West Dunbartonshire Branch

UK National site

Scottish site

Branch Address:

UNISON

Council Offices

Garshake Road

Dumbarton

G82 3PU

Telephone:01389 737246

Fax:         01389 737884

e-mail (office):

unison@west-dunbarton.gov.uk

All UNISON logos and graphics published with authority

All photographs published by kind permission of subjects

© UNISON West Dunbartonshire Branch 2002

Join UNISON now

Go Straight to Application Form

Together we're stronger - that what UNISON is all about.

With more than 1.3 million members working across the public services, being part of UNISON means you have the full weight of Britain's biggest trade union behind you.

We have more workplace reps than any other union in the country - backed up by experienced full-time regional and national officers.

UNISON offers a raft of unrivalled benefits including legal protection, welfare services, pensions advice, education and training, health and safety guidance, special deals on holidays and insurance and a hotline for help and advice on workplace issues.

If you are:

• feeling underpaid and undervalued
• being treated unfairly at work
• juggling too much work with home and other commitments
• needing health and safety guidance or legal help
• hoping to progress through education and training
• looking for special offers on a holiday, a computer or insurance

you should join us now and become part of the solution.

Being a member of UNISON means that you are guaranteed a minimum standard of advice, representation and service. You have the right to:

• Up to date information about the union and its work on a regular basis in language and design that is easily understandable.
• Take part in union meetings that meet their trade union, working and domestic needs.
• Stand for office open to them within the unions rules.
• Vote for policies, representatives and delegates.
• Hold their representatives accountable.
• Participate in development, change and implementation of policy.
• Raise questions about any matter and receive a considered reply in a reasonable time.
• Have access to a wide range of union services.

Membership entitles you to get help quickly and easily with matters such as your pay, rotas, leave and sickness.Your local steward can provide you with experienced and professional support. The major areas of support can be summarised as follows :-

Many people are underpaid for the work they do, and entitled to a regrading. If you think you have a case for regrading UNISON can help. Talk to your steward or branch secretary, who will help you assess your claim to a regrading, explain to you your rights, and if necessary get expert advice from a regional officer. They will help you submit your claim to your employer and fight your case.

You have the right as a worker and a trade unionist to query decisions made by your employer and to object to changes which may be proposed in your working practices. If you have a problem talk to a branch officer about taking up your case with your employer.

If management decide to take disciplinary action against you, help from UNISON can prove invaluable. As soon as you know about any action let your steward know. If management want to have any meetings or interviews with you about the disciplinary action it is your right to have a UNISON representative with you, so make sure you do.

If you are threatened with dismissal or redundancy, contact your steward immediately. Your steward and other UNISON officials will help you lodge an appeal straight away, and help defend you in subsequent hearings. If you are dismissed unfairly UNISON will help you take your employers to an industrial tribunal, pay your legal costs, and defend you at the tribunal. If you face compulsory redundancy, UNISON will fight to save your job, and if that fails negotiate suitable compensation.

Your working conditions can play a very important part in what happens to your health and safety. Your employer has a legal duty to provide you with a safe workplace, safe working methods and safe equipment, and must not expect you to work with substances that put your health at risk. If your employer asks you to work with unsafe equipment or in poor working conditions, go and see your UNISON safety representative. UNISON safety representatives have a legal right to carry out their work and to ensure that you work in a safe, healthy environment. If you suffer an accident at work you should report it to your safety representative, who will give notice of the accident to the employer via the accident book. The safety rep. will inspect the scene of the accident before any repairs are carried out by management. If you have a claim for compensation UNISON can provide you with free legal advice and assistance.

UNISON’s track record is second to none. It is the trade union best placed to represent public service employees. In West Dunbartonshire our membership exceeds all other trade unions put together. This is no coincidence. West Dunbartonshire Council employees have made a considered choice. The right choice.

Application Form

Please copy this form into another program (e.g. Word) and print it out (we require a signature for salary deductions, so we cannot accept online/email applications for membership), complete it and then send it to:

UNISON Office

4th Floor

Council Offices

Garshake Road

Dumbarton G82 3PU

If you have any problems with printing out this form, contact the office or your local steward, who will be able to provide you with one.

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