Transcript Penny Morley - The Institute of Employment Rights

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Greening the Workplace: The Role of Trade Unions
Tuesday 23rd October 2007
The Role of Unions and TUSDAC in
Greening the Workplace
Penny Morley
T&G section of Unite & Chair of
TUSDAC working level group
Institute of Employment Rights Greening the Workplace Tuesday 23rd October 2007
Trade Unions & Sustainable Development
Advisory Committee
• Established by John Prescott in 1998
• Co-chaired by Paul Noon Prospect General Secretary &
Environment Minister
• Meets three times a year
• Working group meets regularly to press forward action
for the group
Institute of Employment Rights Greening the Workplace Tuesday 23rd October 2007
Trade Unions & Sustainable Development
Advisory Committee
• Terms of reference – to have a direct trade union input
with government on sustainable development and other
related environmental issues
• Provide a trade union perspective on employment
consequences of climate change
• Help mobilise the trade union movement to become
involved in sustainability issues and take action on
environmental practice in the workplace
Institute of Employment Rights Greening the Workplace Tuesday 23rd October 2007
Trade Unions & Sustainable Development
Advisory Committee
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Education and training the trainers
Course pack created –trialled with reps and trainers
Individual unions and TUC training
T&G national and regional courses
Representatives on outside bodies ie Sustainable
Education panel
• Legal rights for time off for environmental training
Institute of Employment Rights Greening the Workplace Tuesday 23rd October 2007
Trade Unions & Sustainable Development
Advisory Committee
•Worked with The Carbon Trust which was launched in
2001 – trade union representation on board – funding for
conferences, education pack and co-ordinator
•Trade Union secondee to DEFRA for Greening the
Workplace publication
•Conferences – Greening the Workplace, World
Environment Day, Energy, Climate change bill
•TUC co-ordinating role for TUSDAC– seeking to extend
number of unions that participate in TUSDAC
Institute of Employment Rights Greening the Workplace Tuesday 23rd October 2007
Trade Unions & Sustainable Development
Advisory Committee
• Energy – security of supply, clean coal technology,
renewables, green manufacturing, carbon capture,
nuclear and microgeneration, skills training and liberal
market
• Unions different membership different views but
TUSDAC acts to co-ordinate and reflect the range of
views. Individual unions will always promote specific
policy issues but co-ordinated view often adds political
weight to areas of joint interest.
Institute of Employment Rights Greening the Workplace Tuesday 23rd October 2007
Trade Unions & Sustainable Development
Advisory Committee
• Need for action in a range of areas – grass roots and
policy implementation
• Trade unions as organisations & TUC focus on Green
Leaders – Prospect new building
• Union modernisation project – funding for more activity &
support for workplaces
• Co-ordination for trade union facilities managers
• Communications with activists and members – Web
sites, Journals, Booklets, Posters
Institute of Employment Rights Greening the Workplace Tuesday 23rd October 2007
Trade Unions & Sustainable Development
Advisory Committee
• Links with European projects – bid for project funding
• Climate Change & Employment EU project
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UK participated in ETUC study on the challenge for
employment of the transition towards a lower carbon
European economy by 2030
• Links with International trade unions
Institute of Employment Rights Greening the Workplace Tuesday 23rd October 2007
Trade Unions & Sustainable Development
Advisory Committee
• Putting Green Manufacturing on the agenda
• Linking renewables with green manufacturing
• Denmark and Germany – looking to their progress in
renewable manufacture and production to press for UK
action
• Challenging the liberal market as the solution to energy
policy decisions
• Skills and training – in any transition to a low carbon
economy
• Putting workers and workplaces on the agenda rather
than the endless focus on the consumer
Institute of Employment Rights Greening the Workplace Tuesday 23rd October 2007