This is a list of trade unions in the United Kingdom formed under UK labour law. The criteria for being an independent trade union, free from employer influence and domination, are set out in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 section 5. The body which oversees unions, and awards a certificate of independence for the purpose of collective bargaining is the Trades Union Certification Officer. For the context and history see Trade unions in the United Kingdom.
The following is a list of trade unions that are Certificated as independent by the Certification Officer, as of 14 July 2020. [1]
Name | G.S. | Est. | Members | Description | Const. | National Affiliation | International Affiliation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
App Drivers & Couriers Union | James Farrar | 2015 | 7,082 [2] | The ADCU objective is to organise and represent all app based transport workers whose work is predominately digitally intermediated. | IAATW | ||
Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen | Mick Whelan | 1880 | 24,479 [3] | ASLEF | TUC, STUC Labour | ITUC | |
Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union | Sarah Woolley | 1847 | 14,377 [4] | BFAWU | TUC | ITUC | |
British Air Line Pilots Association | 1935 | 14,530 [5] | BALPA | TUC | ITUC | ||
British Medical Association | Mark Porter | 1832 | 162,346 [6] | BMA | |||
Communication Workers Union | Dave Ward | 1995 | 184,083 [7] | The CWU was formed from a merger of the UCW and the NCU. | 2012 [ permanent dead link ] | TUC, STUC Labour | ITUC |
Community | Roy Rickhuss CBE | 2004 | 43,865 [8] | TUC, STUC, Labour | ITUC | ||
Educational Institute of Scotland | Andrea Bradley | 1847 | 56,342 [9] | The EIS represents teachers, college lecturers, university lecturers, instrumental music tutors, head teachers and educational psychologists working in Scotland. | TUC, STUC | ITUC | |
Equity | Paul W. Fleming | 1930 | 46,683 [10] | Actors, Stage Managers, Dancers, Variety performers, Creative workers | TUC, STUC | ITUC | |
Fire Brigades Union | 1918 | 33,743 [11] | FBU | 2011 | TUC, STUC, Labour | ITUC | |
The FDA | 1918 | 19,876 [12] | Managers and professionals in the public service | TUC, STUC | ITUC | ||
GMB | Gary Smith | 1982 | 570,107 [13] | Formed from General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union, as a general workers' union. It includes the International Union of Sex Workers as a branch. | 2016 | TUC, STUC, Labour | ITUC |
Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association | 1944 | 3,137 [14] | HCSA | TUC | ITUC | ||
Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain | Henry Chango Lopez | 2012 | 6,324 [15] | IWGB | |||
Industrial Workers of the World | 1905 | 3,515 [16] | IWW; Britain and Ireland region membership | current | |||
Musicians' Union | 1893 | 31,951 [17] | MU | 2009 | TUC, STUC, Labour | ITUC | |
National Association of Probation Officers | 1912 | 5,242 [18] | NAPO | TUC, GFTU | ITUC | ||
National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers | Dr Patrick Roach | 1976 | 296,964 [19] | NASUWT | 2016 | TUC, STUC | ITUC |
National Union of Journalists | 1907 | 24,528 [20] | NUJ | TUC, STUC | ITUC | ||
National Union of Mineworkers | 1945 | 82 | NUM has very few members, given the dismantling of the industry after the UK miners' strike (1984–1985). | TUC, Labour | ITUC | ||
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers | Mick Lynch | 1990 | 81,197 [21] [22] | RMT was formerly the National Union of Railwaymen and National Union of Seamen, and absorbed the Offshore Industry Liaison Committee. | 2010 | TUSC, TUC, STUC | ITUC, ITWF, WFTU |
National Education Union | Kevin Courtney and Mary Bousted | 2017 | 445,601 [23] | NEU, representing members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is the product of the recent merger between NUT and ATL | 2012 | TUC | ITUC |
Nautilus International | 1857 | 18,468 [24] | A cross-border union for maritime professionals. Main offices are in London, Wallasey, Rotterdam and Basel. Previously known as NUMAST in the UK and FWZ in the Netherlands. | TUC | ITUC | ||
The POA: Professional Trades Union for Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers | 1939 | 31,204 [25] | POA | TUC | ITUC | ||
Professional Footballers' Association | 1907 | 5,457 [26] | PFA | TUC, GFTU | ITUC | ||
Prospect | Mike Clancy | 2001 | 154,715 [27] | Engineering, scientific, management and professional staff. | 2013 | TUC, STUC | ITUC, ITWF |
Public and Commercial Services Union | Fran Heathcote | 1998 | 191,289 [28] | PCS | 2012 | TUC, STUC | ITUC, ITWF |
Royal College of Nursing | Professor Nicola Ranger (Acting) | 1916 | 538,982 [29] | Represents workers in nursing | 2012 | ||
Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists | Steve Jamieson | 1945 | 9,112 [30] | SCP | TUC | ITUC | |
Society of Radiographers | 1920 | 33,250 [31] | SoR | TUC, STUC | ITUC | ||
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association | Manuel Cortes | 1897 | 18,142 [32] | TSSA | 2011 | TUC, STUC, Labour | ITUC |
Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru | 1948 | 3,638 [33] | UCAC; National Union of Teachers of Wales | TUC | ITUC | ||
Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers | Paddy Lillis | 1946 | 369,437 [34] | USDAW | 2016 | TUC, STUC, Labour | ITUC |
UNISON | Christina McAnea | 1993 | 1,210,250 [35] | Formed from merging NALGO, NUPE and COHSE as a union for public services workers. | 2016 | TUC, STUC, Labour | ITUC |
Unite the Union | Sharon Graham | 2007 | 1,246,429 [36] | Formed in 2007 by a merger between Amicus and TGWU. Amicus was formerly AEEU and Manufacturing Science and Finance and Graphical, Paper and Media Union and UNIFI. UCATT merged in 2017. | 2015 | TUC, STUC, Labour | ITUC |
United Voices of the World | 2014 | 4,720 [37] | UVW | ICL | |||
University and College Union | Jo Grady | 2006 | 122,104 [38] | UCU; amalgam of the AUT and NATFHE. | 2012 | TUC | ITUC |
Voice | 1970 | 19,711 [39] | Formerly the Professional Association of Teachers, it refuses to take strike action. | GFTU | |||
Writers' Guild of Great Britain | Sandi Toksvig president | 1959 | 2,860 [40] | WGGB | TUC, GFTU | ITUC |
Scotland only
Northern Ireland only [41]
The following is a list of trade unions that have not been certificated as independent by the Certification Officer 31 March 2017. [42]
Scotland only
Northern Ireland [41]
Key - Asterisk after name = Trade unions known to the Certification Officer but not applying to be included in the list for 31 March 2014
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