Empowering Workers: a Trade Union Certificate in Labour Law and the Labour Movement

About The Course

Our very popular Empowering Workers – a trade union certificate in Labour Law and the Labour movement.

Delivered in partnership with the Institute of Employment Rights (IER) and accredited by Birbeck, this course provides a detailed, strong and robust understanding of the context we operate in and how to shape it as trade unionists.

Your Commitment

• Attend the residential session at Quorn Grange Hotel in Leicestershire and the four in-person days at Birkbeck School of Law
• Commit to group online sessions with programme tutors
• Complete the “self-study” elements appropriate to the course
• Have the backing of your union in terms of course fees and time to complete the course

18 March 2027

Venue: Birkbeck School of Law

• Welcome to Birkbeck and to the course: Labour Law – its historical, political and economic context
• A short history of labour including the Declaration of Philadelphia and its significance
• A look at recent attempts at legal reform, including a critical look at the Employment Rights Act 2025

25 March 2027

Venue: Birbeck School of Law

• Fairness, social justice and human rights
• Ways of organising, mobilising, and negotiating
• Working rights in times of crisis: how can we respond?

1 July 2027

Venue: Birbeck School of Law

• Labour strategy and legal mobilisation
• The role and importance of Sectoral Collective Bargaining

• The legal status of workers
• Labour, artificial intelligence and the law

27 & 28 September 2027

Venue: GFTU Quorn Grange

• Spain’s new labour laws
• Unions and communities: linking struggles
• Strike action, action short of strike action, balloting, campaigning, disobedience and protest
• Boardrooms, works councils, votes at work and other forms of struggle