Essential cover for you at work

Trade unions are there to help: why are they being attacked?

Most members of trade unions are ordinary working people who want to know they’re protected at work if things go wrong.

Maternity leave, pension provision, a minimum wage, safe working environments and holiday and sickness entitlements are just some of the things working people have fought for and won with their trade unions. Imagine losing them.

As well as all those benefits, every year unions negotiate with employers on hundreds of issues from your pay and training to family-friendly policies.

And just like your car insurance, you pay for your trade union essential cover – and hope you’ll never need to use it. But many of you will have first-hand experience of how the volunteer union reps helped you in difficult times.

The government is bringing in a trade union law that is going to make it harder for us to work on your behalf when things do go wrong. See our Trade Union Bill campaign.

It means if you – or teachers – do take legitimate strike action agency staff can be brought in. And of course teaching assistants may be pressurised to take classes they are not paid or trained to manage.

We think trade unions have an important role in a free country and we’d like to hear how they have helped you.

Please take our quick survey and tell us what you think.