades Union (FBU) - Feasibility study into impact of equal status of part-time fire workers
The project seeks to a. undertake an impact study of the consequences of the part-time workers regulations on the 'retained' members of the FBU; and b. implement the recommendations arising from the study.

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and six other unions - Collaborative Working: feasibility study and implementation plans
The project seeks to undertake a feasibility study to explore opportunities for collaborative working. The aim is to identify the scope for sharing facilities and support services and thereby reduce infrastructure costs and improve the quality of services

Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) - Mentoring for Women Reps
The project seeks to tackle the under-representation of women in key branch and regional union positions within PCS Wales via an accredited mentoring, skills training and leadership training programme.

Community - Community Trade Unionism and the NEC: contributing to the union's modernisation
The project seeks to improve understanding between full-time officers and the NEC via an education programme covering strategy, culture, marketing and financial skills similar to their successful Round One project.

Association of Professionals in Education and Children's Trusts (ASPECT) - The Next Generation: Modernising Communications for Trade Unionists in the 21st Century
The project seeks to develop an inter-active intranet facility for members and staff to improve communications, improve access to information and underpin a better understanding of diversity issues.

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