OPPORTUNITIES for extended union recognition, anticipated under legislation due to be outlined in a White Paper early next year, will be good for business because they will encourage the spread of partnership at work, CBI conference delegates are to be told.

TUC general secretary John Monks and his colleagues are taking this message to the Birmingham conference as part of the TUC strategy aimed at overcoming much of the concern shown by the CBI over the Government's commitment to give employees a legal right to be represented by a union where a majority of the relevant workforce is in favour.

The main bone of contention has been the CBI's insistence on unions proving a certain level of membership before being able to insist on a recognition ballot.

Mr Monks said yesterday that, while the trade unions were firm in their support of the principle of recognition rights, they were flexible about the details of implementation, and he was confident that talks between the TUC and the CBI would narrow the gap.

The fashion for both macho management and adversarial industrial relations was passing and partnership was now the name of the game, he said, adding that good managers knew that positive flexibility came from skilled and secure workforces with the confidence that their voice will be heard at times of rapid change.

That was why the TUC believed that the Government's union recognition proposals could be good for business.

A TUC pamphlet points out that the majority of Britain's world- class companies already recognises unions and works with them and that, in today's increasingly competitive global economy, UK plc would fail if it followed the low road of cutting pay, conditions, and jobs.

It also includes examples of succesful partnership agreements made at several major companies, including United Distillers, where a programme introduced in 1994 and recently extended to 1999 involves a series of commitments from both sides, including an employment security guarantee.

oClydeside should be included among trial ''employment zones'' being considered by the Government, according to the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions.

It agrees with the shipbuilding and ship repair employers that their industry requires some 6000 new apprentices over the next three years to combat growing skill shortages.

The Government has declared an intention to create five or six such zones in areas of high unemployment. The CSEU argues that traditional shipbuilding areas, including Glasgow, Merseyside, Teeside, and Plymouth should figure in this programme.

Confederation unions believe that the UK shipbuilding and repair industry is uniquely placed to assist the Government in its aim of providing quality training and skilled hi-tech jobs.

They argue that the industry can play a strategic role in providing new and updated ships and other craft for the UK forces, and is also able to fill a similar role in employing skilled workers immediately.

The industry's long-established record of training young people could be expanded very quickly to include skills that are transferable to other parts of the economy to assist in reducing the growing skills shortage across the nation.

Calling on the Government to agree the best programme for retaining a modern surface fleet, the CSEU stresses that, too often in the past, Ministers have promised orders, only to delay or cancel them.

It says that, once the Defence Review has agreed on a programme in the interests of the British forces, it should be adhered to, with orders placed on a proper agreed cycle to eliminate the stop-go problems of the past decade.

oBusiness leaders yesterday called on the Government to ''go back to basics'' over training and concentrate on improving standards in primary and secondary schools.

A survey had highlighted managers' worries of a growing skills gap among Britain's school-leavers, said the Confederation of British Industry.

The survey of more than 700 businesses, published ahead of the CBI conference, showed that a large number were worried about school leavers' basic skills.

It found that 43% said practical numeracy among school leavers was poor, 44% said it was adequate and only 1% described it as excellent.

The picture was similar for the communications skills of school leavers.