TUC increases support to workers during recession (From Bridgwater Mercury)

TUC increases support to workers during recession

1:10pm Saturday 20th March 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

THE South West TUC has appointed its first Skills, Recession and Recovery staff member to help workers through the economic downturn.

Marian Mann joins the TUC from teaching union NASUWT and will provide specialist support and advice to unions and their members in the region.

Marian Mann said: “My job is fundamentally about protecting people’s terms and conditions at work.

“At the moment we’re in a recession and unfortunately redundancies are a fact of life. My job is to help unions and make sure members get the best deal they can.”

She has already hit the ground running, using her plentiful contacts in the region to speak to organisers and ensure they know what the TUC has to offer.

“I’ve been having meetings with lead officials, learning organisers and unionlearn’s project workers to let them know I can support their response to redundancies.

“I’m quite clear about my role, which is to support unions. I’m not a Batman-type figure ready to swoop in on my own and provide a magic solution.

“I’m there to work with unions, support them in what they’re doing and maybe act as a catalyst by letting them know what options are available.

“Most of all, my role is to make sure trade unions are effective in dealing with redundancy for their members, helping them find training to learn new skills and come out of the recession in a better shape than they otherwise would have.”