Here is the text of our 'Sense of Community' pamphlet
Formed in 2004, from the merger of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC) and the National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades (KFAT), Community has over a hundred years of experience of representing members in manufacturing.
Community has experience within the social and voluntary sector with both the National League of the Blind and Disabled (NLBD) and the British Union of Social Work Employees (BUSWE) being part of the union.
Community is expanding into diverse areas of the British economy by organising workers in sectors as varied as Betting Shops, Plastics and Football Management. Community organises in communities and represents traditional members in new workplaces.
Community is a modern union that recognises the need to support our members in retirement, and to support their children in education and employment.
Hello and welcome to Community.
I think that you will find being a member of Community a rewarding experience. Community is one of Britain’s newest unions, designed for the 21st century.
Community has a healthy structure of strong branches in workplaces organised region by region across the UK.
Community has adopted new technology and new methods of organising because we realise that the world has changed. Our members face challenges at work and at home. A modern union needs to help our members throughout their life and career.
Our goal is to respond to the concerns of our members by being active in the workplace and in the community.
Community is pioneering partnerships with non-profit organisations in your communities, and has organised cutting edge training opportunities through our education arm Communitas.
But we have not abandoned the workplace. Our commitments to individual rights at work, health & safety and collective bargaining are as strong as ever.
Community has also introduced the Member Service Centre to offer members direct access to our services.
I believe Community is in a strong position to fulfil our promise and be the union for life.
Yours in Unity
Michael J Leahy, OBE
WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU
Employment Protection
In the workplace Community offers support, protection and peace of mind.
Community can support members that have been dealt with harshly or unfairly by management. Community representatives can attend disciplinary and grievance hearings with members and offer support and advice.
Community also retains lawyers to protect the legal rights of all our members and ensure that they are treated fairly and legally at work.
Where Community is the recognised union, we can negotiate on behalf of our members for pay and conditions.
Workplaces with a recognised union have, on average, a 15.8% higher hourly rate of pay than non-union workplaces*
* Source BERR 2008
Health & Safety Support
Community offers health & safety training to all members and the support to implement changes in your workplace.
As well as training in identifying occupational health issues and hazards in the workplace, Community’s Health & Safety courses include training to deal with bullying and harassment, work-related stress and drug and alcohol abuse.
Community has 1 trained and active Health & Safety rep for every 60 members.
Free will writing service:
Community can arrange for members to be provided with a basic will free of charge. A basic will leaves the estate to a partner and then to any surviving children. This service includes a ‘mirror’ will for a partner.
Free Employment advice and representation for members:
Community provides free legal advice and support to members for employment related matters.
Legal Advice
If you have a problem you have enough worries without having to find the money to pay for legal advice and representation. Community has a nationwide network of solicitors on call to support you in your time of need – you simply can’t afford to be without the union.
Free ‘legal advice’ service to members and families:
Community provides a free general legal advice service to members and their families. General advice subjects commonly include landlord & tenant issues, criminal law, welfare benefits and neighbourhood disputes.
Free Personal Injury advice and support to members and their families:
Community will arrange for members and their families, who have been injured through no fault of their own, to receive free legal advice and representation in respect of any accident, injury or disease case.
Community recovers on average more than £3,000,000 per year in compensation for our members
Reduced rate* ‘personal legal services’ for members:
Where specialist services are required, such as conveyancing, probate and family issues, Community is able to deliver reduced-rate* ‘personal legal services’ to members, through its network of solicitors.
*rates for personal legal services are available on request.
To take advantage of any of Community’s legal services or to discuss other services that you may require, please contact our Member Service Centre.
Pensions Victory
Community also works for our members in the political arena. Community’s pensions campaign has been described as one of the greatest victories in trade union history.
‘We fought a tough six-year battle which resulted in hundreds of Community members, who thought they would receive little or nothing, getting 90 per cent of their pension guaranteed,’ says General Secretary Michael Leahy. ‘Not only that but hundreds of thousands of other workers, similarly affected, benefited too.’
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
Child Benefit
Community is dedicated to supporting our members and their families, that’s why all members are invited to register their children under the age of 16 with Community. It is our intention that at key stages of the child’s life, member parents will receive gifts and vouchers for items such as school uniforms, books and equipment. At 16 the child will receive a membership application form and access to advice and guidance relating to work and education.
Benevolent Fund
The Benevolent Fund exists to provide assistance to members and their families who are experiencing severe financial difficulty. Members who have the support of their branch can request support from their union.
Convalescence Benefit
The Convalescence Benefit exists to provide members who have experienced serious illness or industrial injury with two weeks of rest and recuperation at the Railway Convalescent Home in Dawlish, Devon. Members can recover amongst the beautiful surroundings at Bridge House, with full board and all expenses paid.
Bereavement Benefit
The Bereavement Benefit is designed to assist your next of kin at that difficult time.
Members will accrue £200 per annum for the first five years of membership to a maximum of £1,000.
After that, Community will continue to annually increase the bereavement benefit.
Strike & Lockout Benefit
Industrial action is initiated by members deciding at branch level to request an industrial ballot. Community will only support industrial action that has the support of a majority of those returning ballots.
Where members have chosen to take approved industrial action or have been locked out by management, Community will seek to reimburse members for their loss in wages.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Community membership offers members great opportunities for training and education, benefits and services as well as protection in the workplace.
It’s also a chance to get involved yourself.
Want to volunteer?
The best way to safeguard your terms and conditions is to have an active branch in your workplace. Community offers training to all members who would like to become workplace representatives or branch secretaries.
Community also trains Union Learning Reps (ULR’s), Health & Safety reps and Environmental reps. So if you are interested in developing people’s skills, improving Health & Safety in your workplace or think that your employer can go green, contact your branch secretary, regional office or the Member Service Centre for more details.
Want to help the environment?
If you have an email address, Community can keep you up-to-date with the latest news and events and save paper. Just email servicecentre@community-tu.org with your name, date of birth and membership no. or pass your email address on to your branch secretary.
Moving house?
Contact the Member Service Centre or let your branch secretary know your new address.
Changing jobs?
Community can represent you in your new position, and keeping your membership will continue any benefits you’ve accrued.
And if your new colleagues join, you are all in a better position to defend your rights and improve your conditions.
STAYING IN TOUCH
Member Service Centre
Got a question? Need advice?
The Member Service Centre is a free service to all members. A small team of dedicated professionals are available to answer your questions on:
- Advice on grievance & disciplinary procedures
- Updating member details and information
- Guidance on health & safety problems
- Advice relating to contracts and employment law
- Information on union benefits
- Advice on education & training opportunities
The Member Service Centre allows you to contact the Union when it is convenient for you. The Member Service Centre is not a call centre and won’t keep you on hold. If your question can’t be answered straight away, the Centre will call you back when they have the answer.
Stronger Together
Community mails each member a copy of Stronger Together, the Union magazine.
Covering news, articles of interest and the activities of the membership, Stronger Together is the best place to discover how your fellow members get the most out of your union.
Website
The Community website provides up to date news and information on ongoing negotiations, campaigns and union activity.
It is also a fantastic resource for Health & Safety information, information on negotiations by industry or by region and updates on how Community is engaging with the international union community.
Newsletters
Community also produces a number of newsletters and e-newsletters for members to respond to developments in their industries or to make them aware of union services.
You can make sure that you receive these newsletters by registering on our website, or sending an email to:
Communitas
Communitas is the learning and development arm of Community. A not for profit company, Communitas is dedicated to offering Community members the opportunity to refresh old skills and to learn new skills.
The services offered by Communitas range from:
- Basic literacy and numeracy
- information technology
- National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ)
With community based Learning Centres and a network of Union Learning Reps, Communitas can help you outside of the workplace. Communitas will also provide these services to your family to give them the best chance to succeed in a changing world.
Communitas can also work with your employer to design learning and development programmes at work.
How Communitas can offer opportunities
When a 50 year old Community member was unexpectedly made redundant from his long term career as a Steelworker, he was faced with the frightening prospect of re-entering the job market.
Having left school with few qualifications and limited literacy due to his undiagnosed dyslexia, our member realised that this would keep him from securing skilled employment.
With the help of Communitas, our member enrolled in full time education while still working shifts.
After gaining 5 GCSEs in his first year of study, our member now plans to complete an Access to Social Work course and study for an HND.
Our member is now studying for a degree at UWIC (University of Wales Institute Cardiff) in Housing Policy and Practice.
HOW WE WORK
When members join Community, they are grouped into a branch, either with other members from the same or similar workplaces or from their local area. Non-working members are placed into branches with other unemployed or retired members in their area.
The Branch structure is at the heart of our union as each branch will have a branch secretary who receives the latest updates on employment law and developments in the workplace. Branch secretaries are the best source of information and advice on your situation, but if they are not available members can check the website or contact their regional office or the Member Service Centre.
Each branch is located in one of our 8 regions and in some cases branches are also in specialist sections such as Social Care (BUSWE) or the National League of the Blind and Disabled (NLBD).
If you require assistance in the workplace, your branch secretary should be available to resolve the issue. Where the branch secretary is unable to address your issue successfully, they may seek advice and support from the regional office.
Trade unions are democratic organisations and Community is no exception. Members’ voices can be heard at the top level of the union through elected representatives that sit on the National Executive Council—the union’s governing body.
Each region also has a forum every quarter which provides an opportunity for members to meet with colleagues from other workplaces to discuss common issues and concerns.
Finally, every two years, there is the union conference—with delegates from across our regions and industries—who come together to decide the future policies of the union.