is trade union membership worth it?

w00519772

I am a member of a trade union: Unison. I joined about five years ago. I pay about 20 pounds per month. On that basis I have paid about 1200 pounds.


I don't really see the benefit of being a member. I guess that could change if times ever become hard.


I am interested to hear from others who are members of a trade union and how you get value for money.

Takeaway_Addict

See it as an insurance, great you don't need to use it but there if you do.

As for the rest, I'm not getting drawn into that discussion, there have been plenty of threads about it already if you want to search the forum.

ariba10

It is like car and house insurance. We all moan about the cost but it is well worth it when you need it.

Southend1

Does unison negotiate your pay and conditions with your employer? If so you only have a say in negotiations as a member. Union members are generally paid more than non members.

What happens if you have a problem at work and need legal advice or have to go to tribunal? Unison would cover the costs which would be considerable if you had to pay them out of your own pocket. You can also get support and advice from your local steward, who will also be able to represent you at grievance or disciplinary hearings.

You also get free access to a certain amount of legal advice on non work related matters.

You can access training at no cost to yourself via the union. speak to your steward or learning rep for advice.

Unison uses some of your subs to campaign and lobby for improved pay and working conditions in the UK.

Working in a unionised workplace is generally much safer than a non unionised workplace. Union health and safety reps will be working hard to ensure your safety and wellbeing.

There are some discounts available via the union on various products and services (mostly financial but also discounted holidays etc).

There are a number of rulebook benefits e.g. Death benefit, accident benefit.

Unison welfare can help you in an emergency e.g. With an emergency grant or a respite holiday if you have been experiencing difficulties in your life.

There are a number of self organised groups e.g. Black members, LGBT members, women members etc to promote equal opportunities and help boost confidence, fight discrimination etc.

Your branch may organise social events etc

I could go on....

elsien

Has it been "worth" it for me? Not so far because Unison focusses more on the public sector and I work for a charity that doesn't recognise unions for negotiating purposes so the pay campaigns etc are not relevant. And I have not needed back up for any battles with my employer. I don't have an accessible branch rep and feel the voluntary sector is very much the unison poor relation.
Has it been worth it for a colleague who was disciplined and came close to losing her job? Absolutely, because she got the Rottweiler rep who made the employer think very carefully about how they implemented their policies.
Which is why I am still a member. For the back up if it should go pear shaped.

Southend1

elsien wrote: »

I don't have an accessible branch rep and feel the voluntary sector is very much the unison poor relation.

Have you considered becoming a rep yourself? You could really make a difference to local colleagues in the voluntary sector and also use the union's democratic structure to push for increased focus on the sector. The great thing about unions is that it's really easy to get involved and make a positive impact.

elsien

I did consider it. But there is not the option of having any work time for union activities and I have neither the time nor inclination to do it out of hours. I work full time, I have family responsibilities and I am also taking a qualification where the majority of the work is in my own time. I suspect many people in the voluntary sector are in the same boat, hence the lack of volunteers.

Southend1

elsien wrote: »

I did consider it. But there is not the option of having any work time for union activities and I have neither the time nor inclination to do it out of hours. I work full time, I have family responsibilities and I am also taking a qualification where the majority of the work is in my own time. I suspect many people in the voluntary sector are in the same boat, hence the lack of volunteers.

I presume that your employer doesn't recgonise a union at the moment then? In that case you would be entitled to time off to accompany members to grievance or disciplinary meetings but I appreciate there's a lot more involved than that! If you could encourage your colleagues to join up and get the union recognised then you would have more rights. Your current unison rep would be able to help you organise at work with a view to gaining recognition. It sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now so it may not be something you want to pursue at the moment but if you did I'm sure you would find it rewarding.

ohreally

elsien wrote: »

But there is not the option of having any work time for union activities and I have neither the time nor inclination to do it out of hours

This would fall to your branch secretary or perhaps full time official to agree and implement a facilities agreement.

"there is not the option of having any work time for union activities" sounds like the propaganda according to HR.

elsien

There was an organisation wide vote in my last place re union recognition, but there were too few votes for it to happen. When you are in small individual workplaces or lone working where people feel isolated and there isn't an easy way of connecting everyone, collective bargaining isn't really on anyone's horizon.
Unions need to start thinking of new more realistic ways to involve people where there aren't branches, reps, and all the other things you mention. I've been a union member for 20 odd years and not once have I been made aware of or invited to anything social, self organised events for example. I've never met a union rep or branch steward. I have had the agm invites but couldn't attend as I was working.
This is not a complaint, its an illustration of the differences between sectors.

Southend1

elsien wrote: »

There was an organisation wide vote in my last place re union recognition, but there were too few votes for it to happen. When you are in small individual workplaces or lone working where people feel isolated and there isn't an easy way of connecting everyone, collective bargaining isn't really on anyone's horizon.
Unions need to start thinking of new more realistic ways to involve people where there aren't branches, reps, and all the other things you mention. I've been a union member for 20 odd years and not once have I been made aware of or invited to anything social, self organised events for example.

I think there is currently a lot of work going on around fragmented workplaces like that but it is a challenge to organise them as you point out. Generally I don't think unions are very good at email/social media/web communications, which is a shame.

You can normally get on mailing lists for self organised groups by phoning the member helpline or visiting the union's website.