UNION LEARNING FUNDS

ED/005/11

Circular No. NP/060/11

31^st March 2011

To: The Secretary

All Branches & Regional Councils

Dear Colleague,

UNION LEARNING FUNDS

Following the election last year of the present Government it was widely felt that the incredibly valuable and well received work carried out under the auspices of the Union Learning Fund (ULF) in England and Wales and the Scottish Union Learning Fund (SULF) in Scotland would be ended or at least severely cut back, drastically reducing the possibility for new learning and training opportunities to our members. This was a common fear amongst colleagues in other Trade Unions currently delivering education and learning to working people across the UK. As a result of a substantial campaign, which was coordinated by both the TUC and Scottish TUC, to promote with the government the value to workers and employers alike the benefit of the work carried out within these two funds I am pleased to report the following in relation to our Unions important work in these areas:

1. ULF Project – The RMT have secured the funding for the second year of the current project, so ensuring that the aims and ambitions of the original bid can now be met up to the original closing date of March 2012. The second year is subject to some additional work and targets but the RMT ULF team have been able to receive the acknowledgement from Union Learn that this will be achievable within our proposed plan.

2. SULF Project – The RMT have secured new funding from the SULF Learning and Development Funds to carry on the excellent work carried out in the Highlands and Islands (RMT & CalMac) and Uplands and Lowlands (RMT & North Link Ferries). This further one year of funding will enable us to build on the work and progress already achieved.

This is very good news for our membership who will continue to be able to access these learning opportunities and the benefits it can bring. I would like to congratulate all those in our ULF and SULF ‘teams’ for the work put in to make this happen.

The long term future for this work is still far from guaranteed but I can assure you the Union will try its hardest to see the work in both areas continue for the long term.

Please encourage your members to get involved in either working to develop the projects work or indeed to take up the opportunities it offers.

Yours sincerely

Bob Crow

General Secretary