South West TUC Green Workplaces Project

The South West TUC, in conjunction with Severn Wye Energy Trust, has produced a series of seven leaflets around home energy use, for reps to use to:

• Get work colleagues and union members talking about energy saving
• Link resource saving at home and work
• Promote union action on energy saving at work
• Get members thinking about becoming an Environmental or Green Rep
• For union and workplace events

AVAILABLE NOW For download and ordering information click here

Linda Sully, Steve Plenty and Angela Lamplough of UNISON using the leaflets at West Somerset Council’s Energy Saving Fair

 Next Trade Unions and the Environment Course:
Exeter – starting 16th February 2010, running on three Tuesdays. 

The South West TUC is leading a regional green workplaces project to harness the reach of trade unions to change environmental behaviour in the workplace after winning a grant from the South West Regional Development Agency.

Climate change – a trade union issue?

Climate change is an important issue for unions because it directly impacts on jobs, the working environment, and the economy. Many workers, and members, are keen to see their employers doing more to tackle climate change. As the transition to a low-carbon economy progresses there will be opportunities for skill development and job creation in new areas of employment.

Contact the team today, click here for details, and download these leaflets for more information

Green Unions at Work Leaflet (A4)

Green Unions at Work Leaflet (pocket-size)

Unions can bring about sustainable change

Union reps have a lot of influence to bring about change. Reps will ensure the workforce is on board with environmental issues at work, encourage employers to take action by putting green policies into practice and win workforce commitment to these and ensure that sustainable change is fairly arrived at.

The Green Workplaces team will work with Union reps in the South West to:

We will do this through:

• Supporting union reps and officers in the South West in working with employers to green their workplaces.
• Up-skilling union reps through accredited and other training which will enable them to increase knowledge and confidence, identify opportunities, negotiate workplace agreements, and establish joint environment committees
• Providing the tools and signposts to  support agencies to enable practical changes within the workplace
• Establishing a network of union green reps in the South West
• Encouraging engagement with the wider workforce to understand the issues and implement practical changes
• Helping businesses to reduce their carbon footprint