We can negotiate your pay, terms and conditions

Bectu can directly negotiate with your employer on your pay and conditions if we have a workplace recognition agreement in place – a formal agreement between the employer and Prospect for the purpose of collective bargaining.

eight young people sat around in an informal circle for a meeting

We can reach agreement or take action to achieve the best outcomes for our members. We are a democratic organisation, and we act according to what our members want.

In the past year we have won some significant pay awards for our members in several workplaces. But to do this we need strength in numbers and so talking to colleagues about issues and asking them to join Prospect is vital!

Case study: Money and Pensions Service

It began with a phone call to the Prospect helpdesk from a member concerned about major changes in their workplace that would affect the whole workforce. Our helpdesk put this member in touch with a Prospect organiser, who supported them to gather a group of colleagues who were also members and also concerned.

Over the course of the next few months, these first few members would speak to their colleagues, outline the issues and what Prospect could do to help and steadily built the membership to a level where they could form their own branch. These few Prospect members would go on to become the branch leaders. Together with their Organiser and later a full time Negotiations Officer they eventually went on to request and gain voluntary recognition between their employer and Prospect. They are now negotiating on pay and consulting on changes in the workplace.

The recognition agreement between Prospect and the Money and Pensions Service was reached voluntarily but we can also build the numbers to take a legal route towards recognition (called Statutory Recognition) if required when facing more resistant employers.

Numbers of members are key in both cases and we can support you to build the membership in your workplace.

Do you think it’s time to join? Become a member today

The road to recognition

If you work somewhere where there is no recognised union but you’re concerned about your working conditions, or you think your pay isn’t what it should be, then Prospect can help!

We can support you to unionise and gain union recognition in your workplace.

What you can do:

Join Bectu
Call our helpdesk on 0300 600 1878 and ask for help to organise/unionise
We will put you in touch with one of our full-time organisers who will help and support you towards gaining union recognition.

What else you can do:

Talk to close colleagues and see if they agree about pay and conditions
Get them to join Prospect too
Use our guide to talking about your union if you need help having these conversations.

Support if you’re self-employed

Bectu supports many members who are self-employed or freelance workers. We provide a collective voice and being part of the union affords opportunities to meet and combine with colleagues dealing with the same or similar issues as you.

Self-employed members have the same access to expert advice and support on issues such as discrimination and we offer guidance on dealing with the admin side of self-employment. If you are contracted by a temporary employer, we will help ensure you are treated fairly.