UNISON secures £95m in damages for members since 2011

UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector trade union, has today (19 June, 2014) released details of the amount of damages it has secured for injured or mistreated members since 2011, thanks to a complete package of essential legal cover it provides to 1.3 million people across the UK.

UNISON members have free access to the largest and most comprehensive national network of specialist solicitors with expertise in the fields of law that matter most to working people and their families: personal injury, employment rights, criminal law advice and general practice services such as probate and conveyancing.

The UNISON legal service offers unrivalled trade union law expertise to members based all over the UK, by lawyers who only work for those injured or mistreated – never for employers or insurers.

Speaking at UNISON’s conference in Brighton, Dave Prentis, general secretary, said:

“Our commitment has always been to fighting to secure justice for our members. That’s why we’ve won more than £95,000,000 in damages since 2011 alone, as well as winning major cases against some of the UK’s biggest employers.

“Our legal team provides a high quality service that is tailored to the needs of our members. Today, we’re reaffirming our commitment that every single UNISON member has easy access to proper legal representation and retains 100% of their damages if they’re injured or mistreated at work.

“We’re incredibly proud of the essential cover UNISON membership gives our members. It’s safe to say that the legal protection we offer is best in class.”

The union is reasserting its commitment to providing unparalleled legal representation to members in the wake of a changing UK legal landscape which placed serious limitations on access to justice.

Dave Prentis added: “Our aim has always been to provide a legal service for our members that is second to none.

“The change in the legal landscape over the last few years – particularly since the last election which saw the current government swallow every compensation culture and red tape myth their funders in the insurance industry have thrown at them – has left consumers and our members confused.

“It’s also opened the market to even more abuse from those who purport to offer quality when in fact it’s smoke and mirrors – the take the first offer and run brigade.

“UNISON is determined to protect our members from those obsessed with profit before quality whether that’s on the High Street or those advertising on TV and we are doing that by working with the law firm acknowledged to be the UK’s top trade union solicitors and adapting our services so our members continue to get the very best from a clear and extensive legal package.”

A recent survey conducted by UNISON into the services most valued by its members saw legal cover ranked as most important by the majority of respondents (71%[1])

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[1] Of 348 survey participants