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10
A number of dominant themes have underpinned the GFTU’s work: the need to re
engage young workers with the trade union movement, the need to create a modern
trade union education curriculum and ways of learning, the need to preserve labour
movement history and to re-invigorate trade union campaigning, organising and
education with arts and culture.
11
Providing the best facilities we can at Quorn Grange for affiliates’ in conference or
training or relaxation is an important part of our work and we remind all affiliates that
our discounts at the hotel are all available at discount to all members.
12
We play a vital role in assisting new unions in forming and growing and we play a role
too in helping experienced unions out when there are difficulties. There is no question
to big or small that we cannot be asked to consider, the GFTU is extremely keen to help
out at any level.
13
Specialist officers in unions and General Secretaries themselves need all the support
they can get and we are pleased that our informal forums for these groups have proved
beneficial.
14
In order to develop deeper thinking about the future and organisation of trade union
education we have provided a forum for education officers and those interested in
transforming the curriculum
15
Our trade union management development programme and work with universities and
the Institute of Leadership and Management has strengthened our capacity to make
unions better managed organisations with better managers in them.
16
We strongly believe in national collective bargaining and in the professionally organised
workplace with sound relationships between employers and organised unions. We have
welcomed working with ACAS more closely this year to assist the development of the
modern workplace.
17
We believe that unions deserve the best professional advice on everything from
investments to ICT and have spent time making arrangements with companies keen to
bring high level professional expertise to bear economically on the development of our
Movement.
18
The world of work for too many is a terrible place. The hard end of victimisation at work,
zero hours contracts, redundancy, factory and service closures are nothing new to us
and we have intervened and lent a hand where requested in some very difficult
circumstances. We put the difficulties we see in a context and campaign for policy
changes also. We consistently lend our support to trade unionists overseas and worthy
causes.
19
We have established some new and important traditions. Our TUC social is now the
biggest and best at Congress and we find a great way there of mixing some business
with a lot of camaraderie and pleasure. Our Next Generation Festival is an established