UNISON Voluntary Community Branch

Who we are...

UNISON Community and Voluntary Branch is the largest and fastest growing union for workers in the sector. We have over 1,300 members across Northern Ireland.

Our members work in organisations ranging from large charities with hundreds of employees to funded projects employing one part-timer. We provide a range of services to local communities and campaign on all issues affecting our communities and our jobs.

What we do...

We work in a sector where terms and conditions are poor. Our pay in no way reflects our skills or our commitment. Pension provision is poor. Maternity benefits are increasingly being set at statutory rates. Harassment and bullying are rife throughout the sector. Management systems are weak, etc.

It is no coincidence that we also work in a sector which is largely non-unionised. In the public sector, and most areas of the private sector, employees have formed or joined unions to better their conditions at work. In the community and voluntary sectors, union membership is about 5-10% of the total workforce.

This must change.

UNISON strives to be the collective voice for workers across the sectors. We want to improve the working lives of our members, and in turn improve the services they provide and the campaigns they are involved in. We want to uphold the independence and campaigning ethos of the sector, where we are not seen as a service provided for government policy, but as an effective promoter of equality and social and economic justice.