The CWU provides comprehensive and quality training courses to our Union Activists. This training enables activists to represent members to the best of their abilities and enhances their effectiveness as Union Representatives.
Our internal training consists of the following training courses:
Equality Representative
The intention of the course is to train an Equality Rep in each Branch who would then become the resident expert on equality issues and who would be updated on a regular basis by Union Head Office. It is a two day course delivered by our Education Committee and it covers Equality Legislation in some detail.
Organising Training
This is a one day course for Organisers and it covers issues such as “why join a union”, “what unions do”, and objection handling.
Branch Officer
This is a two day training course which takes place in CWU Head Office. This is for anyone who is a Branch Officer and the training is undertaken by our Education Committee. The main focus of the course is on the role of the various officers, organising meetings, as well as areas such as grievance handling, overview of legislation, organising, negotiating skills etc.
Committee Member
We run a number of these sessions throughout the year. It is generally a one day session run over a Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, or a full day Saturday and is run on a regional basis. The training is undertaken by our Education Committee and we tailor the courses to suit the individual needs of the Branch.
Branch Secretary Stage 1
This is a five day course which takes place in CWU Head Office. It is for Branch Secretaries who have just been elected. The training is undertaken by our Education Committee. The modules we cover include role of the Branch Secretary, Officers and Committee, why join a union, negotiation and communications skills, practical exercises, Employment and Equality Legislation, the role of the Union Rep in bullying & harassment cases, grievance & disciplinary procedures, State IR machinery, and the Branch Secretary as an Organiser.
Branch Secretary Stage 2
This is a five day course which takes place in CWU Head Office. It is for Branch Secretaries who have been in the job for more than one year. The training is undertaken by our Education Committee. The modules on the course are similar to Stage 1 but some of the content is more detailed and we use the experience as a Branch Secretary to develop their skills.
Branch Secretary Stage 3
This is a three day course which takes place in CWU Head Office. It is for Branch Secretaries who have been in the position for a number of years and who have not completed any training for two or three years. The training is undertaken by our Education Committee. The aim of the course is to update them in relation to Employment and Equality Legislation and develop their skills further.
Branch Chairperson
This is a three day training course which takes place in CWU Head Office. This is for anyone who is a Branch or Section Chairperson. The training is undertaken by our Education Committee. The main focus of the course is on the role of the Chairperson, preparing for meetings etc, but we also cover areas such as grievance handling, organising, overview of legislation, negotiating skills etc.
Branch Treasurer
This is a two day training course which takes place in CWU Head Office. This is for anyone who is a Treasurer of a Branch. Training is undertaken by our Education Committee. The main focus of the course is on the role of the Treasurer and treasurer reports, but we also cover areas such as grievance handling, organising, overview of legislation, negotiating skills etc.
Union Adviser
This is a new course which we are piloting this year and it involves some of our more experienced activists taking on a role in grievance & disciplinary cases involving new members. The course concentrates on grievance and disciplinary handling.