Unison (trade union)

Part of the UNISON contingent at the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival and Rally 2016

Membership numbers have remained relatively stable at between 1.2 and 1.4 million over the past 17 years.[12]

The levels of subscription are determined by the National Delegate Conference and are recorded as a Schedule in the union rules. The National Delegate Conference has the power to vary the subscriptions levied after a majority vote, although the subscription rates do not change frequently.

Local branches may also, after a majority vote of members, impose an additional 'Local Levy' as long as the levy does not exceed one sixth of the subscription payable. This is in addition to the standard rate, and must be used for local branch purposes.

Membership fees vary depending on how frequently members are paid and the level of their current salary. Subscriptions are generally paid by what is commonly known as "check-off" or DOCAS (Deduction of Contributions at Source). This is where the employer deducts the contribution from the employee's salary on behalf of the union. Payment is taken by Direct Debit if the member joins online, if the member specifically requests it, or if there is no DOCAS arrangement with the employer.

Student members in full-time education (including student nurses or Modern Apprentices) have a fixed rate subscription of £10 per year.

Members who have had continuous membership for at least two years may opt to pay a one-off fee of £15 upon retirement from paid employment. This allows them to retain the benefits of being a union member for life. They are then classed as 'Retired Members'.

Members who are dismissed or made redundant from employment may retain their membership for £4 per year for a period of up to two years whilst they remain unemployed.

Ants and Bear campaign poster.

Various local campaigns are run by the union. Much of the recruitment within organisations takes place at a local level, with stewards and branches directly engaging with the staff within their remit.

The national organisation also engages in publicity[13] such as the "Ants and Bear", which was used at the formation of the new amalgamated union. This advertising campaign showed an ant trying to get past a large bear by shouting "Excuse Me", however the bear did not pay attention. The next scene showed the ant being joined by many thousands more, and them all saying "Get out of the way!" together, which does get the bear's attention and makes him move out of the way.[14]

One in a Million campaign poster.

The General Political Fund funded a TV recruitment advert "You're one in a million" launched in October 2004.

UNISON runs a range of national campaigns, such as 'Positively Public', the campaign to keep public services public and well-funded. Campaigns cover a broad area from pay and pensions to sector-specific initiatives focusing on a variety of issues from cleaner hospitals to opposing the sell-off of public housing.

They are affiliated to Abortion Rights[18] which campaigns "to defend and extend women's rights and access to safe, legal abortion"; among its statements it opposes the criminalisaton of sex-selective abortion.[19]

There have also been high-profile regional and local campaigns, such as that against the controversial and unpopular[20] 'SouthWest One' private/public partnership.[21]

The General Political Fund has also funded:

• Anti-racist events
• Local campaigns against privatisation/marketisation
• UNISON presence at various national and regional events
• Campaigns against council housing sell-off

In the run-up to general or local elections, the fund has been used for advertising campaigns to ensure that issues of importance to UNISON are high on the agenda. Its 2010 campaign is titled "Million Voices for Public Services".[22]

The GPF is not affiliated to any political party, but the money in the fund is used to support local campaigns and to pay for political advertising.

In February 2013, UNISON was among other organizations and individuals who gave their support to the People's Assembly in a letter published by The Guardian newspaper.[23] UNISON Delegates and representatives attended the People's Assembly Conference held at Westminster Central Hall on 22 June 2013.[24]

In July 2015, UNISON endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election.[25] In August 2016 it endorsed Corbyn once again.[26]

In the 2020 Labour leadership and deputy leadership elections, UNISON endorsed Keir Starmer for leader and Angela Rayner for deputy.[27][28]

Dave Prentis was re-elected in an election with 49.4% of the vote[29] of 9.8% turnout of members.[30]

General Secretary Dave Prentis who was elected as General Secretary on 1 January 2001 will stood down in December 2020.[31] Four candidates got enough nominations to be on the ballot: Paul Holmes, Christina McAnea, Roger McKenzie and Hugo Pierre.[32] Peter Sharma and Margaret Greer, stood and did not get onto the ballot,[33][30] Voting for the general secretary election will take place 18 October till 27 November, with the results announced 11 January 2021,[34] with Christina McAnea was elected.[35]

Paul Holmes is the candidate endorsed by UNISON's left-wing faction "UNISON Action Broad Left". Holmes was employed by Kirklees Council, however, during the campaign he was suspended from his role and investigated for reasons deemed “serious and confidential” by the council.[36][37] Holmes' main pledges are to sell UNISON's London office and move its headquarters to Birmingham, and to reduce his salary by £100,000, instead putting that reduction into the Union's welfare fund.[38][33][39][36]

Christina McAnea is currently an Assistant General Secretary for UNISON and previously the head of its NHS division.[40] McAnea has been considered "closely aligned" to Prentis and his leadership,[33][30] however when she has been asked of the label of "continuity candidate" due to her similar agenda she responded saying it’s "patronising with a big dose of misogyny".[40] McAnea is committed to advocating a National Care Service.[33] Those in the Labour Party have seen McAnea as an ally of Keir Starmer.[38]

Roger McKenzie is from Walsall and was a significant figure on the Labour left in the 1980s.[41][42] McKenzie chaired the Labour Party Black Sections, co-chaired the Anti Racist Alliance, served as a Labour councillor on Islington council and was the secretary for Islington North Constituency Labour Party, working alongside its MP Jeremy Corbyn.[42][43][44] Prior to this election, he was West Midlands regional secretary for UNISON and then an Assistant General Secretary.[40][42] McKenzie's key pledges are to expand the union activist base, membership, branch resources and branch autonomy.[42][45] He has received the support from several left-wing labour MPs[33] and has been accused of being "hard-left" by The Times.[46]

Hugo Pierre is the Black member’s representative on UNISON’s NEC. He attempted to receive the Action Broad Left nomination however lost to Holmes, he is running an independent socialist campaign.[33] Pierre had a hostile approach to the Labour Party, suggesting that the union could stand council candidates in areas where Labour councillors are "unsupportive".[33] Additionally, Pierre used anti-austerity rehtoric as part of his campaign.[47]

In August the Prentis leadership hired John Stolliday, this decision was controversial with members of the Unison National Executive Committee as Stolliday was reported to be involved in attempts to delay the 2015 Labour leadership election.[48]

In mid-September McAnea was endorsed by the UNISON NEC in a controversial vote. McKenzie responded to the result by saying "I am grateful and proud for every vote we won at today’s UNISON NEC, but this election is about members, not committees."[49] During the nomination process, 458 of 834 branches participated in nominating candidates for the election. This was higher than the 2015 General Secretary election which saw only 373 participate.[32]

Of the 1,367,084 members of Unison at the time of election 134,082 votes were cast- a turnout of 9.8%.[50]