10 creative trade unions you can join in the UK
You’ll likely have heard a lot of talk about trade unions in recent months. And with nearly seven million people in the UK being members across nearly every industry, it’s worth considering membership as a working creative. In broad terms, unions negotiate pay deals and ensure workers’ demands are heard by their employers. And with the cost of living crisis looming large, protecting your rights and interests as an employee has never been more important. Scroll down as we talk you through what exactly a union does for its members, the benefits of joining one and the right union for your creative discipline.
What is a trade union?
A trade union is essentially a group of workers who band together to preserve and improve their working and employment conditions. They train workplace representatives, democratically elected by union members, to organise and deal with matters such as:
- Negotiating agreements with employers on fair pay and working conditions
- Discussing any large or concerning changes to employment, such as en-masse or large scale redundancy
- Accompanying members to disciplinary and grievance meetings
- Discussing any concerns that members have with their employer
On top of these, trade unions often undertake political and industrial campaigning on behalf of workers’ employment interests, and organise strikes when agreements cannot be reached over working conditions.
You will usually be charged a membership fee to support the work of the union.
What have unions done?
There are many significant changes to workplace rights and norms that have come about because of the work of trade unions, including:
- A national minimum wage
- Minimum holiday allowance and sick pay
- The abolition of child labour
- Improved worker safety
- A reduction of hours in the working week
- The encouragement of a healthy work-life balance
- Improved conditions of parental leave
- Legislation for equality
- Increased protection for migrant workers
- A reduction in worker exploitation
You might also be surprised to know that the current norm of the two-day weekend was a result of campaigning by trade unions!
As a creative, there are a number of benefits in joining a union. For one, the industry is not always roses – there are too many accounts of overworked, underpaid and undervalued employees in the creative world to count. It can also be more difficult to feel like you can collectively bargain as a creative, particularly if you’re freelancing or working from home. While they come with many benefits, these conditions can sometimes feel isolating – unions are another creative community you can be a part of.
Convinced? The Trades’ Union Congress have a union finder tool on their website to find the one that best represents you. Below, we’ve also rounded up some of the well-known creative unions you can join in the UK and the industries and types of workers they specialise in – from writing to video games, full-time employees to casual workers.
