Local History Publication Launch - RSBi Springburn

On the 20^th May 2010 (National Learning at Work Day), a Local History Publication written, produced and designed by Community Union members was launched in the RSBi (City Building) factory in Springburn, Glasgow.

John Slaven  STUC, speaking at the launch

Invited guests & Community members at the launch

The publication is called ‘Manufacturing Abilities since 1804’ and is the result of a small local history course that began way back in January 2008. The course, which was funded through Community Union’s SULF Project & delivered by the WEA, had brought together a small number of Community members within the factory with a common interest in the history of their local area and of the RSBi factory. This course was a great success and soon developed into a small project for the Community members involved who wanted to document all that they had learned throughout the course. They also saw it as an opportunity to educate the rest of their workforce on the history of the factory and how it became the success it is today.

Members of the History Group &  Community ULR Audrey McJimpsey

Willie Docherty, Managing Director of City Building with some Community members after the launch

Using the facilities available to them in the workplace learning centre they researched, wrote and designed the publication from scratch – expanding on the writing and IT skills learned from previous courses they had undertaken within the factory. Proud of their passion and commitment, the Community ULR within the factory Audrey McJimpsey arranged an official launch to present the publication to the workforce and management within RSBi (City Building).

The launch was attended by representatives from Community Union, including RSBi Branch Secretary and NEC member Robert Mooney, Deputy Leader of Glasgow City Council Councillor Archie Graham, and the management and directorate of City Building – alongside staff from the factory. The Community members who had produced the publication presented it to the invited guests and discussed their personal learning experiences and how their lives had been bettered by union learning. The Managing Director of City Building Willie Docherty spoke at the launch and praised the hard work of the members whilst John Slaven from the STUC spoke about union learning in Scotland and how RSBi was an excellent example of how a good relationship between unions and employers can change the lives of union members in the workplace.

Audrey McJimpsey & History Group with invited speakers & City Building Directorate

Communitas, the Training and Education Arm of Community Union was able to fund the expansion of the course and the printing costs of the publication through Community Union’s SULF Project. SULF Project Manager Geraldine Donnelly said: “The amount of learning that has gone on in RSBi over the past few years is fantastic – particularly in the area of Everyday Skills. This could not have been possible without the Scottish Union Learning Fund (SULF) and the work of Community Union Learning Reps such as Audrey McJimpsey”.

 
Copies of the publication are available and can be obtained by contacting Susan or Geraldine in the Communitas Region 1 office on 01698 304575 or susancassidy@communitas.org.uk

Following on from a successful Adult Learners Week in 2009, Community Union Learning Rep Audrey McJimpsey organised another successful and original Learning at Work day within RSBi Springburn. As well as the launch of a Local History Publication (news and pictures to follow), Audrey arranged for representatives from Glasgow City Council to come along to the workplace learning centre with a selection of reptiles including lizards and snakes.

The event was extremely popular on the day and attracted a number of brave Community members along to the centre to touch and even hold some of the reptiles. It was an excellent example of how to bring people into the learning centre and to get them talking about what stuff they may be interested in learning more about.

Pictured are a selection of photographs from the day that include Community members Martin Dougan & Barry Ward, Community Health & Safety Rep Paul Boyd, Community Branch Secretary and NEC member Robert Mooney, Community ULR Audrey McJimpsey and George Gaffney, Head of Manufacturing at RSBi.

Congratulations to Audrey on another successful event.

Learning Agreement made between 
Speciality Steels and Bar Business Management (CORUS) 
and the Joint Negotiating Committee.

    After three years, which saw major upheaval and massive job losses throughout the Corus Group, a learning agreement has been signed by management representatives and senior “Community” branch officers on the Joint Negotiating Committee. This will hopefully mark a significant turnaround in the fortunes of Corus and the beginning of a new era of learning opportunities being made available to all the workforce covered within the scope of the agreement.
    The agreement, signed on June 30^th, at Aldwarke, Rotherham, formalises the partnership between the Joint Trade Unions and the Management at Corus on all learning issues and covers all employees who are members of a site-recognised trade union on Corus Speciality Steels and Bar business sites in South Yorkshire and the Midlands. (This encompasses all    ex CES businesses.) 

    Thanks must go to the Trade Union team who’s many hours of hard work, commitment and dedication made this Agreement possible;  Branch officials,Stuart Sansome and Sue Mather and especially ULR’s Lee Bradshaw and Glynn Jackson who were the driving force behind this agreement,    ably supported by the “Communitas” management and project officers team of Allan Sharp, Tom Davis, Colin Daws and Mark Kaye.

Senior H.R. manager, Mick Hood, who has played a significant role in the negotiations and signed the agreement on behalf of Corus, reinforced his company’s commitment to work in partnership with the joint trade unions to create a “Learning Culture” at Corus which would support all of the workforce to achieve their full potential.
He said, “I fully support this agreement and the ethos of Trade Union led learning. I appreciate the benefits to the business of creating a supportive, learning culture and I will encourage all of the workforce to avail themselves of any and all opportunities to gain new skills”.

      The Communitas Learning Centre based in Community Union Offices at Bramley had a very successful Audit by BCS (British Computer Society) with reference to the qualification based training, ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence).

      Information Technology training is offered to all Community Union members, totally 'Free of Charge'.  Members of the local community and general public can also access the same training for free, but are responsible for payment of their own Examination fees associated with the particular qualification being undertaken.
     The Audit took place on the 19^th of January with the Centre Manager Pauline Thrower in the modern new offices in Flash Lane, Rotherham.  The Auditor assessed all adminstration procedures and verified a substantial amount of examination marking completed by the Tutors in both Rotherham and Motherwell Learning Centres. 
         The Auditor was very pleased with the progression made in liason procedures between the two centres and with the ‘above requirement’ level of cross marking happening.  Cross marking is particularly important to the centres in order to maintain a high and consistent method of invigilation of examinations undertaken by learners.
     The centre had previously been awarded a competant C grade but the auditor felt that all the stops had been pulled out this year in order to achieve a highly improved grade.  The report stated that the administration procedures were of a high standard whilst the centre was well organised and offering a first-rate service to members of the Union and to locals in Rotherham.  

Community and the Corus 20” Pipe Mill Management Team are pleased to announce that a Learning Agreement has been agreed and signed.

Ian Telford (Community Union) said: It is great that the first learning agreement (within the Corus group) has been signed on Teesside. This is due to the excellent working relationship developed between Community and the Pipe Mill management team -our members can look forward to further up skilling - should they require it.

John Stead (Greatham 05 Branch Secretary) said: Our members can look forward to learning new skills thanks to this agreement.

Pictured left to right: Neil Scott ProductionManager, Ian Telford Community, John Stead BranchSecretary, Ian Angus Communitas  Jo Davies Pipe Mill HRDirector

Community Union members from RSBi Springburn (Blindcraft) have recently completed a course in introductory IT.  This was the first course within RSBi that has been specifically tailored for members within the factory who have a hearing impairment and has been a great success. Community Union accessed the ESF Scottish Fund for Union Learning to run the 10-week programme this summer and this funding provided both an IT lecturer and a British Sign Language interpreter for the course. Those who took part in the course learned to create movies and storybooks from still images, how to use email and surf the internet effectively. Building on this success, Community is hoping to access this ESF fund to run further courses in the coming year.