Features

Building community trade unionism

26th February 2012

At LRC annual conference in November, motion 14 was passed which committed the LRC “to support Unite’s policy of building community trade unionism”. Below, Unite NEC member and chair of Unite United Left, Martin Mayer, sets out why Unite has launched community membership and what the benefits are to those joining as well as to the whole of the trade union movement.

Britain’s largest Union is reaching out into the community – literally. In an unprecedented move, Unite is opening its doors for the first time to students, the unemployed, unpaid volunteers and pensioners, even if they have had no previous connection to any trade union. Indeed anyone not in work can join – and that includes any non-working family members over 16 years old.

For only 50p per week Unite’s Community membership will entitle members to an impressive array of benefits:

Tax refund advice
24-hour legal helpline
free personal injury claims service with UNITE’s solicitors
welfare benefits check-up (online service)
financial mis-selling advice helpline
up to £2500 personal and fatal accident cover
discounted insurance
gas and electricity comparison service
Vision Express discount vouchers including free eye tests
UNITE Pre-paid Debit Card with 5% cashback at leading retailers
Debt counselling
CV writing downloadable template
Application letter
Interview tips – UNITE guide
Hardship grants (subject to eligibility criteria)

That’s a good enough reason of itself to join, but Unite’s motives for launching Community membership go much deeper.

For too long trade unions have sometimes felt isolated from the communities in which we live. Yet we know that trade union branches are in the front line defending jobs for the local community and fighting to achieve better rates of pay and pensions which will benefit the whole community. When workers are in dispute against bad bosses it’s often to the local community that we look to for support. But if the local community has no coherent organisation, how can that be delivered? Strong Unite Community Branches could provide that practical solidarity support when we need it.

We hope Community Branch members will wish to get involved in broader union campaigns as well. Whether that’s joining protests outside supermarkets who stock products from employers who refuse to recognise a union or leafleting local outlets of global companies which sack trade unionists in other countries. Closer to home, Community Branches could provide an army of volunteers to join our rallies and demonstrations - such as on 30th November in support of the public sector workers fighting to defend their pensions.

We can’t take that support for granted of course – not even for 50p per week and an impressive range of benefits. But what we can deliver is strong democratic organisation to those in our community who currently have no voice. Unite Community Branches in every town across Britain and Ireland will give the powerless and the poorest the nearerst thing to a trade union branch, giving the unemployed, those on benefits, the disabled, students, unpaid volunteers and pensioners the ability to meet and organise themselves.

Community members will have their own Unite Community Branch structure which will mirror that of our local Unite Area Activist Committees. They will elect their own Branch Officers and will have the freedom to elect whatever relevant posts they see fit (e.g. equalities officer, disabilities rep, benefits claimants organiser, etc) just as a working branch elects its own shop stewards. Each Community Branch will be allocated a Unite full-time officer to give assistance and guidance and help link our Community membership with the rest of Unite. Community Branches will be able to submit motions and elect representatives onto the Area Activist Committee and, if Labour Party members, to the Regional Political Committee.

There is no more important time than now to do this. With a ConDem Government hell bent on smashing our welfare state and public services, working people both in and out of work are facing a fight of their lives in 21st century UK plc Unite is absolutely clear about this. We oppose all public spending cuts and reject the neo-liberal obsession with austerity which is destroying the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of our people – whether in work or not. Instead of privatising our NHS, slashing council services and lopping over £18bn off welfare benefits for the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, we say the Government should collect the unpaid, avoided and evaded taxes from the super-rich and big business corporations – currently estimated at over £100bn per year.

Trade unions like Unite are leading the fight against the ConDem cuts but we can’t do this on our own. But what a force we will be if organised workers and those out of work can unite together – and for the first time unite our communities against the cuts.

Find out more about Unite Community membership

This article also appears in the March 2012 issue of Labour Briefing