24th September 2009
This month employment relations minister Lord Young announced the successful applicants for round 3 of the Union Modernisation Fund. Among the winners was Community, who submitted a bid based on IPA research into the needs of vulnerable workers in South Yorkshire and the East Midlands.
The project, entitled ‘Community in the community’ will establish projects with the third sector aimed at supporting vulnerable workers by improving their knowledge of their rights at work, and helping them to build the confidence to exercise their rights effectively. Union staff and activists will be given training on working with the third sector to support successful partnerships.
Round 3 of the Union Modernisation Fund aims to encourage unions to develop ways of supporting vulnerable workers, or those at risk of becoming vulnerable. Innovative projects with the potential to transform the way unions operate were rewarded with financial assistance from government, which was matched by a contribution from the union.
Speaking at the TUC Annual Congress, Minister for Employment Relations, Lord Young said:
”The latest round of the UMF focuses on protecting some of the most vulnerable people in the working population. Unions have demonstrated genuine enthusiasm for helping vulnerable workers and working with community and voluntary organisations.
“The overall quality of the applications was very high but the bids selected for funding are those which are the most forward-looking and offer the most transformational potential.
“I’ll be following all the projects with interest as they go on to develop new services and design innovative mechanisms for accessing hard-to-reach groups of vulnerable workers”.
To find out more about the Union Modernisation Fund and the projects, visit the department for Business Innovation and Skills website at
http://www.bis.gov.uk/young-announces-union-modernisation-fund-awards
