GFTU PRESS RELEASE EMBARGOED 00.01 ON 5 March 2025

GFTU Educational Trust launches Education Fund for the whole trade union movement

The General Federation of Trade Unions Educational Trust (GFTUET) has today launched an education fund. This latest move by the historic trade union federation enables access to its popular educational programme for all trade union branches and union regions. Since July 2024, the GFTUET has attracted over 1,600 registrations on its latest programme. This educational offer combines cutting-edge online courses with the vital classroom residential education that powers the trade union movement.

Today’s launch, broadens the reach of the educational offering of the GFTUET to non-affiliated unions for an annual donation. This will support the work of the Educational Trust to develop the activists of today and identify the union leaders of tomorrow.

Gawain Little, General Secretary of the GFTU, celebrates today’s launch, “We have seen a dramatic rise in the use of and interest in our educational courses from members of non-affiliated unions. We believe our combination of online and residential courses provides the much-needed development and support to help a whole new generation of trade union activists. Many of these coming out of the recent strike wave. We look forward to welcoming our first union branch and region.”

The GFTU has seen a growth in its affiliation base with four new unions signing up in the last year and a half. Unlike affiliation to the GFTU, which requires the sign-off of the national union- resulting in free access to all GFTUET courses, discounts on other services, and full involvement in the democracy of the GFTU- the Education Fund provides a direct way for union branches and regions from non-affiliated unions to access high-quality courses. This investment in trade union education, safeguards the future of the trust and helps it expand year on year.

Sarah Woolley, General Secretary of the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) and current President of the GFTU, commented, “Over the last two years, we have seen a 100% increase in the number of registrations, and in this programme alone, we have seen courses fill up six months ahead of time. We are constantly expanding, broadening, and deepening our educational work for the whole movement. The launch of the education fund today provides a way for unions to support the expansion of high-quality trade union education for all trade unionists.”

For more information on how the fund works, go to: https://gftuet.org.uk/educationfund

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About GFTU

The General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) was established in 1899 and is currently celebrating its 125th anniversary. GFTU is a democratic federation responsive to the needs of its 27 affiliated trade unions, representing over half a million trade union members. It provides high quality online and residential education via our Educational Trust and training centre in Quorn. GFTU is the home of Strike Map, a worker powered and funded map of industrial action in Great Britain and the island of Ireland.

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