Trade Unions in Transformation: Strategic Foresight Training for Young Trade Leaders

OBJECTIVES The course aims to empower young trade union leaders by enhancing their knowledge and skills in supporting organizational transformation. By the course's end, participants should be able to: a. Understand core labour rights and principles, and their relevance to young workers and union revitalization, b. Analyze the specific needs, priorities, and contributions of young workers in pursuing social justice and decent work, c. Identify strategies to empower young workers within unions, including leadership roles and decision-making, d. Develop a future-focused action plan for unions and young people, considering current challenges and labour market trends, and e. Establish connections and networks with leaders focusing on strategic foresight and futures thinking in trade unions. After completing the course, participants will be able to: • Advocate for workers' rights effectively using ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and related conventions. • Develop trade union revitalization plans using strategic foresight principles, with a focus on involving young workers and achieving organizational goals. • Create policy recommendations to promote youth inclusion in labour legislation and national-level actions. • Engage actively and efficiently in trade union activities and structures, including organizing young workers. CONTENT Course Overview: The course is divided into several modules to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of trade union revitalization and strategic foresight. Onboarding (Week Zero): • Introduction to online learning and navigation of the eCampus. Module 1: The ILO FPRW and Young Workers: • Examination of young workers' challenges and their relationship to the ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. • Consideration of opportunities and constraints for young workers in trade unions. • Introduction to strategic foresight, including the INSPECT++ method for analysing drivers of change. Module 2: Digitalization and Trade Unions: • Exploration of technological advancements and digital activism in trade union revitalization. • Analysis of labour issues related to digital labour platforms, artificial intelligence, and algorithms. • Use of the Futures Triangle Method to explore plausible futures. • Discussion of the benefits of technological progress in trade union work. Modules 3 & 4: A Plausible Future for Trade Unions: • Scenario planning to envision different potential futures for trade unions, including "business as usual," "collapse," "discipline," and "transformation" scenarios. • Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) to analyze conflicting and harmonious visions of the future and identify who benefits from different scenarios. • Backcasting to work backward from the desired future state to identify implementation strategies and next steps. Concluding Module: • Refinement of participants' trade union revitalization plans and long-term outcomes. • Course evaluation and post-training follow-up. • Virtual closing ceremonies, graduation, and discussion of next steps. NUMBER OF HOURS: 40