Workers are winning

On the 1 February we saw half a million workers stand together and take industrial action, the biggest strike since 2011. Thousands of these workers then joined together on the streets of Newcastle to stand in solidarity with one another.

And this collective action is paying off, workers are winning. Being in a union, having a voice and taking action together is achieving fairer pay and conditions for people all across the region.

Just last week we saw workers at Hartlepool’s Expanded Metal Company win a significant pay rise and improvements to their terms and conditions after taking industrial action.

Initially offered a real terms pay cut, members took strike action for the first time in more than a hundred years. The action resulted in a pay rise of 7.5 per cent, as well as a £600 lump sum and improved sick pay.

And late last year we saw bus drivers at Stagecoach in Sunderland do the same.

After being offered a below inflation pay rise, almost 200 workers carried out a gruelling series of strikes. Stagecoach eventually realised their driver’s worth and offered an 11 per cent pay rise along with a £150 bonus.

Industrial action is a last resort and going on strike is a difficult decision to make. But in a climate where bosses and the government refuse to negotiate reasonable and fair pay rises, it’s the only option and it’s proving to be the right one.

But being in the thick of the movement, it can be easy to think that trade unions are an obvious choice for everyone, that everyone understands what a trade union is and what the benefits of being a member are. But in reality, things are very different.

Millions of workers have never even considered joining a union. Many have no idea what a union offers or how to sign up. And many are completely in the dark when it comes to understanding their employment rights or how to fight back when they’re mistreated in the workplace.

#HeartUnions week is all about sharing the great work trade unions do and showing how unions offer everyone a voice at work.

And right now, this voice is more important than ever.

With workers enduring the longest pay squeeze in more than 200 years, being brutally exposed to the cost-of-living crisis and being completely disregarded by both employers and ministers, collective action is proving to be the only way many workers can be heard at the moment.

So if you’re not already a member, join a union today!