Unite The Union

The Structures of Unite

“Unite the Union”Rule 1, 1.1

Unite stands on a 3 pillar strategy which brings together the cultural identities and strengths of it’s predecessor Unions

1. Organising collectively

2. Political Strategy

3. International solidarity

These 3 pillars are embedded in the cement of equality

International

Organising

Political

What is Unite?

A member led union with 1.5 million members who work in every area of private, public and not for profit work

Unite covers the Britain and Ireland but also has members as far away as Gibraltar and Germany and at any time will have members working in all parts of the world

ORGANISING

Unite is a union based on the need to organise workers to secure success at the bargaining table

We recognise that 100% active membership gives us an opportunity to win for workers

Our Unite workplaces must be strong and active to be able to develop a voice for workers

Political

Our political strategy is to organise politically re-connecting with labour and arguing our economic policies and our politics within the party, building our strength of numbers and our voice within our party

Unite – International strategy

Unite is part of an international trade union organisation Workers uniting which comprises of Unite and the USW

Unite supports Union Solidarity International, www.usilive.org a new international campaigning organisation utilising social media

Unite is also part of numerous international trade union federations

UNITE Background

T&G and Amicus formed Unite the Union with a T&G Section and an Amicus Section on 1 May 2007

Unite the union’s rules were agreed by ballot in 2008 and came into force on 1 May 2009

Following the Executive Council and General Secretary elections the union was established

Unite today

Unite ran for the first few years with 2 General secretaries almost as two separate unions in one

Len McCluskey was elected sole General Secretary in November 2010 and a new Executive Council came into place shortly after

The Rules revision conference in July 2011 set the new rules for Unite

How do you get involved in Unite – the union?

EVERYONE IS IN A UNION BRANCHBranches generally meet once a monthBranches are usually based on workplaces but can be based on industry such as the “Merseyside finance workers branch” We also from December 2011 have “Community membership branches” which are attached to Area activist committees (AAC)

Rule 17 - BRANCHES

How do I get involved at the workplace?

Workplace representatives

Elected at least every three years

1 or more of the following :

• Shop stewards/workplace representatives

• Safety representatives

• Learning representatives

• Equality representativesRule 18 – WORKPLACE REPRESENTATION

Unite Representatives

Workplace Reps / shop stewards

− The main task of our reps is to ORGANISE our workplaces, building membership and developing activists

− Reps support, advise and represent members− problem solving, communication, negotiating and

influencing skills will be a key feature of the reps job− Full training is provided − Reps allowed time off for trade union duties

Unite Representatives

Health and Safety Reps

− Fully trained in Health and Safety− Undertake H&S inspections in your workplace

Union Learner Reps

− Raise awareness of the benefits of learning− Encourages fellow workers to take up learning

opportunities− Support members in learning− Provide advice and guidance on learning− Secure equal opportunities in learning

Unite Representatives

Equality Representatives

•Understanding equality issues

•Developing knowledge of discrimination and the relevant legislation, policies and procedures

•Helping make Unite workplaces focus on Dignity at Work issues and outlaw bullying

Getting involved in the union

To be a committee or conference delegate, you “must be an accountable representative of workers”

includes Branch office-holder in employment, shop steward, health & safety, union learning and equalities representatives

Takes account of industrial differences eg construction, leisure, agriculture Rule 6 – LAY OFFICE

Lay Member DemocracyUnite – the Union

LOCAL

• Branch and Workplace

• Area Activist Committee− Elected in every region to represent workplaces,

communities and industries in the Area

Community membership

A new type of membership established in December 2011 in order to address the number of non waged individuals outside the traditional union stuctures

Community branches to be linked to AACs and supported by industrial structures

Community Organisers

Unite advertised for 5 community organisers, the plan is to have one in each region eventually to co-ordinate and empower community branch campaigns and support community activists.

Lay Member DemocracyUnite – the Union

REGIONAL

• Regional Committee

Every Region has a Regional Committee made up ofRepresentatives elected from : - Area Activist Committees- Regional Industrial Sector Committees- Regional Women’s, Black, Asian & Ethnic Minorities, Disabled Members, and LGBT Committees- Observer delegates from Young Members and Retired Members

Lay Member DemocracyUnite – the Union

INDUSTRIAL

• Regional Industrial Sector CommitteesElects representatives to :

• National Industrial Committee

• Industrial Sector National Conference

Where are the UNITE regions?

North WestNorth East, Yorkshire, HumbersideWest MidlandsEast MidlandsSouth WestSouth EastLondon & EasternIrelandScotlandWales

Rule 8 - REGIONS

What are Unite Industrial Sectors?

Finance & LegalServicing & General IndustriesVehicle Building & AutomotiveMotor ComponentsFood, Drink & TobaccoRural & AgriculturalConstructionHealth Rule 7 INDUSTRIAL SECTORS

What are the Unite Industrial Sectors?

Graphical, Paper & MediaPassenger TransportAerospace & ShipbuildingChemical, Pharmaceuticals, Process & TextilesRoad, Transport Commercial, Logistics & Retail DistributionLocal AuthoritiesCivil Air Transport Rule 7 INDUSTRIAL SECTORS

What are the Unite Industrial Sectors?

Energy & UtilitiesCYWU & Not for profitMetals (including Foundry)Electrical Engineering & ElectronicsEducationMOD & government DepartmentsDocks, Rail, Ferries & WaterwaysIT & Communications

Rule 7 INDUSTRIAL

Lay Member DemocracyUNITE POLICY & RULES

Policy Conference• Every 2 years• 1 lay delegate per 2,000 working members• Each region elects 2 LGBT and 2 Disabled members

Rule 12 POLICY CONFERENCE

Rules Conference• Every fourth year• Rules conference constituted in same way as policy

conferenceRule 13 RULES AMENDMENT

Lay Member DemocracyUNITE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Elected every 3 yearsDelegates representing RegionsDelegates representing Industrial SectorsNational Women’s RepresentativeNational BAEM, Disabled and LGBT

Rule 14

Officer structure

Unite has a series of regionally based officers (RIO) in teams in each of the 10 Unite regions

Those officers work to Regional Co-ordinating officers (RCO)

Each region has a Regional Secretary

Regional Secretaries

North West Paul Finegan

London Eastern Pete Kavanagh

NEYH Karen Reay

South East John Rowse

Scotland Pat Rafferty

Ireland Jimmy Kelly

Wales Andy Richards

West Midlands Gerrard Coyne

East Midlands (temp) Gerrard Coyne Karen Reay

Organising Department

Each region has a team of organisers who work on the unions key strategic organising targets and are managed by Sharon Graham Director of Organising

Regional structures

In each region the regional secretary is subject to the regional committee, a lay elected body who run the affairs of the region

Each region also has a lay body known as a finance and general purposes committee (FGPC) who deal with finance and day to day decisions

Regional administration

The wheels of Unite are kept turning by an excellent team of regional and nationally based administrators who work to regional and national officers

Sector structure

Each Sector is led by a National officer,

The national officer will often be seen making statements around major industrial issues and will have a team of officers based in regions

Unite Senior officer structure

General Secretary Len McCluskey is supported by a small senior leadership team consisting ofSteve Turner (head of policy) and Andrew Murray (chief of staff)There is a Deputy General Secretary post which currently remains unfilled

Assistant General Secretaries

Gail Cartmail AGS Servicing

Tony Burke AGS Manufacturing

Diana Holland AGS Transport

Lay Executive

The executive council of Unite is the senior policy making body of the union between conferences who deal with the organisation of the union, interpretation of rules and policy decisions, the chair of the Executive council and therefore senior lay official in Unite is Tony Woodhouse

Executive Council

The executive council is made up of lay representatives from the 23 industrial sectors and regional representatives from the 10 regions, along with women, BAEM, Disability and LGBT members

Unite Departments and their Directors

Campaigns & communications (Pauline Doyle)Legal (Howard Beckett)Research (Simon Dubbins)Education (Jim Mowatt)Equalities (Diana Holland)International (Simon Dubbins)Political (Steve Hart)Organising (Sharon Graham) Each department is based at central office in Theobalds Road, Holborn, London most also have employees in the regions

Developing our ideas

Unite is working closely with the Institute of Employment Rights www.ier.org.uk to develop our industrial relations strategy

Unite helped found the CLASS think tank www.classonline.org.uk developing radical left economic alternatives

Our future voice

Policy conference 2012 saw 100 young member observers who were called to speak on all our key policy issues and they did so with passion and confidence giving us great hope for the future

Strength through Solidarity

Unite, like all unions, faces huge challenges and our structures will adapt as we go forward, but our values remain intact. An injury or injustice to one is an injury to all