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Dealing with members' problems

When UNISON members face problems at work, the first person they should turn to is their UNISON steward.

An important part of your role will be to support individual members by helping them take their concerns to the employer.

But just as important is your ability to help members solve their problems collectively.

There is a wide range of problems you may be asked to deal with.

You may come across disciplinary cases, where your employer takes action against a member for their conduct at work.

There should be an existing procedure which is part of your terms and conditions of employment and you should have a copy.

Individual grievances are where a member has a complaint about pay or working arrangements. Again, there is usually an existing procedure.

Collective problems or grievances occur when a group of members has a problem that needs to be discussed or negotiated with management.

These can be dealt with through ad hoc meetings, or formal negotiating or disputes procedures.

Personal problems might not necessarily be the employers' responsibility, though you might still want or be able to help.

However, some problems that appear 'personal' - for instance, stress or childcare arrangements can and should be dealt with as employment issues and might also raise collective negotiating issues.

Health and safety issues can be dealt with through local discussion and negotiation with your employer.

You may be a safety representative as well as being a steward and be able to deal with the problem alongside the affected members.

If not, you should talk to the members initially and then involve the local safety representative.

Some issues get referred to as 'professional', which seems to suggest they are not of legitimate trade union concern.

Professional issues include service quality, training and qualifications. These should, however, be the subject of joint consultation and negotiation with recognised unions.

Gradings can raise questions. Again, most employers have a set procedure for awarding grades to posts and appealing against unsatisfactory grades.

Some employers have special procedures for dealing with harassment and/or bullying complaints. If not, then use the grievance procedure. Likewise, if the employer does not have specific procedures for dealing with discrimination.

In the case of capability/ill health, some employers are keen to introduce procedures that make it easier for managers to deal with poor job performance or sickness absence.

Most problems at work are experienced as individual problems. A member who is suffering from bullying or harassment or having problems with their supervisor will often feel that they have been singled out for unfair treatment.

One of the most important tasks of a steward is to recognise when individual problems are part of a larger pattern that can be dealt with through collective action.

For example, three workers in one department have separately complained to you about the decisions of the same supervisor.

However, they have never gone beyond the point of complaining to each other.

You should hold a small group meeting with them so they can start turning this from an individual problem into a collective issue and agree to take action through the union.

If presented with an individual problem, try to find out if other members are affected.

Ask the member who raised the original complaint who else might be involved.

Talk to other stewards in your workplace to see if workers in other departments share the problem and find out from your branch whether similar cases have been dealt with before.

If the problem does turn out to be wider than one individual, bring members together to discuss the problem and decide on a course of action.

Get help from branch officers or other stewards if you are unsure of how to proceed, but make sure that the person who brought the original complaint is involved in whatever action the union decides to take.

Don't be tempted to go to management on your own to sort the problem out on the member's behalf.

Even if you succeed, you will have lost the chance to build the skills and confidence of your members.

And always remember to respect members' wishes regarding confidentiality.

Whether the problem turns out to be individual or collective, you will need to find out whether the issue is covered by a collective agreement, precedent or management policy.

A collective agreement is an agreement, usually in writing, between the employer(s) and the union(s) covering pay, conditions of service, collective issues such as gradings and working arrangements, and procedures.

Some practices and procedures are not written down but are established by custom and practice or precedent. Some are established by a management policy that has not been negotiated with the union.

In most cases your employer will have produced a written set of documents or handbook containing the agreements which apply to your workplace.

If you are unsure what agreements are relevant to you, check with your branch officers, other stewards or management.

Advice for activists | next: Working with the employer

Pay matters A fair deal for public service workers

Effective representation

As a new steward, it is likely that you will only be involved in the early, more informal stages of a grievance or disciplinary procedure. If matters go beyond the first stage, you should involve a more experienced steward or branch officer. Your input in the early stages of a case is crucial. Downloads UNISON guide to representation (PDF) CASE form (PDF) CASE form (Word) Interviewing the member Interview the member to get as complete a picture of their view of what the problem is as you can. You need to know everything including the weak points. Get the facts Listen carefully and ask at least five key questions: Who is involved? What is the problem? Where did it occur? When? Why? Make sure you get all the relevant names, dates and places. Identify any agreements or rules that may be involved. Check the facts Check other sources of information and your employer's procedure. Assess the case Is there a case? Tell your member honestly what you think based on the evidence. If there is a case and the member wants to proceed, discuss what action is possible and what you feel should happen. Preparing your case Before approaching management, make a plan of the case, which should be based on presenting the facts. Make sure that you have the correct procedure and that every one is following it correctly. Do not meet management on your own. Always take the member with you. As a new steward, you may want to allow a more experienced steward to present the case. At the hearing Be clear and courteous but firm. Make your case Make your case clearly and simply. Get a decision Make sure that a decision is made and ensure that both you and management understand precisely what the decision is. Agree on what will be done next and by whom. Make sure there is a written record of the outcome.

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