Community membership pledge to organise the
marginalised - and revolutionise British trade
unionism
5 December 2011
Less than one week after the biggest strike in
generations, the country’s biggest union is launching a new
membership scheme to ensure those pushed to the margins of society
can benefit from collective power.
Unite’s new community membership will offer
the unemployed,
students and all those not in
employment the opportunity to become part of one of the most
powerful forces for equality in the country. For just 50p per
week, community members will have access to financial and legal
expertise, as well as the support of up to one and a half million
fellow members when standing up for their local services.
Community members will be developed as
community activists, bringing together people across their
locality who have felt left down or excluded by politics to
ensure that they too have a voice at a time of economic turmoil and
social change for the nation.
Launching the scheme, Unite’s general
secretary, Len McCluskey said:
“This scheme could transform trade unionism in
the UK. It comes at a time when horrific cuts and ideological
social changes are pushing more and more people to the
margins.
“Last week we had the mass action by public
servants fighting for
pensions justice. Only 24 hours before that, the
Chancellor told the country that under his government the attacks
on the incomes and services of the ordinary people of this country
will continue until 2017. This is a government of the few.
“These are terrible times for ordinary
people, but we want to send
them a message of hope. So we say now to the millions
unemployed, including the young people wasted on the dole and
worried for their future, in Unite you have a home. Our
mission is your mission – fairness, dignity, respect and strong
communities.
“It is time now for those on the margins to
organise, to come together to challenge the decisions made by the
elite in the interests of the few. This is the real Big Society - ordinary people
organising for themselves - in action.”
The Unite community membership is available to
students, the unemployed
and all others not in work for
whatever reason costing just 50p a week. The scheme
offers members a range of financial benefits and services,
including a legal advice helpline, a welfare benefits check-up,
debt counselling, assistance with CVs, application forms, and
interviews and hardship grants.
For information on the
scheme email: community@unitetheunion.org or
call the Community Membership information line 0333 240
9798 (calls chargeable at normal landline rates) or visit http://www.unitetheunion.org/community
ENDS
For further information please contact Unite
communications officer Liane Groves on 07793 661657.
Notes for Editors: Unite is the UK’s largest
trade union with 1.5 million members
