Trade union officials, who are also known as trade union officers, engage in negotiations with employers in order to advance the interests of the members of their organization.
What exactly does an official in a labor union do? Qualifications and professional experience | Essential abilities | Typical places of employment
Officials of trade unions have the responsibility of representing their members and providing assistance to them when complaints or suggested changes are discussed with employers. In most cases, they are employed in either national or regional capacities.
The following are examples of the tasks that are often expected of a trade union official working at the national level:
advocating on behalf of the membership throughout all necessary industrial discussions
providing members with information on relevant problems (such as the law on flexible working and overtime)
putting together the framework of the trade union's national strategy
negotiating compromises with labor unions, political parties, and the government
talking with group members in order to decide anything or establish an agreement (eg regarding which campaigns to focus on)
creating educational and vocational options for municipal administrators and labor representatives
contributing to the maintenance of fruitful connections with the media
As a representative of a labor union operating at the regional level, you will most likely be required to carry out the following duties:
organize the hiring of representatives from local trade unions and other local leaders.
assisting in the provision of pertinent training for local leaders and authorities
overcome local conflicts
provide guidance and information on health and safety concerns as well as legal matters
serve as the voice of the group under difficult circumstances.
Qualifications and prior experience are required.
Although there are no strict requirements to meet in order to become a trade union official, the majority of those who hold this position do so with a degree or other kind of professional certification. If you proceed in this direction, it's up to you to determine what you want to study, therefore it's important to choose something that interests you. On the other hand, getting a degree in law, politics, or history may be advantageous since it would help you develop abilities in constructing and communicating ideas.
A good grasp of employment law and the ability to organize trade unions are two examples of the types of expertise that are often included as requirements in job postings. In this particular field, having previous experience as a trade union representative, commonly referred to as a "shop steward," might be beneficial in demonstrating your capabilities. A trade union representative is someone who works for a company but also performs unpaid duties for their own trade union. Shop stewards are those who provide assistance to their coworkers by doing responsibilities such as accompanying them to meetings with line managers to discuss requests for flexible working arrangements or assisting in the negotiation of wages and working conditions. Employees usually obtain the position of trade union official after having previously served in the capacity of trade union representative.
Essential abilities for representatives of labor unions
Superior abilities in both spoken and writing communication.
The skill to negotiate and to convince others
Organisation skills
The capacity to oversee and direct the activities of other people
An talent for problem solving.
Employers that often hire officials from trade unions
You will be working for a trade union while holding the position of trade union officer. There are now 139 trade unions in operation, according to a tally of the organizations that are listed on GOV.UK. The following are some of the organizations that have the biggest number of members:
Unison
Unite
GMB
Organization of National Educators
Royal College of Nursing is the organization in question.
You may get employment through a union such as Unite, which has members working in a wide variety of different fields (with members in industries including manufacturing, public services, food, construction, transport and finance). You also have the option of obtaining a job with a trade union that has a membership that is more specialized, such as the National Education Union, which is an organization that represents educators.