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Union member wins and how they did it.

Standing together and taking action together works. Unions have always known that and it’s as true today as it ever was.

Here are just a few of the many union win stories that we’ve been involved with lately.

'34' solidarity hub stories listed

NUJ achieves historic union recognition at Press Association

Last month the NUJ won a historic union recognition agreement at the Press Association (PA). PA is the national news agency for the UK and Ireland and is a leading multi-media content provider across web, mobile, broadcast and print.

Jonathan Brady and Emily Pennink

A great pay win for workers at National Museums Liverpool

“It was a real win for us and a good example of what we can achieve through solidarity.”

PCS strike

“Everything had gone up except our wages. We felt unappreciated”

After working through the pandemic, a group of outsourced canteen workers working at Drax power station felt the cost-of-living crisis starting to bite.

Debbie Leighton and Dianne Power

"Your future is in your hands”: A brilliant union recognition win for workers at Euro Car Parts

Following an 8-and-a-half-year campaign culminating in a workplace ballot through the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), Community just last week (Monday 3 June) won recognition for warehouse workers at Euro Car Parts Tamworth T1 and T2 sites.

“New recognition agreements are rarer than hens’ teeth”: A new deal for care workers

More than one hundred care workers in Wales are to see their pay and conditions improve after their company, Adferiad, signed a new recognition deal with UNISON.

“I’m surprised at how much of a difference I was able to make”

FDA rep Allan Carmen – a member of the FDA’s Fast Stream Section Committee – spoke to the TUC’s Solidarity Hub about the negotiations and the recent resounding pay win.

"I was sacked by GCHQ, but I have no regrets"

Ahead of the PCS and TUC march and rally in Cheltenham, former GCHQ worker Gareth Morris talked to PCS about his experiences when the trade union ban was brought in at GCHQ in 1984.

GCHQ

The fight for recognition at Glee Club, Cardiff

In July 2023, following a long and hard-fought campaign, Unite the union secured union recognition at the world-famous Glee Club in Cardiff, Wales.

“We got an amazing result!”: A great ballot turnout for the AEP

In September 2023, members of the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP) union in England and Wales voted decisively in favour of taking industrial action over pay.

“Don’t be afraid to be bold”: Winning for outsourced workers at ISS

Last year, around 100 outsourced and low-paid PCS members employed by ISS as cleaners, security guards and support staff in three government departments took 46 days of strike action after ISS failed to improve on a 2% pay offer.

“It feels good to know that we are all unified”: Winning recognition at the Stand

In December 2023, the Stand Comedy club in Edinburgh signed a voluntary recognition agreement with Unite, after the majority of workers in the Glasgow club also joined the union.

Lotte Fisher and Louis Cammell

Winning for outsourced workers

In the midst of the pandemic, outsourced school meals workers across England got in touch with their union, UNISON. Their employer Dolce, a private school catering company, was cutting the contracted hours of staff, while still expecting many of them to work the same actual hours.

"These changes will go a long way to support our members when they need it most"

In September 2023, following ongoing discussions between Tesco and Usdaw, the supermarket announced it was introducing new policies to support workers with paid leave.

tesco shopping bag

"You saved your own jobs: It was the members standing united that delivered"

Nearly three years ago back in early 2021, Nautilus began negotiations over pay and terms and conditions with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (IOMSPC), who operate ferries to and from Heysham, Liverpool, and Douglas in the Isle of Man. Nautilus Senior National Secretary Garry Elliott talked the TUC’s Solidarity Hub through the negotiations and dispute.

Nautilus International

P&O strikers and campaigners

Winning for the West End

When the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, West End theatres were hit hard. They had to close immediately. Getting back to business as usual was a slow process for the performers and professionals involved. And getting back to fair pay took even longer.

Hywel Morgan, Lizzie Cooper and Joe Richardson

equity

Victory for bus driver who lost job for being 'too short'

Tracey Scholes was the first woman driver at the Queens Road bus depot in Manchester. After 34 years of service, she was sacked by Go North West for being too short to see her mirrors properly. Public outrage, a massive Megaphone petition and a media storm followed – and Tracey got her job back.

Unite the Union

Tracey Scholes

Manufacturing a great pay win for Glen Dimplex workers

Community National Officer for Light Industries, Gavin Miller, spoke to the TUC about the Prescot site’s recent pay claim – and win!

Photo - picket

“It was blood, sweat and tears to get a deal on the table.”

Workers at the Aintree Jacob’s Cream Cracker factory took 11 weeks of strike action to stand up to bullying and intimidation from management and fight for better pay.

gmb strikers at jacobs factory

Recognition for healthcare assistants

Healthcare assistants in Greater Manchester have received thousands in back pay thanks to a hard-fought campaign led by Unison members. Freelancer writer Alex Vernon spoke to Dan Smith and Wendy Guest from Unison to find out more.

UNISON members

“Equity will fight for you. I’m proof of that.”

Joanne worked through the pandemic in a key role at Phoenix Dance Theatre, only to be 'laid-off' while the company took a break to 'restructure'. With the support of Equity, a Megaphone petition and a noisy protest outside Phoenix HQ - Joanne and her colleagues got their jobs back.

Joanne Bernard

"My main advice when in pay negotiations is – hang on in there. Stand your ground"

Steve O’Sullivan, 61, is a Unison rep at the Canal and River Trust. He recently helped secure an 8.2% pay rise (which included and interim rise of 4% in July 2022) for the 1,700 Canal and River Trust staff.

Steve O'Sullivan

canal

"I just want to show other people there’s power in union."

Joanne Thompson, 50, is an outsourced hospital cleaner from Blackpool. She won pay parity with NHS colleagues as well as pay enhancements and the right to sick pay following strike action in July 2022.

Joanne Thompson

unison members

Nuria helped secure the Living Wage for thousands of support workers across Manchester

“I’d felt burned out, unheard, mistreated. Now, hope was giving me a newfound energy.”

Nuria

Light at the end of the tunnel for St Mungo’s workers

Hundreds of workers employed by homelessness charity St Mungo’s – represented by Unite the union – have just ended their long-running strike after accepting an inflation beating pay increase.

“Support from the TUC’s Solidarity Hub turbo-charged our campaign”

When management offered their staff at Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) a 3.25% pay rise they weren’t impressed. PCS members voted with their feet and took prolonged strike action to secure a much better deal for all the team.

HGS

“It’s great to see our work having an impact beyond our own employer”

Davina Lambie, age 44, is a physiotherapist and union rep for the CSP union. She was part of a team of three CSP reps who secured the right for staff at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Foundation Trust in the East of England to be able to wear shorts to work in hot weather.

physiotherapist

Eurostar staff on the right track for a great pay deal

Railway workers on Eurostar have secured a great pay deal following negotiations between the RMT union and management.

Primrose Jeanton

Eurostar

Bumper pay rise for Camden’s traffic wardens

Camden traffic wardens are celebrating after securing a big pay boost in their long-running dispute with NSL, Camden Council’s private contractor, thanks to UNISON.

Scotland’s oldest cinema wins union recognition for first time

The Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) is Scotland’s oldest cinema, first opening its doors 84 years ago back in 1939. New Unite reps at GFT, Euan Green, age 26 and 27-year-old Katie Mack, talked to the TUC about their campaign.

Euan Green and Katie Mack

cinema

From the beginning this was about staff having a choice

When senior management decided it wanted to save costs, workers at Magenta were forced into an impossible decision: start working with asbestos or for short-term contract and apprentices - risk losing your job. For other workers, it meant moving sections.

magenta workers

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