ULRs receive TUC awards

July 5 2016

Union learning reps Darren Rowbotham and George White have been congratulated for their dedicated work on behalf of members after the pair picked up TUC Community and Workplace Learning Awards at Congress House in central London yesterday.

Darren, who serves as a CWU learning rep (ULR) at Exeter Mail Centre, and George – ULR at the Mount Pleasant site in Farringdon – received the accolades from TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady during the annual Union Learning Conference.

Darren said that he had been “shocked” to win the award.

“I’ve just been doing what I was meant to do, like lots of other ULRs all around the country,” he said.

“We’ve got a learning facility in the mail centre and another one at our branch office (Western Counties) and the courses provided – with assistance from Learn Devon – range from functional maths to IT and photography,” Darren added.

“Our on-site learning centre works in partnership with The College of Haringey, Enfield & North East London College and West London College,” explains George, who has served as one of the ULRs at Mount Pleasant for 10 years.

“Our courses include various ICT subjects, functional skills and business administration,” he adds, saying that he was “surprised, but proud” at his award.

“But the best satisfaction I feel is when someone completes one of the learning courses,” George says, and praises the work of all the union’s ULRs.

Both award winners thanked the CWU education and training department, as well as their respective branches for the support – and also expressed their appreciation for the support of the business.

CWU head of education and training Trish Lavelle congratulated Darren and George, saying: “They’ve both done an excellent job and it’s great to see two of our hard-working ULRs recognised in this way.

“This is also a tribute to the CWU’s focus on the importance of education and training,” she continued, adding: “Exeter Mail Centre and Mount Pleasant are two of over 100 CWU-represented workplaces around the UK that have onsite learning centres that enable members of staff to take a variety of courses.”

Working with both Royal Mail and BT, the union is instrumental in providing education and learning to some 6,000 workers each year through facilities such as these and the dedication of learning reps, Trish explained.