Unionisation 101

What exactly are my rights as an employee within the hospitality industry? Am I being discriminated against? Am I working too many hours? Unite the Union have the answers…

Identifying the Issues

What are the issues that are widely and deeply (strongly) felt (across the workforce)?

Take some time to really identify the issues. They are not always around pay and may be related to something that may seem irrelevant to you personally. It may be around a lack of uniform or changing facilities. The issues will only become clear after extensive conversations (1-2-1’s with your co-workers. See step 5).

Mapping the Workplace

In order to understand your workplace, you have to understand who works where & what they do. Take some time to create a chart that maps lists of people in the workplace.

Chart people into departments. Make a note on the chart of who you have spoken with regarding issues and the union. Identify (with colour coding) who’s in a Whatsapp chat, who’s a union member and who may be sympathetic. Equally, list those you think who may be apathetic or anti-union.

As the campaign develops, you can make efforts to update the chart. This will give you a real understanding of how a campaign is developing and which areas/ departments are ‘growing’ the union (and equally, which areas need more efforts).

Make a point of identifying on the chart any social or personal relationships. This could include any ethnic or language similarities among the workers. Where workers have social or personal relationships, it helps us understand how to reach workers.

Also make a point of marking the ‘Organic leaders’

Identifying Organic leaders

The union in the workplace is only ‘grown’ once organic leaders in the workplace are identified and brought on board (ideally in the Organising committee- see 4).

Organic leaders are typically workers who have been in the workplace for several years. They are generally good at their job and well respected. They may often be the person others turn to for advice or guidance. These are not to be confused with managerial leaders (but may sometimes have supervisory leadership roles).

Building an Organising Committee

Building a union at work is a team effort. It cannot be done by one or two people.

Once you have several members (and organic leaders) identified at work, start to build an organising committee (or team). This should be made up of people from different departments, roles, genders and ethnicity in order to truly reflect the workforce.

The team should meet at regular intervals to discuss the issues and growing the union.

Each committee member should be regularly reporting back on member growth and targets.

1-2-1 Conversations

Union sympathies can be generated via leaflets and social media, but a union can only be effectively grown by 1-2-1 conversations.

The organising committee should be tasking its members with making sure that union conversations are happening regularly with all team members. Chart the conversations on the mapping document.

1-2-1 conversations should be natural (and not off a script). Furthermore, we would encourage members to have these conversations offsite (at a local café or bar) when workers are more relaxed and able to talk freely.

Tasking the Members

The organising committee members should be regularly tasked with speaking to non-members, circulating materials and reporting back.

Other members (that are willing) should also be tasked with regular participation (in meetings or dialogue). Building a union is a team effort and can only succeed when lots of members are engaged and participating (it’s their union!).

Structure Tests

A union can only grow in the workplace, when workers see it winning.

Start with some easy/ winnable goals. For example, the employer may not be granting statutory breaks or asking people to work ‘off the clock’. These are easy wins, backed up by UK legislation. Health and Safety is also a good route to pursue (consult your union rep on opportunities).

There are several potential routes to ‘winning’ your first goal.

It may be a collective grievance (signed by workers) or simply a ‘march on the boss’ (to the office). Knowing which route to pursue will take experience. Consult with the union organiser.

Structure tests will ‘grow’ the confidence of the workers to tackle bigger and more ambitious goals. They will also grow the membership as non-members see how effective the union can be first hand.