Every member of UNISON belongs to a branch. Why not get active by going along to a branch event to meet other UNISON members and find out what the branch is doing? You’ll be made very welcome and it’s a great chance to find out more about what the union is doing for you.
Branches are the basic unit of the union, they are made up of groups of members working for the same employer or several employers in the same area. Within each branch there are members with established democratically elected positions, as well as many members who help out in an informal way.
Why get active in your branch
Getting involved in your branch offers a chance for you to influence the decisions of the branch – and in turn make a difference in your workplace.
Volunteering brings personal benefits too:
- you can get free training and learning opportunities – and time off work while you learn;
- you gain valuable experience in new areas;
- you can create a better workplace and better public services;
- it looks good on your CV.
How to get active
If you want to help out, why not offer to lend a hand from time to time? What you do depends on how much time you have. You might be able to help get the room ready for a meeting, hand out information or put up posters advertising branch meetings. Just speak to your local branch. Whether it’s a particular campaign that interests you, or a group, or just being part of the everyday running of the union, your branch will be able to help you get involved.
Find your branch on our branch finder
Make it official – branch roles
Or you could become a branch official and help members have a stronger voice together.
Branch officers organise meetings and run the branch. They are elected by branch members to take on different roles within the branch and to help organise the union’s work.
Among the branch positions are branch secretary, chair, treasurer, equality officer, health and safety officer, education officer and young members’ officer. Many branches have a welfare officer as well.
They all receive free training to support them in the role.