@wakeyunison contact@unison-wakefield.org.uk www.wakefield-unison.org.uk
Wakefield District
UNISON News June 2017
News from the Wakefield District Branch of UNISON
What does your branch do? The Wakefield District Branch of UNISON has more than 8,000 members. Gone are the days when most of our members worked for WMDC. We now have members organised across over 190 employers. In fact exactly half of our members don’t work for the Council. We have members in Academies, Colleges, Probation, West Yorkshire Joint Services, the Community and Voluntary Sector, including Wakefield & District Housing and various other Housing Associations, the National Coal Mining Museum, Engie, ISS, private care providers and the Meat Hygiene Service, where members work as far afield as Northumberland. The list goes on and on. We provide advice and representation to members irrespective of their employer.
This can be very challenging and we are constantly looking at different ways of working so that we can meet the changing face of local government and public service delivery. We negotiate on your behalf and provide representation in individual grievances and disciplinaries. We provide members with access to our expert legal services, which cover work related and non-work related matters. Each year UNISON wins millions of pounds in compensation for members in employment tribunal claims and personal injury claims. We are lucky to have the support of an excellent staff team, including our administration team. If you need help or advice they are usually the first people you will speak to. They will take your details and an outline
of your problem but they are not qualified to give advice. They will however ensure your enquiry is passed to the appropriate person, which may be a convenor, a steward or a case worker. You can contact us by telephone – 01924 305360 or email – contact@ unison-wakefield.org.uk. Remember, you are the union. We are always happy to hear from members who wish to become more involved.
UNISON NEEDS YOU! Are you the person in your workplace who asks why things are done in a certain way? Do you find you are the one who speaks up for others in your team? If you have answered yes to either of these questions, then you may be interested in the following opportunities.
We are looking for people to act as a point of contact in their workplace. This involves passing on information to your colleagues, for example, updating noticeboards with the latest UNISON literature. There are also opportunities to become a UNISON representative in your workplace.
The different roles are: • Workplace Steward • Health & Safety Representative • UNISON Learner Representative • Equalities Representative. Full training will be provided. Please contact the Branch Office if you’d like to find out more.