Please see below details of courses for January to March 2024 Term for circulation to your branch committees and representatives.
All courses will be TAUGHT IN-PERSON IN THE ICTU Office, 45-47 Donegall Street, Belfast, (Unless stated online)
TRADE UNION REPRESENTATIVES STAGE 1
COURSE DATES: 10 Thursdays 18/01/24 – 21/03/24
This is the first stage course for union reps. It introduces the key concepts and provides a thorough foundation for workplace representatives to develop their knowledge and skills to enable them to carry out their role effectively.
The course will help you:
- understand the job of the union rep in the workplace and the wider union;
- dealing with members problems;
- represent members with employers;
- use and make agreements;
- understand how grievances and disciplinaries are handled;
- understand employment rights at work;
- recruiting members and getting them involved in the union;
- meeting management to discuss a range of issues at work;
- keeping members in touch with wider issues;
- build confidence in your role and responsibilities as a union rep;
- develop the skills you need to be an effective rep.
This is a 10-day course, delivered one day a week over 10 weeks.
** This course is very popular and places fill up extremely quickly.
HEALTH AND SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES STAGE 1
COURSE DATES
10 Fridays 19/01/24 – 22/03/24 (Online)
This course will cover the essential knowledge of the role and skills including organising and an understanding of health and safety legislation and how this can be interpreted for the workplace.
The course focuses on the following key areas:
- The role and functions of a trade union health and safety representative.
- Organising for health and safety.
- Preventing accidents and ill health.
- Introduce H&S legislation
- Key skills for a trade union health and safety representative.
The course will help you:
- Identify problems – the main health, safety and welfare issues faced by your members;
- Involve members – by making them more aware of health and safety issues and the need for union action;
Improve health and safety – by proposing plans for controlling hazards and improving the working environment; - Use information and the law – tracking down information and knowing how to use it effectively;
- Get things done – by working with your union organisation and negotiating effectively with your employer;
- Develop skills – to do an effective job as a trade union health and safety representative.
This is a 10-day course, delivered online one day a week over 10 weeks.
TAKING A CASE TO TRIBUNAL
COURSE DATES
5 Tuesdays 30/01/24 – 27/02/24
This 5 day course is aimed at building knowledge and skills of officials, reps and others who may be involved in taking cases for members to Employment and Fair Employment Tribunals. The course will cover:
- Critical overview of the tribunal system.
- Practical step by step guide to pursuing a case through the tribunal process.
- Key aspects of unfair dismissal and discrimination case law.
COURSE DATES
Tuesdays 30/01/24 – 27/02/24
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
COURSE DATES
3 Mondays 05/02/24 – 19/02/24
Remote working has blurred the lines between mental health in the workplace and at home, and has made it even harder for workers to create a healthy work life balance. Even before the pandemic, the charity, Mind, identified work as the leading cause for stress, with at least one in six workers experiencing common mental health problems. This is why mental health and the workplace is an increasingly important issue for trade unions.
This short 3-day course, accredited by OCN at level 2, will help you to:
- Develop an understanding of mental health and common mental health problems;
- Dealing with stress, anxiety and depression, and building resilience;
- Develop an understanding of the law and mental health in the workplace;
- Identify agencies offering support and information on mental health issues;
- Identify good practice around workplace policies on mental health;
- Risk assessment;
- Understand the legal responsibilities of employers;
- Develop a trade union plan to reduce work related mental illness and support workers with mental health problems.
HANDLING GRIEVANCE & DISCIPLINES
COURSE DATES
5 Tuesdays 30/01/24 – 27/02/24 – (Online)
(Evenings, 6.30 to 8.30pm)
The course will include:
- Understanding discipline and grievance process and procedures;
- Increasing knowledge of the law surrounding the handling of discipline and grievance in the workplace;
- Increasing skills and knowledge to prepare strategies for representing members at grievance and discipline hearings.
- This is a 5-day course, delivered online one evening a week over 5 weeks.
MENOPAUSE AND THE WORKPLACE
COURSE DATES
4 Fridays 16/02/24 – 08/03/24
OCN Level 2 Accredited 4-day Course.
Many women will experience menopause symptoms, which can be a real challenge and impact their day to day lives. This four-day course has been designed to create greater awareness of the menopause as a workplace issue. The course aims to:
- Create awareness of the menopause and the symptoms women can experience;
- Help reps consider various workplace factors that may negatively impact on workers experiencing the menopause;
- Consider practices and environments with the workplace that may put the health and safety of menopausal women at risk and/or may be considered discrimination against workers experiencing the menopause;
- Consider best practice for workplaces and unions to tackle the workplace issues facing workers experiencing the menopause.
Who is the course aimed at?
This course is designed for all trade union reps and officials with an interest in menopause in the workplace.
This is a 4-day course, delivered one day a week over 4 weeks.
A range of short courses will be circulated in early December.
If you are interested in any of the above courses please return a completed application form by email to
Confirmation of acceptance will be issued directly from ICTU.
