Union 101
What is a union?
Trade unions are organisations that exist to support and represent workers and their interests. Unions are generally made up of members who are employees and workers, but students, apprentices, unemployed and retired people can also join.
Unions grew as a direct response to the unfair and dangerous working conditions of the Industrial Revolution. With the rapid growth and industrialisation of towns and cities around the UK, workers galvanised to take collective action in the 1800s, paving the way for modern trade unions.
Why join a union?
Solidarity
People often dismiss unions if their own workplace is functional or they have a good relationship with their employer. However, working environments can always change over time and joining a union isn’t always about protecting only yourself. Your union membership not only helps to protect your own colleagues, but also workers you don’t know who may be facing danger, unfair dismissal, discrimination, or exploitation.
Support
Unions provide support, representation and advice for workers facing difficulties. From unfair dismissals to harassment at work, your union can best advise you on a fair and legal resolution. More unionised employees at your workplace = more collective bargaining power.
Collective Power
The more people joining unions, the more collective power we have to ensure workers rights and protections are upheld, for all workers. Facing a recession in a post-Covid, post-Brexit world threatens health and safety and workers rights. Unionising now gives us strength in numbers and collective bargaining power.
Working Conditions
Unionised workforces are more likely to benefit from higher wages, a smaller gender pay gap, a more inclusive workforce, better maternity and paternity leave, proper sick pay, more paid holidays and less work related accidents than workplaces without a strong union presence. Unions can also ensure that your workplace complies with health and safety regulations, which will become increasingly important in a post-Covid world.
Which union is right for me?
It’s always best to join the union that your colleagues are a part of as this gives you more collective bargaining power. Don’t worry if your workplace isn’t unionised, you can be the first to join! Freelancers, creatives, precarious workers, sex workers, students and unemployed people can all join unions. If you can’t find a suitable union, visit Trade Union Congress (TUC) for a more comprehensive list.
Arts, music, theatre, media & entertainment
UVW-DCW - United Voices of the World’s Designers + Cultural Workers is a cross-sector trade union organising isolated and groups of workers across the creative industries.
QAU - Queer Artist Union is a collective and collaborative network supporting all LGBTQIA+ people and women working in the arts, freelance or on zero hours contracts.
AUE - Artists’ Union England represent artists in England working within visual art, applied arts, socially engaged art, moving image, sound and performance.
NUJ - National Union of Journalists represents members across newspapers, agencies, broadcasting, magazines, books, PR & comms, new media, photography, blogging, presenting and copywriting, amongst other media-related professions.
WGGB - Writer’s Guild of Great Britain represents professional writers in TV, film, theatre, radio, books, comedy, poetry, animation and videogames, including emerging and aspiring writers.
Equity - Equity is the trade union for actors, singers, models, performers, directors, choreographers, designers, stage managers, and other creative workers.
Bectu - Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union consists of non-performance employees in broadcasting, film & cinema, digital media, independent production, leisure, IT & telecoms, and theatre and the arts.
MU - Musicians’ Union represent full time, part time, self-employed and student musicians across the UK.
Retail, hospitality, transport, public & private sector
IWGB - Independent Workers Unions of Great Britain represent migrant workers, gig economy workers, under-unionised and under-represented workforces.
BFAWU - Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union is the only independent Trade Union operating within the food industry; representing employees in the food sector, from production at factories through to sales at shops.
GMB - GMB covers everyone, with members in the public and private sector including part time workers, apprentices, working students and sex workers.
Unite - Unite represents a wide range of workers across varied sectors, with 1.4 million members around the UK. Unite’s Community Membership caters to students, retired people, unemployed people and volunteers.
Unison - Unison is the public service union for civil servants, teachers, NHS staff, community workers, charity sector employees, water, environment and transport workers, and energy workers.
RMT - The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers represent members from almost every sector of the transport industry; mainline and underground railways, shipping and offshore, buses and road freight.
USDAW - Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers represent workers in all major retailers, supermarkets, manufacturing and food production.
CWU - The Communication Workers Union is the main trade union for people working for telephone, cable, digital subscriber line and postal delivery companies.
UVW - United Voices of the World is a campaigning trade union which supports precarious, low-paid and predominantly migrant workers. There’s a legal branch (LSWU) an architectural branch (UVW-SAW) a sex workers branch (United Strippers) and a designers branch (UVW-DCW).
NEU - National Education Union membership is available to everyone working in education.
PCS - Public and Commercial Services Union represents members in the civil service, government agencies and the private sector.