Employment dispute insurance

veganline

http://www.employees.org.uk isn't yet a live service, but they hope to provide employment tribunal representation after a year's subscription, telephone legal advice, and possibly human resources advice some time in the distant future.

For those who don't work in the public sector or for big firms like banks, I should explain that in these jobs your employment contract comes with a clause saying "we recommend you join XYJ union", and the management probably meets an XYZ official once a quarter, allows union volunteer reps to act witness in awkward disciplinary meetings, and generally ought to let this union thing make life all around for the whole wide world.

Ten years later when you do get the sack unfairly, or when you need someone to prevent a disaster by speaking to your directors without it looking like you've suggested it, you find that you've no contract with the union, some of them are more interested in foreighn policy and donations to polical hobbies, and it's hard to get a reply from the paid union staff let alone a service dispite the £10 a month subscription.

I might have had a worse time that most. There might be loads of people on this message board who have had excellent service from efficient unions but for those who want a back-up, this little tentative scheme might offer employment related legal insurance for about a tenth the price of a traditional union.