Training for reps

UCU adopted policy on air pollution when its 2017 national congress voted in favour of a resolution from South Thames College. This highlighted research showing that 43% of colleges in London were in locations breaching legal air quality standards. The resolution called on the union to campaign for a legal framework to address this health emergency and to promote a programme of awareness-raising among staff and students. It also called on the UCU to provide training and support for its environment and health and safety reps to tackle the problem in their workplaces and communities, and to work with the Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA), Hazards and other organisations promoting air quality to deliver these objectives.

The union supported a series of air pollution training workshops for reps delivered by GJA and Hazards. These brought together safety reps from a wide range of unions with community and environmental activists and looked at how to develop action plans to deal with workplace exposures and to meaningfully engage with local councils.

The GJA has also developed a free, online course covering the causes and health impacts of air pollution, the law and government policy, and trade union responses and campaigns (see Chapter 2).