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our purpose

The aim of the group is to share, strengthen and synthesise trade union education and training across the participating organisations whilst creating broader access to a series of new and existing training programmes and events for all ICTU affiliates.

Each participating union has a defined set of resources which can be strengthened and expanded by working co-operatively to identify areas of commonality, sharing resources, and developing new materials well beyond our current resources.

The power of trade union education and training

Trade Union education and training is a pivotal function within our movement which builds capacity, develops our representatives, increases influence, and strengthens our position across the workplace. It provides learning opportunities for our representatives ensuring they maintain and grow their skills whilst keeping up to date with developments in the trade union movement and those which have an impact on the working world.

What We Do

Each Union in the group delivers training to members and we share capacity where we can to maximise the effectiveness of our training. We are currently developing a common approach to health and safety training which will be offered to staff and workplace representatives. We are working on developing a common approach to Union Tutor training, based on Trade Union values, and we intend to run a pilot programme in Autumn 2023. Following the pilot, we’ll roll out the training programme more widely. Ultimately, our ambition is to create a common standard of tutor training for the movement to meet the needs of our unions and members.

Union Learning Seminars and workshops

As part of our collaboration, we will be holding events in seminar and workshop format. We plan to do this throughout the Country. Our audience for these events will be Union staff, senior activists, and those in a union-nominated role. We will provide opportunities to hear from experts on the latest developments in different areas and provide the space and information to discuss and debate the impact of key issues on the workplace with a focus on identifying the steps the trade union movement need to take to address such issues,

Our first event

Brian McGann - SIPTU

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly come to the fore of public discourse. No longer contained within laboratories, it was exploded on society. It will change the way we live and transform our workplaces.

The CEO of Google has been quoted as saying it will have more profound effects than the harnessing of electricity or fire, while even globalists such as Bill Gates and Elon Musk have warned of its dangers and the need for regulation.

It will undoubtedly have benefits for us all, but what are the potential threats effecting workers, and how should trade unions respond?

These were the questions addressed by a seminar organised by the Union Learning Group on September 20th. Hosted by Fórsa, the event was opened by Congress General Secretary Owen Reidy and attended by ICTU Executive members, including President Justin McCamphill, and trade union officials and activists.

Left to Right; Pierre Bérastégui (ETUI), Aidan Connolly (Idiro Analytics), Owen Reidy (ICTU) , Kevin O'Kelly (ETUI), Brian McGann (SIPTU)

Presentations by Aidan Connolly of Idiro Analytics, Pierre Bérastégui of the European Trade Union Institute, and Aude Cefaliello, also of ETUI, provided participants with an outline of the key challenges and suggestions of possible responses

Aidan Connolly

Idiro Analytics

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Aude Cefaliello

European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)

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Pierre Bérastégui

European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)

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Seminar participants then moved into groups and, with the help of a facilitator, worked on ideas about what the trade union movement in Ireland needed to do in this area. A report collating their work will be prepared and circulated by the Union Learning Group, and submitted to the Executive Council of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.