Get Involved

Your UNISON workplace rep is the most important link between the Branch and our members.   There are different types of workplace representatives – please get involved to help protect local jobs and local services.

UNISON has these types of workplace representative :

1. Steward

A UNISON steward is a representative whose role includes organising, recruiting and representing members.

• Stewards in workplaces where UNISON is recognised by the employer have rights to time off for training and to carry out their union duties.
• Stewards have a right to be involved in how their branch is run.

2. Health and Safety Representative

A health and safety representative has the right to training and to raise issues which affect the health and safety of members.

• In some cases, the safety representative and steward are the same person but they have two separate roles.
• Safety representatives have specific duties and responsibilities and also have important legal rights.

3. Workplace contacts

Workplace contacts help distribute Branch information.

• Workplace contacts do not have access to the same rights as stewards, but can and do play an important role in helping groups of members to organise effectively.

• This is an ideal role for someone who is interested in becoming a steward or safety representative, but would like to find out more about what is involved.

Support and training

Support is available for UNISON reps from your Branch and Region, locally we run training courses for our reps throughout the year.

If you are interested in becoming active within the Branch, please contact us.