Area Branch

Providing Support for CWU Members in the Coventry Area Branch

Last Updated Friday, 20 June 2008

Welcome to the CWU Coventry Area Branch Website

You may or may not know what a trade union does.  You may already be a member of a trade union, or may have been a member of one in the past, you may never have known trade unions even existed!  If you don’t know an awful lot about what trade unions do then hopefully the following will give you a better understanding...

 

In the UK anyone who wishes to be a member of a Trade Union is legally entitled to join one. 

It is illegal for your employer to penalise or prejudice against you for being a member of a trade union.

 

What do Trade Unions do?

 

Trade Unions protect and seek to improve their member’s terms and conditions of employment through negotiation and representation with employers.  This is done through a mixture of collective bargaining, (negotiating on behalf of a group of individuals), and through individual representation as well as lobbying the government and other organisations for changes to employment legislation.

 

Why would I want to join a Trade Union?

 

You should want to join a trade union for two key reasons.  The first reason being that should you ever get into trouble at work you will have access to union advice and representation should the matter ever reach a disciplinary hearing.  You are probably somebody who doesn’t know an awful lot about employment law, possibly even your company’s own procedures,  simply because you may never had to have any personal experience with them.  As a trade union the CWU has experienced representatives who deal with procedures and UK employment law on a regular basis and consequentially are able to offer you an excellent level of representation.

 

The second reason for joining a trade union is that if enough of your colleagues in the business you work for are members of the same trade union as you, then that trade union can push for recognition rights in your business.  If your business recognises a trade union then there will collective bargaining rights between your business and the trade union which means that the trade union can then directly negotiate with the employer on your & your colleagues’ terms and conditions of employment on your behalf.

 

FACT :- Even if your company does not recognise a trade union UK employment law states that you are legally entitled to be represented at Discipline and Grievance Hearings by a Trade Union Official who can represent your case on your behalf.

 

What can the CWU do for me?

 

I f you work for a company where the CWU has recognition rights with an employer such as Royal Mail Group or BT then the CWU will already be negotiating for your colleagues terms and conditions in your workplace.  To have a say on how the union best achieves change and improvement then you need to join.  If you are not a member then you will have no say.  As a CWU member you also have access to a range of services and benefits.

 

If you work for a company that does not recognise the CWU, such as FedEx or Capita then we can still help you.

We can still represent you at Discipline & Grievance Hearings as well as offer a vast range of advice on your workplace issues.  As a CWU member you also have access to a range of services and benefits.

 

 

 

 

About Trade Union Membership...