from employment to employability connect is the union for professionals in communications. we are a...

From employment to employability

• Connect is the union for professionals in communications. We are a unique resource which brings together expert advice and information, professional representation and specialist services tailored to the needs of our members to provide them with career-long support


• 20 years ago we didn’t have a proposition – the reasons for being in a union were obvious

• We’ve developed a clear proposition to help organise in a changed world

• Change in 1990 when monopoly encumbent embarked on downsizing

• In 1990 BT employed 240K• Today it employs < 110K


• 1990 to 2003 185K employees have taken redundancy

• Included 30K M&P

• They left the company completely – either retiring, going to a competitor, leaving the sector or suffering a period of unemployment


• Key problem for union was membership loss

• Members who left the company, left the union

• To survive we needed to reposition as an industry union


• In 1990 we introduced a portable membership scheme

• Tested two levels of subs – free and 50%

• Set up special branches

• But what was value to individual of staying in union?


• In 1990 we could only offer a residual service – basically membership services

• Including: accident insurance, sickness benefit, legal advice and death benefit plus financial/insurance/consumer benefits

• No direct representation to an employer


• This “proposition” was too weak – our retention levels were too low

• 1990 – 1997 – 45% membership loss• Over this period we started to develop a

portfolio of services designed to support an individual’s career

• We knew stable workforces gone forever


• We had to provide a “union for life” independent of any specific employer or type of employment

• Focussed on three elements

• Job Search

• Training

• Careers advice


• Job search – set up Opus2 in 1995• Employment agency for union members• Set up database of skills and

experience• Matched against vacancies in market• Based on introduction fees or

percentage commission for contactors• Professionally run


• Commercially run and profitable

• Seen as very positive by members

• Successful retention tool

• Also supports organising work


• Training – Way Ahead Training set up in 1997

• Joint venture between UK and Australian unions

• Company designed to develop and market career training for M&P employees

• MBA and CFM


• Mixed results

• MBA – contested and congested market

• CFM – successful, now being converted into on-line training package

• Marketed directly to employers

From employment to employability• Union learning representatives

• specialist role to investigate training needs

• identify and promote training opportunities

• assist union to negotiate on training issues


• Careers advice

• Developed in response to gap in Opus2’s service

• Developed using focus groups

• Launched January 2002

• Two benefits – service to members but also opportunity to train


• Delivered by telephone

• Trained counsellors

• Three products: career assessment, getting interviews, hourly advice

• Fees

• Government accreditation – the first union to get it


• Workplace seminars

• Newsletter

• Job clubs

• Seen positively – both a retention and a recruitment tool


• Other services

• Mutual assistance agreements

• UNI passport

• Contractor’s branch


• Another helpful factor was change in law in 1999 – Employment Relations Act

• We can now offer individual representation

• Still some retention problems

• Market research in 2001


• Even though retention at about 40%, 75% of those leaving the union plan to continue working in the sector

• Developing a programme to help local representatives improve retention rates

• Over 30% of membership is outside BT and growing

from employment to employability connect is the union for professionals in communications. we are a...

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