Save Trade Union Studies in Stoke

For over forty years thousands of dedicated trade union members have benefited from the educational opportunities provided to them by the Trade Union Studies Unit at Stoke on Trent College. Not only have the courses students have undertaken benefited them personally they have also benefited countless thousands of their colleagues in hundreds of workplaces across North Staffordshire, regardless of whether they are trade union members or not.

The training has led to safer workplaces. Where well trained health and safety reps are present accident rates & fatalities at work are considerably lower than in workplaces with no health and safety trade union rep. What could be more important than protecting your health and safety at work? It's not something to take for granted and it requires dedicated well trained volunteers, like trade union reps to make sure that it happens in your workplace!

Industrial relations are better & disputes avoided where you again have well trained, confident trade union reps in place able to work directly with employers. This saves millions of pounds every year to our economy by avoiding unnecessary conflict. This couldn't be achieved without reps having access to quality training.

As things stand we face the very real prospect of losing a vital local cog not only in adult education but also one that directly benefits the economy of North Staffordshire and plays an indirect part in helping to deliver safer workplaces for us all. Without the Trade Union studies Unit at Stoke College it will be far more difficult for reps, who have your best interest in the workplace at heart, to access training.

Reps will have to travel much further afield to gain the skills & knowledge they need which will be a significant barrier to their learning which not only lets them down but also lets their colleagues down. Colleagues no doubt like you.

With the imminent closure of the Trade Union Studies Unit at Derby College the area along the A50 corridor from Stoke to Derby and beyond will also have no dedicated facility for the training of trade union reps.

Rather than closing the unit at Stoke the college should be actively seeking to secure it's long term future and embracing the opportunity to fill the void which will be left when the unit at Derby closes.

Please don't allow the management of Stoke on Trent College to shut what is such a valuable education resource. Without it your life and livelihood could be put at risk.