Edmond Terry Paul is a Shop-Steward, Health and Safety Rep and Union Learning Rep (ULR) with UNITE Branch 1350 based at DHL Argos in Bedford. Edmond is very busy supporting workers in his branch and is also Learning Centre Coordinator which involves liaising with local providers to provide courses for colleagues and managers a like.

Edmond has also negotiated permission to engage with the agency staff at the site.

Edmond has worked in his current job for thirteen years and has been active in union roles for over five years.

This has involved a lot of hard work, but Edmond says;

I get great satisfaction from helping others. I was awarded a gold merit Award in 2013 for taking over the Learning Centre, organising a re-launch and supporting its upkeep. A lot of this work was done in my own time.”

Edmond explained what they can offer.

The learning centre provides a number of courses including functional maths and English, we have done IT 1 and 2 and IT for beginners in the past and NVQ in warehousing. Unfortunately funding is very tight, although functional courses are free. Colleagues are free to use the learning centre to access email, and printing and such.

We have open days to encourage and tell them what is on offer and I’m planning to start to produce a learning centre quarterly newsletter.”

To further the amount of support that Edmond can offer he recently attended a Level 2 Employment Law course which was run by the TUC and Huntingdon College. Edmond attended along with two other senior stewards.

Edmond sees this as another step in his learning journey and said;

The course was ten weeks long and very interesting. We hope to continue with the journey and take the Diploma in Employment Law course which starts in April.

The course which was ran by TUC tutor Julie Weekes, was an eye opener and gave us the necessary tools to help our members in this very volatile period for all unions. I would recommend this course to all Shop Stewards and should be made compulsory.”

 Edmond had earlier been in contact with Julie who supplied a Level 1 IT course with Huntingdon College and Unite the Union.

Julie informed me about the course, I in turn informed the Senior Shop Stewards. They invited me to take the course with them, after getting permission from our General Manager – Mrs Lucy Parker. We are hoping that she will grant permission for the Diploma course also.”

All the work that Edmond has taken has been to help support colleagues – but he has also found the experience very positive on a personal level.

Edmond said;

My journey so far has been rewarding, although sometimes a little frustrating. Since completing all my Workplace Reps and Health and Safety courses, I have taken the IT level 2 course, my branch co-funded my Level 3 course which was ran by Bedford College Learning Centre – which is sadly now closed due to lack of funding.

I have also completed an Equality and Diversity course which was partly ran by Unite and another College.”

If successful with the Diploma course Edmond plans to use the UCAS points towards studying for a degree in Employment law.

This is my ultimate aim, which I’m hoping with the support of Unite the Union I will be able to achieve this.”