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Education Officer’s Report – September 2017
1.
The GFTU had a visible presence at this year’s Tolpuddle Festival; in terms of affiliates (the
Bakers’ Union were there in strength); partners (such as the Radical filmmakers collective
and Chris Jury & Liberating Arts); and the distribution of the ‘Liberating Arts’ festival flyer
and the ‘Education for Action’ syllabus. The GFTU was involved in the running of the Radical
History School, and the Education Officer spoke on five separate platforms over the
weekend, including the Radical film network and the GMB Young Members’ School.
2.
In the wake of the festival, there was a discussion between GFTU and Nigel Costley, of South
West TUC, that resulted in agreement over the TUC distributing materials and sending email
shots to support the ‘Liberating Arts’ festival and to back further GFTU involvement in the
Radical History School and the running of a Children’s film programme at next year’s
Tolpuddle.
3.
TSSA are continuing to make good use of our services and programme, and work is
underway with its Education Officer and Coms team, respectively, to rewrite the core course
curriculum and to design a certificate for participants on courses.
4.
Similarly, a GFTU course certificate is being designed that makes use of images from the
Federation’s collection in the archives of the Bishopsgate Institute and contemporary
photographs.
5.
GFTU facilitated at political day school – and open activists’ meeting - at Kings Lynn, hosted
by GMB No.1 Branch.
6.
Work has begun on the Bill Ash archive, at Bishopsgate, to assist with the publication of his
last novel,
Guerrillas in the Mist,
edited by Doug Nicholls.
7.
The GFTU Education Officer has met with the GMB Midlands & East Coast Education Officer
to discuss the promotion of the GMB Education programme, the use of Quorn Grange by the
union (not least for weekend activists’ schools), and the training of reps.
8.
The visit of the delegation from the Vietnamese Trade Union Confederation has now been
confirmed for 11
th
-15
th
December. The TSSA and GMB unions have offered assistance in
organising workplace visits for the Vietnamese officials. The purpose of the visit, in line with
the 2010 TUC resolution, is to focus upon Health & Safety in the workplace.
9.
Work has begun on extending the existing GFTU tutor pool.
10. While course enrolments have been good for the reps introductory, and advanced reps
courses; and excellent for the training run for the TSSA and Bakers’ Unions, in London and at
Northern College, respectively; the uptake of affiliates on the GFTU’s own courses at Quorn
has been disappointing. The core GFTU courses were cancelled, in May 2017, due to a lack of
uptake (with only 1 or 2 applications per course).
11.
The hard figures, since then, are as follows:
12.
New Reps Development, Quorn Grange, 19-20 June – 12 participants (ran)
13.
Effective National Communications Strategies, 28 June – 1 applicant (cancelled)
14.
Experienced Reps Development, Quorn Grange, 6-7 July – 6 participants (ran)
15. Webinar ‘Wages Inflation & Pay Bargaining’, 4 September – 42 participants (ran)
16.
Employment Tribunals 1, Quorn Grange, 6 September – 1 applicant (cancelled)
17. Money Matters, Quorn Grange, 11 September – 1 applicant (cancelled)
18.
Shop Steward Stage 1 (Northern College), 11-15 September – 18 applicants (running)