UNISON campaigns hard to defend jobs and decent employment standards, to promote public services and equality, and to protect the health and safety of our members.
We need to be able to campaign in the political arena, at Westminster, the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, in Europe and at a local level too. The law says that unions must have a specific political fund to pay for such work and that a ballot has to be held every 10 years for it to continue.
Look out for your ballot papers in this month’s U magazine. We need members to vote Yes.
The ballot asks members to confirm these arrangements, which have been in operation since the formation of UNISON. Every ten years unions that have a political fund have to ballot members to approve the continuation of their political fund.
UNISON’s ballot opens on 1 November and closes on 30 November.
Much of the high profile political campaign work you see from UNISON is paid for by the general political fund – defending the NHS and pensions, through to tackling racism and the BNP.
UNISON’s National Executive Council is recommending a yes vote to keep a strong political voice for the union at European, national and local levels. Our political fund is what allows us to take campaigns into the political arena.
The ballot papers and materials will be mailed out with U magazine in late October so should reach you in early November.
You need to send the ballot paper back in by 30 November 2014.
For more information, or if you have not received your ballot paper by 10 November, please call 0800 0 857 857 FREE.