Organising hub
Organising works even better when members build strong and stable relationships and inspire colleagues to work together and achieve enduring results for members.
Get organised:
What is organising and why do we do it?
While many members join a union for the protection of individual support, a trade union isn’t simply an individual insurance policy – it’s you and your colleagues acting together to improve your working lives.
Organising at work is about talking to people who already agree with you and those who don’t.
It’s about having a strategic plan to grow union membership in your workplace and engage your members to achieve lasting positive change, identifying where you’re strong and who you need to get on board, learning to persuade people and building confidence together.
Organising isn’t done alone – remember there are lots of members in your workplace and in the wider union around to support you!
Step 1: how strong is the union where you work?
- How to find out information about your branch
- No Prospect branch in your workplace yet? Check out our member activity hub
Step 2: talk to someone about organising
- Join our “Get Active in Bectu” webinar
- Find out about our organising training
- Get in touch with your organiser
- Not sure who to contact? Tell us you want to get active
Step 3: Organising resources
Most unions in the UK are members of the Trades Union Congress, which has fantastic resources to help you organise in your workplace, drawing on expertise from unions across the country:
- TUC pocket guide to organising and campaigning (pdf)
- TUC interactive pocket guide to organising and campaigning
- TUC Growth Hub – resources and best practise guides
Find out where you’re strong: mapping your workplace
Wherever you work, if you want to grow your union you need a plan.
“Mapping” your workplace involves gathering information to visually summarise where your existing and potential members are. These maps help you prioritise your actions and work out where you are strong.
Build power: talk to your colleagues about the union
You and your colleagues are your union. Your union only grows if you tell people about it.
Talking about unions is a skill that needs practice. Come to our training sessions, talk to other union members and read our tips below.
- Guide to structured conversations – talking about your union
- How to talk to your colleagues about the union
Act together: choose and plan campaigns
Collective action is a muscle – if you don’t use it, you lose it.
When deciding what to focus and work on together, you need to find issues that are widely and deeply felt, and plan actions that build confidence with existing and potential members. We have more information on:
- Planning a campaign – How to decide what to do, and when
- Start negotiating with your employer
- How to use the Employment Rights Act to build power [to follow]
Other useful tools: