Trade unions

You may be asked to join a trade union when you start work. Unions are independent organisations that represent employees and negotiate on their behalf. So should you sign up?

All you need to know about trade unions

You can get your views at work represented by joining a trade union. We spoke to Raj Jethwa at the TUC to find out more about what a union does.

Help

"Less than half of the UK's workplaces have a union presence."

Why should I join a union?

Being part of a collective gives you the power of strength in numbers, so your membership of a union can help settle things like pay disputes and concerns over health and safety issues.

The services unions provide include:

Answering questions about your pay and working conditions
Representing you in disputes with your employer
Accompanying you to grievance or disciplinary hearings (you have a right to be accompanied, although unions don't have to do this)
Helping you through redundancy and checking your employer follows the correct legal procedures
Legal advice and representation, which many unions provide for free
Access to other benefits, such as financial advice and discounts

If your employer recognises a union, meaning they have officially agreed to negotiate with them, members can take time off for union activities (although you may not be paid, it depends on the activity). Trade union representatives get paid time off for training.

Your union may organise industrial action, such as going on strike. Members have legal protection so long as the correct procedures are followed, but you could lose your wages.

What's the catch?

You'll be charged a membership fee. This is often linked to your wages so lower-paid members pay the least. It's tempting to wait until you need assistance, but most unions won't help with a problem that started before you joined.

Unfortunately, many companies don't officially recognise a trade union and won't bargain with them. Less than half of the UK's workplaces have a union presence. You can still join if your workplace doesn't recognise a union, but they'll have less power to help you.

How can I get my employer to recognise a union?

Recognition agreements are often reached voluntarily, sometimes with help from Acas in England, Scotland and Wales, or the Labour Relations Agency in Northern Ireland.

If there are more than 20 employees, a union can apply for recognition in writing. If the employer says no, the union can then apply to the Central Arbitration Committee, or Northern Ireland's Industrial Court. They may get workers to vote on whether their employer should recognise the union.

What if my employer doesn't want me to be a union member?

Employees are legally entitled to join a union, whether it's officially recognised by your employer or not. Union membership can't be used as a reason to:

Refuse you employment
Dismiss you
Select you for redundancy

The Government is also in the process of tightening up laws against blacklisting union members after the Information Commissioner's Office discovered an illegal database was being used by construction firms, in breach of The Data Protection Act 1998.

Can agency workers join?

Yes, although if you're classed as a worker rather than an employee, you don't have the same employment rights. For example, you may not be able to claim unfair dismissal or redundancy pay. New laws expected to be passed later this year will give agency workers the same rights as permanent employees after 12 weeks, but may not come into full effect until 2011.

If you're self-employed you may be able to join a union relevant to your profession, as they may help negotiating contracts and chasing overdue payments.

Can I be forced to join a union?

No. Compulsory union membership has been illegal since 1990. Just as you can't be dismissed or selected for redundancy because you're in a union, you also can't be targeted because you're not in one. Agencies can't refuse to put you forward for a job because you're not a union member, and union fees can't be deducted from your pay without your consent.

By Anne Wollenberg

Have a look around your workplace for trade union posters.
If there's no union activity in your workplace, talk to some of your colleagues to see if they'd be interested in joining one.
Find out which unions you could join by using the TUC's union finder website.
Check out the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for England and Wales, the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) if you're in Scotland, or the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTUNI) for more information.

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