Stay involved in your union

Become a retired member

WHY DOES UNISON HAVE RETIRED MEMBERS?

Before you retired, UNISON provided the best representation and support at work when you needed it and a wide range of other services. Now that you are retired we believe that you deserve to continue to go on benefiting from union membership and be able to play an active role in the union a trade union should reflect the society in which it operates and there are over 10 million older people living in the UK.

HAVE A VOICE

As part of the biggest union in the country, you can contribute towards our influential voice on a huge range of issues that affect you such as pensions, the health service and age discrimination. Ensure that your voice is heard for your sake and the sake of future generations!

TAKE PART IN UNISON’S DEMOCRACY

You can participate in the democratic structures of the union. UNISON is unique in the trade union movement in having a Retired Members’ Organisation, whose structure mirrors that of working members. This means that you can play a role in

UNISON’S

Democratic machinery at all levels.Retired members can attend branch meetings and have representation on the branch committee and regional council. They also send representatives to the National Delegate Conference. A National Retired Members’ Committee meets regularly and is able to feed its views to the NEC and the rest of UNISON. In addition, a Retired Members’ Conference is held annually, where retired members can debate the issues of importance to them and submit two motions for the agenda of National Delegate Conference. In this way you can influence union policy from branch to national level

LINKS

You can maintain the link between the employed and retired, thus promoting solidarity between the generations. Retired and working members have a shared interest in the provision of decent incomes in older age, a universal health service and the creation of a civilised society.

Today’s workers are tomorrow’s pensioners and UNISON’S members work in public services on which older people are heavily reliant.There are also links with other pensioner organisations at home and abroad through which you can campaign.

KEEPING IN TOUCH

You will be able to keep in touch with former working colleagues through the branch and the regular “U” Magazine will tell you the latest news and developments in the wider union. In addition there is a quarterly retired members’ newsletter ‘Interactive’.

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES AND BENEFITS

You will be entitled to a wide range of benefits through UNISON PLUS which provides special offers and discounts for UNISON members on insurance, mortgages,motoring, holidays and travel, financial services and much more. Plus UNISON Welfare, our own registered charity providing support exclusively for UNISON members and dependants at times of special need. They also run a free and confidential debt advice referral scheme, in partnership with Pay-plan.

HOW RETIRED MEMBERS CAN HELP WORKING MEMBERS

Unison recognises that retired members are an important organising asset. They continue to share members’ interests in protecting our public services and have a wealth of personal experience to contribute. Where branches are short of person power, retired members may have time, experience and help to give.Where branches identify a need for assistance from retired members, a protocol exists to facilitate this.

WHO CAN BECOME A RETIRED MEMBER?

You can if you been a UNISON member continuously for at least two years on the day you retire from employment (in an area of work in which UNISON organises) and are receiving a pension and are not in other paid employment.