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What is a trade union?

A trade union is an organisation made up of members (a membership-based organisation) and its membership must be made up mainly of workers. One of a trade union's main aims is to protect and advance the interests of its members in the workplace.

Most trade unions are independent of any employer. However, trade unions try to develop close working relationships with employers. This can sometimes take the form of a partnership agreement between the employer and the trade union which identifies their common interests and objectives.

Trade unions:

• negotiate agreements with employers on pay and conditions
• discuss major changes to the workplace such as large scale redundancy
• discuss their members' concerns with employers
• accompany their members in disciplinary and grievance meetings
• provide their members with legal and financial advice
• provide education facilities and certain consumer benefits such as discounted insurance

• Redundancy: your rights to consultation

• Trade union representatives

• Problems at work

Trade union membership: your right to choose

By law, your employer cannot penalise you if you choose to join, or not to join, a trade union. Similarly, if you are already a trade union member, your employer must not penalise you if you choose to leave the union or to continue in membership.

• Your right to join, or not join, a trade union

Trade union membership benefits

Trade unions can provide many benefits for their members. Some workers join a trade union because they believe that a trade union can:

• negotiate better pay
• negotiate better working conditions, such as more holidays or improved health and safety
• provide training for new skills
• promote lifelong learning provide legal and financial advice
• provide various consumer benefits (eg discount offers or vouchers for shops and services)
• provide help and advice with problems at work

Trade unions may also represent their members' interests outside the workplace. For example, trade unions may actively lobby the government, public bodies, the European Union (EU) or others for policies which promote their objectives.

To find out what your trade union provides, you can check your trade union's website or members' handbook, or speak to a trade union representative in your workplace.

• Trade union representatives

• Trade union subscriptions

• Your right to join, or not join, a trade union

How to join a trade union

Where a trade union is well-established at a workplace, some employees may act as local trade union representatives. If you are employed in such a workplace and want to join a trade union, you could approach a trade union representative, such as a shop steward or a trade union learning representative, for more information.

You do not have to be a member of a trade union which your employer recognises for negotiating pay and conditions. However, if you join a trade union other than the one your employer recognises, your trade union may have less say in issues that affect you in the workplace.

Your employer cannot insist that you join a particular trade union, and must not discipline or dismiss you for joining a trade union of your choice or for choosing not to be a trade union member.

How to find a trade union

There are several different ways you can find trade unions.

In your workplace

You may be able to find out which trade union is recognised in your workplace by looking for trade union notices on staff notice boards or your workplace intranet, or by asking your employer.

Some groups which may represent employees in your workplace, such as the Police Federation, will not appear on the Certification Officer or TUC lists because they are not legally considered to be trade unions.

Through the Trades Union Congress (TUC)

The TUC is the largest umbrella organisation representing UK trade unions. It has a list of the trade unions that are its members.

• Britain's unions - the TUC website Opens new window

You can also use the TUC's workSMART website, which has an interactive tool to help you find a trade union in your workplace, or one which covers your type of employment.

• Find a union on the TUC's workSMART website Opens new window

Through the Certification Officer

The Certification Officer is a public body that holds a list with the details of most trade unions. If you know the name of the trade union you would like to join, you can find its details through the Certification Officer's website.

• List of trade unions - the Certification Officer website Opens new window