Diploma in Contemporary Trade Unionism

The course covers:-

The development of trade unions in Britain

  • economic, social and political context 1700- 1997
  • changes in state policy
  • emergence of the women’s movement
  • trade unions and the state
  • the impact of industrialisation on working people and the origins of trade unions
  • industrialisation and working people
  • the impact of industrialisation on women
  • the development of trade unions, protest and resistance
  • trade union experience 1850-1997
  • changes in trade union strategies and tactics
  • trade unions and the law
  • syndicalism
  • trade union achievements
  • women and black workers in unions

Trade unions today

  • trends in trade union organisation
  • mapping trade unions and comparing results
  • trade unions and the economy
  • trade union trends
  • influencing change
  • globalisation
  • trade unions and globalisation
  • private sector
  • public sector
  • Europe
  • how European law is made
  • proposals for European directives
  • trade unions and monetary union
  • trade unions and the law
  • workers’ rights
  • how British law is made
  • trade union business and the law
  • collective bargaining
  • bargaining structures
  • the bargaining agenda
  • drawing up
  • progressing and testing a claim
  • models of organisation
  • organisational structures
  • how unions influence
  • research on media influence
  • trade union messages

The future of trade unions

  • models of trade unionism
  • new unionism
  • social partnerships
  • organising unionism
  • social movement trade unionism
  • union democracy and representation
  • union leadership
  • European and international trade unionism
  • European works councils
  • trade unions and Europe
  • trade unions internationally
  • Challenges facing unions
  • membership and recruitment
  • labour market trends
  • the future of collective bargaining
  • globalisation
  • multinational companies
  • starting points for strategies
  • models of trade unionism
  • organising internationally

The study skills units

  • Communication and study skills
  • read and respond to written materials
  • produce written materials
  • prepare and make a presentation to a group
  • take part in discussions and work collectively
  • Research project
  • project planning
  • research skills
  • presenting a project
  • Working with figures
  • statistical and mathematical techniques to collect and record data
  • sources of data
  • presenting numerical information
  • Information communication technology
  • prepare and input data
  • display and present information
  • present data
  • use database, word processing and spreadsheet applications