TUC training boosts employers

Supervisors working in the building services sector, in the City of London and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, can sharpen up their act at work with free training in basic employment rights and industrial relations skills from the TUC.

The TUC's Vulnerable Workers Project (VWP), based in Canary Wharf, is now offering companies tailored training programmes. The training is aims to give mangers and supervisors the skills to deal with employment relations issues fairly and effectively. This will include helping to ensure that their HR policies, including compliance with employment legislation, are delivered down through the organisation.

TUC Southern and Eastern Regional Secretary Megan Dobney said:

'There are always going to be a small number of rogue employers who knowingly break the law, by paying poverty wages and exploiting their staff.

'But others - especially in the building services sector where many managers have risen through the ranks without receiving much formal training - end up not treating their staff correctly because they themselves don't have a full grasp of the law. And that's where we come in.

'The TUC training, delivered with ACAS, can help firms to get their heads around their legal responsibilities and as a result provide better working conditions for thousands of vulnerable workers in London.'

Minister for Employment Relations, Pat McFadden, said:

'Most employers and managers in the building services sector are honest and want to treat their staff fairly. But some may need help to ensure they are compliant with their legal obligations or may want information about other important aspects of providing decent workplace.

'I welcome this initiative to provide training for managers and supervisors which will benefit workers and employers alike. It is part of a pilot being funded by BERR to test new ways of supporting vulnerable workers and stamping out abuses where they are exposed.'

The training will be designed in consultation with employers, and can help improve relations between supervisors and workers, improve performance, reduce staff turnover, and give managers the skills they need to deal with workplace issues quickly and efficiently. Business performance is expected to benefit through this reduced staff turnover and a more committed workforce.

Following the training, supervisors will be able to understand how to get the best from their workforce, have a better idea of how to be a good manager/supervisor, identify causes of grievances and be competent in ways of resolving such issues.

The VWP aims to improve the plight of workers at the bottom of London's labour market by helping them and their employers better understand their rights under the law. By offering training on key points in UK employment law to businesses in the City of London and Tower Hamlets the TUC's VWP hopes to help businesses retain their staff for longer and enable more workers to enjoy all the rights to which they are entitled.

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