They work together under the Trades Union Congress (TUC). There are lots of unions, which may leave you wondering "which trade union should I join?". Ultimately, whether or not to join a union is a decision for you. The more people who join a recognised union in your workplace, the more you and your colleagues will benefit.Įven if you decide not to join, you’ll still have access to support and guidance, and you can still have a union rep present in any disciplinary or grievance meetings. On average, union members earn 12.5% more than non-union members. Even so, unions push for better pay and conditions for workers. Hopefully, you will never have cause to seek support from your union because you feel that you are being treated unfairly by your employer. Over 5.5 million workers are part of a union. The membership fee is usually small, and your union is there to support and represent you. There are no real drawbacks to joining a union.
A UNION ALLOWS WORKERS TO JOIN TOGETHER TO PROMOTE THEIR HOW TO
Find out if your employer has a rep when you join, as they will be able to explain how to join and the benefits of joining. Reps are sometimes elected, and in most unions, any member can become one – including you! Your rep will be a colleague, maybe even someone you work with. Union representatives (“reps”) are ordinary employees who act as workers’ first port of call for accessing the union. It’s worth finding out if there is a particular union which your employer recognises, as recognised unions work with employers to stick up for workers. For example, a teacher could choose to join the National Education Union (NEU) or NASUWT. You can join any union you’re eligible for – that usually means any union that represents your industry. Equally, you don’t have to join a union at all if you don’t want to. Your union rep will be an employee where you work and could be aĬolleague - make sure you know who they areīy law, any worker is allowed to join a trade union, and your employer can’t punish you for joining up. For example, if you have a part time or Saturday job to help you earn a bit of money during your studies, you could join a union for less than £1.50 per month!
You can join a union by paying a small regular subscription fee, usually linked to the amount of money you earn. Discussing any big changes with the employer before they happen, and sticking up for workers in these discussions.Passing on workers’ concerns to employers.Accompanying workers to disciplinary and grievance meetings.Giving employees advice and guidance about their rights, and what action they can take if they’re unhappy.Make sure the workplace is safe place for workers (by following health and safety requirements).Discuss any big changes in the workplace, such as redundancies.What do unions do?īy law, employers have to work with recognised unions to: However, unrecognised unions don’t take part in collective bargaining with the employer. This means you can still receive support from a union your employer doesn’t recognise. It is every worker’s legal right to be part of a union – recognised or not. They also support workers who feel that they are being unfairly treated by their employer, by providing advice and guidance about their rights and possible courses of action, as well as offering legal help. Recognised unions work with employers to achieve better pay and conditions for employees (“collective bargaining”). A recognised union is a union an employer accepts that they must work with, either through their own choice or by law. There is more than one union for some industries.īy law, employers have to work with “recognised unions”. For example, there are unions for teachers, doctors, journalists, train drivers, and many other professions. Unions are often made up of people in a particular area of work (“industry”). Unions - but they're about much more than just going on strikeĪ trade union (or just “union”) is a group of workers who have come together to work towards a common goal. Maybe this is the kind of thing you imagine when you think about trade Tweet this to your followers What is a trade union? 'What is a trade union and why should I join?' Unions are an important part of working life – they are there to support you if you feel you’re being treated unfairly, and stick up for workers in talks with employers. Maybe you’ve heard of trade unions but don’t really know what they are.
0 kommentar(er)
