| City of Chester MP Christine Russell will today (Tuesday 23rd September) visit The Pl@ce learning centre at Royal Mail in Chester to see for herself the impact trade unions are having on helping staff to improve their skills. The Communication Workers' Union (CWU), with the support of unionlearn*, the TUC's learning and skills organisation and Royal Mail, have established a learning centre that enables staff based at the sorting office to develop their own potential and career opportunities. The MP will meet union learning reps (ULRs) and management as well as hearing from staff about their learning experiences and presenting learners with certificates. The visit follows a number of milestone successes for the Pl@ce, including the prestigious unionlearn Quality Award* and appearing in the unionlearn North West DVD. The centre has also gained recognition for producing a DVD highlighting issues surrounding deaf awareness. Christine Russell, MP for City of Chester said: 'This is a great example of how working in partnership can benefit all. Particular praise should be given to the CWU and Royal Mail for their success in developing a learning culture at Royal Mail in Chester. Thanks to the dedication of the CWU union learning reps, management and unionlearn support, staff here are getting the chance to access learning.' ULR Martin MacNally said: 'The CWU sees this visit as further recognition of the hard work staff and learners have put in to make The Pl@ce successful. Unionlearn support and funding has given us the opportunity to build on the success we have had.' Mail Centre Manager Dave Bull said: 'The commitment shown from staff and learners has been tremendous. Royal Mail sees building on the partnerships that have brought us this far as vital if we are to continue to develop our staff.' Dave Eva, unionlearn Regional Manager , said: 'I am delighted Christine Russell has taken the opportunity to visit The Pl@ce at Royal Mail, Chester. It is further evidence of the positive impact ULRs and trade unions such as the CWU are having in the workplace. With the support of Royal Mail, The Pl@ce has already been ground breaking with its initiative supporting the deaf and hard of hearing. In addition to staff here improving their skills, their life chances and their prospects, working in partnership has brought many clear benefits to the company and the community.' | 
