Over the last 20 months, many unions have seen a spike in new members joining. But with a reduced physical presence in workplaces, and with fewer opportunities to network, we’ve been unable to offer…Read more…
Looking ahead to 2022 in trade union tech
Unions have seen a lot of changes in tech since our Digital Lab programme started in 2019. In particular, the pandemic gave immediate impetus to many new tech projects over 2020 and 2021. We’ve seen…Read more…
How can unions choose which tech tools will work for them?
Over the course of the pandemic, every organisation has had to come up with new ways of getting things done. For unions, that’s meant a lot of hard thinking and experimentation about ways to organise…Read more…
What does the new normal look like for digital change in unions?
In my role at ASLEF I’m a campaigns and communications advisor, which includes digital comms. It will be familiar to colleagues that having digital in your job often means you’re seen as the…Read more…
What does the new normal look like for union online learning?
I work in TUC Education digital learning, part of the team that runs rep training programs and designs training materials that are traditionally delivered by our network of tutors, attached to…Read more…
The pandemic and the drive for #digitalunions
In the first week of 2020’s lockdown, I took part in Simon Sapper’s great UnionDues podcast, sitting on my bed with my laptop to record a conversation about digital change in unions….Read more…
Data protection responsibilities in designing systems and processes for union casework
As unions bring digital tools deeper into their case management processes, they start generating loads of often sensitive personal data. And that brings some clear responsibilities with it under the…Read more…
Adapting to the new normal for trade unions
The last 18 months have been a time of drastic change. Along with the rest of society, unions have had to adapt to the pandemic and the effects of the response to it. We had to work quickly to get…Read more…
7 things for unions to think about when updating member contact data
We’ve been working with RCM recently on how unions might work with members to keep contact data up to date. An automated SMS campaign succeeded in getting some great levels of engagement (read…Read more…
Why the TUC moved our IT systems to the cloud
The latest evolution in workplace technology has been the move to cloud computing. It’s changed the fundamentals of IT infrastructure, removing the need to invest so…Read more…
Digital approaches to case management for unions.
Our latest Digital Lab seminar looked at what digital could mean for case management in UK unions. I’ve been spending a lot of time of late talking to digital leads at our affiliate unions….Read more…
Unions and the cloud
I’ve been talking to digital leads in a lot of our affiliated unions over the last few months about our different experiences during lockdown. There have been a number of factors that shaped…Read more…
Managing IT infrastructure modernisation for trade unions
TUC Digital Lab report, August 2021 Major changes are taking place to the IT landscape for companies and organisations. The rise of cloud business solutions and the increasing use of Software as a…Read more…
Using SMS to verify and correct member data: RCM case study
Data accuracy is vitally important for unions that want to improve the member experience. This has been doubly so over the last year, where many workplace reps have been unable to regularly check in…Read more…
Using online advice content to help unions find and engage with non-members
The effects of the pandemic have cost hundreds of thousands of jobs, with many more still at risk. Redundancies have especially been a problem in parts of the private sector where unionisation rates…Read more…
Designing online forms to engage with workers about their work
In the TUC Digital Lab we’ve been doing some research into using different formats of work advice to find and engage with non-member workers. We’ll publish more about this soon, but I…Read more…
New digital tactics behind our key workers’ pay rise campaign
As MPs stood on their doorsteps and clapped, offered platitudes and had their pictures taken – there was a glimmer of hope for the millions of overworked and low-paid key workers who are…Read more…
Making a virtual out of a necessity: NASUWT online conference 2021 case study
Organising a fully virtual and democratic trade union conference. By NASUWT’s Sammy Connell and Chris Weavers. The NASUWT held its centenary Annual Conference at the ICC Belfast Convention…Read more…
Testing your union’s new digital services by prototyping
Prototyping is a very important tool when it comes to designing new digital systems. As non-profits, reliant on members’ contributions, unions have to be careful to get the best returns out of…Read more…
Discover, define, develop: A model for designing for change in unions
Last year, we launched a new module in the TUC’s leadership development programme, Leading Change. It expands our long running course to also look at how digital can support (and challenge)…Read more…