UNISON Membership

Can I access help and advice as soon as I’ve joined UNISON?

Once you’ve joined our Branch, for the first 4 weeks of your membership, you are entitled to up to 30 minutes of advice via email, telephone or face-to-face meeting.  After 4 weeks of membership, you are entitled to the full benefits of UNISON including full representation at formal meetings and legal advice through our Regional Office.

Pre-existing Issues

If you join our Branch with the knowledge that there is already an issue you want to raise with us, or that an incident has already occurred before you joined, you will only be entitled to one 30-minute advice session about this.  This is in line with the UNISON Rule Book, Section K 2 (i) which states: “The member must have been in membership of the union for at least 4 weeks prior to the incident or occurrence that leads to her/him seeking legal assistance from the Union.”.  This rule also applies to those members who have 4 weeks or more of subscription arrears.  Please note, it is the member’s responsibility to ensure subscriptions are paid.

Union membership is not something staff should only have when there is a problem.  All three campus trade unions consult and negotiate policies and procedures on behalf of all staff.  The more members we have, the stronger we are and the more presence we have at the negotiating table. 

Don’t wait for a problem – join today.