Become a rep or a steward
What is a UNISON representative?
The UNISON workplace representative is the most important link between the union and its members. Workplace representatives play a number of roles.
They are organisers who talk to, recruit and organise members around workplace issues, hold meetings, undertake surveys and help run ballots and feed this information back through the branch.
They give members information about union issues by publicising UNISON campaigns, distributing leaflets and keeping members informed about and involved in local negotiations.
They are advisers and sounding boards, talking to members about workplace problems and - if they feel confident - giving advice on how to deal with these.
Alternatively, they may arrange for the member to get advice or assistance from elsewhere in the union, or work with them to obtain the information they need.
They are representatives and spokespersons for members in their workplace.
Where they feel confident and have received appropriate training and mentoring support, they accompany members in meetings and assist them in raising problems with managers before these get out of hand.
Otherwise they seek advice and support from other union representatives. They also have an important role in ensuring that the views of the members within the workplace are represented to the wider union.
They are the workplace representative in UNISON - an essential part of a large and powerful national organisation.
All workplace representatives and members belong to a local UNISON branch, which is their main source of advice and support. In turn, branches belong to one of UNISON's regions which integrate with the national structure.
Getting involved in UNISON
The first point of contact for UNISON stewards and workplace contacts is the UNISON branch.
The branch is the main unit of local membership organisation and also normally the main vehicle for negotiation between the union and the employer.
All members belong to a branch, dependant upon the employer they work for and the geographical area in which they work.
Sometimes a branch is made up of members working for one employer - for example, a particular hospital trust or university. More commonly, a branch covers members working for a number of employers based in a particular geographical area and providing similar types of services.
At present branches tend to fall into one of seven service groups: local government, health care, higher education, police staff, transport, energy, and water.
However, there is now no requirement for branches to fit within these boundaries, and they are beginning to blur as the number of voluntary and private employers providing public services grows.
The UNISON branch plays a number of key roles, including ensuring effective negotiations take place with the employers it covers, ensuring that its members are given effective advice and representation, and providing effective support for stewards, safety representatives and workplace contacts the Branch Secretary or sometimes the Chair liases with the Regional Office on further support and links into the wider national union.
The branch is the main vehicle by which members participate in developing UNISON policy and objectives.
It is, therefore, essential that stewards get involved in their local branch as much as they are able.
All branches must have at least one members' meeting a year. This is the Annual General Meeting (see UNISON's AGM Survival Pack ), which is held between 1 January and 31 March.
Some branches hold more than one members' meeting a year, and large branches are asked to have 'aggregate' meetings - a series of local meetings held at different times and venues to enable more members to attend.
Branches must elect certain core officers, including a Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Equalities Officer, Health and Safety Officer, Education Co-ordinator, Communications Officer, International Officer and Young Members' Officer to find out more about what these roles entail please contact your branch or visit branch roles.
Branches may also create other posts according to their rules which are available on request. Officers are elected either at the AGM or by postal ballot beforehand.
The branch officers and stewards form the branch committee. Branch committees meet monthly and are responsible for running all branch business between full members' meetings, to get something put on the agenda at these meetings for a discussion you need to talk to your Chari or Secretary in advance of the meeting or bring it up under 'any other business' you should notify the Chair at the start of the meeting that you have something to raise under AOB.
Normally all stewards are members of the branch committee but each branch varies in one way or another, check with the branch Chair or Secretary if you are unsure or want more details.
However, in large branches the number of stewards may need to be limited, in which case branches must find ways of keeping the remainder involved.
This is usually done through a section structure.
All large branches are expected to establish section structures which reflect the range of employers and/or employers' departmental structures so that members can organise more effectively.
Stewards in each section then meet as a section steward committee and have their own representatives directly elected onto the main branch committee.
Branches are also encouraged to develop organisation among under-represented groups such as women, black members, gays and lesbians, disabled members, young members and retired members by setting up self-organised groups.
These can also elect officers to the branch committee.