Joining a union is a personal decision, and you may have no particular reason to join at the moment. However, by joining 'Unison' now, you gain support from other Unison members at Bath Spa University - and from all members of Unison nationally. In turn, you support the wellbeing of (among many other groups) all support staff in higher education in the UK.
There are benefits to joining Unison, including training opportunities, legal advice, welfare benefits - here's more info from the Unison site.Lastly, you will probably never need it, but if necessary you have the backing of a powerful national organisation that's on your side.
To join, send us a message - use our Contact Page and we'll send you an application pack. Or download an application form, fill it in and send it to our membership secretary. You'll not have to sign cheques for your subscriptions - they'll appear on your payslip every month as a deduction. The amount you pay is related to ... the amount you're paid - please ask us and we'll provide a subscriptions scale along with an application form.
You'll meet this as an option on your application form when you join. It's a fund for campaigning on issues: it's your choice as to whether your subs. are actually tied to any one political party. Here's more info on the Political Fund
Here's a link to an application form from the Unison web site - it lists subscription rates (pdf). These have changed - here's an explanation (pdf) of the changes.
| Weekly pay | Annual pay | Per week | Per month | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £38.47 | Up to £2,000 | £0.30 | £1.30 | A |
| £38.48 - £96.16 | £2,001 - £5,000 | £0.81 | £3.50 | B |
| £96.17 - £153.84 | £5,001 - £8,000 | £1.22 | £5.30 | C |
| £153.85 - £211.53 | £8,001 - £11,000 | £1.52 | £6.60 | D |
| £211.54 - £269.23 | £11,001 - £14,000 | £1.81 | £7.85 | E |
| £269.24 - £326.92 | £14,001 - £17,000 | £2.24 | £9.70 | F |
| £326.93 - £384.61 | £17,001 - £20,000 | £2.65 | £11.50 | G |
| £384.62 - £480.76 | £20,001 - £25,000 | £3.23 | £14.00 | H |
| £480.77 - £576.92 | £25,001 - £30,000 | £3.98 | £17.25 | I |
| £576.93 - £673.08 | £30,001 - £35,000 | £4.68 | £20.30 | J |
| £673.08+ | over £35,000 | £5.19 | £22.50 | K |
Unison can continue to represent you should you become unemployed. This representation continues for two calendar years, at a one-off cost of four pounds (as of April 2012).
You will be a full member and entitled to help from UNISON Welfare, legal advice, and also have access to services offered to union members by various providers such as UIA Insurance, Vision Express, Britannia, etc)
Unison@BSU