Integrating union learning and organising strategies - Research Paper 8

Research commissioned by unionlearn*, suggests that unions are increasingly promoting a relationship between learning and organising at a national union level. The research which was carried out by the Working Lives Research Institute is based on a survey of national officers of selected unions and case studies based on their workplaces and branches.

It finds that unions are bringing learning and organising together in their departmental structures or developing links between separate learning and organising departments around specific campaigns. Some unions are also integrating the two at regional union level by placing Union Learning Project Workers in regional organising teams.

Another trend is to designate Union Learning Project Workers as organisers, to reflect how they are organising around the learning agenda.

Union education and training is also developing the link between the two functions, with learning reflected in activist training and organising in ULR* training.

The case studies demonstrate that learning has become a key strand in union organising campaigns, is helping to strengthen branch organisation and is providing a new path to union activism.

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Briefing document (300 words) issued 23 Mar 2009

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