UNISON’s principles of proportionality and fair representation mean that some seats on elected bodies are reserved for women and low-paid members, so that the make-up fairly represents the wider union. This includes the national executive council (NEC).
The definition of low-paid reflects the median gross weekly earnings for all jobs – full time or part time – and is revised each year.
The median gross weekly earnings figure for 2022 has been calculated in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings at £532.50, which represents a 5.4% increase on 2021.
This means that the cut-off wage for election to reserved (low pay) seats in the union rises to £11.80 an hour.