UNISON is Britain and Europe's biggest public sector union with more than 1.3 million members. Our members are people working in the public services, for private contractors providing public services and in the essential utilities. They include frontline staff and managers working full or part time in local authorities, the NHS, the police service, colleges and schools, the electricity, gas and water industries, transport and the voluntary sector.
Click on these links to find out more about how UNISON works at branch level,
regional level and nationally.
UNISON also has two political funds: the General Political Fund and Labour Link (affiliated to the Labour Party). Finally, for an interactive guide to UNISON, visit our Interlink section.
UNISON campaigns and lobbies on key issues affecting our members and the public at large. We're working to protect and improve the public services, win equal pay and employment rights for everyone, improve safety in the workplace and end discrimination and harassment at work. We also support external campaigns on issues such as fuel poverty and fair trade.
To find out more go to Campaigns
Every member of UNISON belongs to a local branch, which is made up of people working for the same employer. Local stewards are there to represent you at work and help find the answers to your problems.
Local health and safety reps are there to help make sure your workplace is safe and your job is not too stressful. They are volunteers and play a vital role in recruiting new members, ensuring safety at work and organising your branch. Local branches are made up of ordinary members elected by the workforce. They take on different roles in order to make your life easier at work.
To find out more go to Get Active
UNISON has a clear structure to make sure all members can have their say. The union is divided into 13 regions, each with its own regional council made up of delegates elected from branches in the area
The governing body of UNISON is the annual National Delegate Conference. The union's policy is decided by delegates elected from branches, regions and self-organised groups. Policies decided at conference are carried out by the National Executive Council (NEC), elected from the regions and service groups.
To find out more go to About us
For news about forthcoming conferences, workshops, training days and other events go to Coming events
Women make up two thirds of UNISON's members so we make sure their voices are heard throughout the union. At every level of the union, when people are elected to committees or delegations women must be elected in fair proportion to their membership. Even the National Executive Council has to elect 44 women out of its 67 seats and 13 are held by low-paid women.
To find out more go to Women