Feature Unite education
ON COURSE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Growing skills for change with Unite
Reps from across Unite’s Food, Drink and Agriculture (FDA) sector gathered in Eastbourne last October to take part in a four-day training course aimed to build skills and increase understanding of some of the issues facing workers at the moment (see pictures).
The Change at Work course was organised by Unite Education and the FDA sector and tailored to workers in the industry.
The four days covered a wide range of subjects, along with group activities and discussions. These started with a session which aimed to identify issues facing reps so they could share their experiences and hear from others and inform some of the discussions over the course.
There was a lot of talk during the course about ways to break down
the barriers between members and the union. These included workshops on social media and how effective communication can help members feel an active part of any branch.
Organising in workplaces and building membership was next, with delegates sharing examples of what had, and hadn’t, worked and the lessons learned.
Campaigning followed. This is an area that is increasingly important to members across the food sector with current disputes happening at a number of food manufacturers including Bakkavor, Oscar Mayer and Princes Foods.
For just a four-day course, it managed to cover a lot of ground – and there was a look at some health and safety case studies from across the sector.
The delegates also had sessions from guest speakers, including Jo Galazka, Unite Wales women’s and equalities officer. Jo led a discussion on single enforcement bodies, which was followed by an activity on the subject.
One of the final sessions was on artificial intelligence (AI), something delegates found particularly interesting. This not only looked at the potential problems with AI at work, but how branch reps could make use of the technology to support them in their roles.
Matthew Holmes works for GXO found the course useful, saying that he had gained some “decent information”.
Matthew said this was, “mainly around AI, and how we can create policies, grievances and things like
28 uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2024
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