Dear Colleague,
As an HP UK employee, you come to work and do your job to the
best of your ability. You expect to get rewarded in accordance with
your skills and the effort you have put in and, in general, this is
what happens (although some people’s experiences over that last few
years with pay might cause them to disagree with that statement!)
but, pay apart, most of the time, life at work is fairly
straightforward with not much going wrong that you can't handle.
But sometimes, things happen over which you have no control and
that can affect your life in a major or even devastating way.
For example, you may be under threat of dismissal, most recently
via the crude and brutal method of ‘Compromise Agreement’, where
any ‘compromise’ is all on the part of the employee. You may be at
risk of redundancy, perhaps due to ‘best-shoring’, or workforce
transformation, or potential outsourcing to another company. You
could be faced with changes to your Terms and Conditions of
employment, that you are unhappy with, like changes to your pension
contributions. You may feel that you are under pressure to work far
more hours than you would like, or more than is good for your, and
your family's well-being. Or, you may be experiencing harassment or
bullying. Instead of being enjoyable, your life at work becomes
worrying and stressful and, often, you feel very isolated.
It's then when you need support - not just a sympathetic ear but
powerful, practical support that will sort out your work-related
problems in a positive and satisfactory way.
Often, people who have never felt the need for the support of a
union, believe that if they do their job diligently and toe the
line, they'll be OK. Unfortunately, it's not always true. Over two
million Unite members know this and already appreciate the value of
membership. As someone who has yet to discover the benefits of
Unite membership, after reading this letter and the other
information on this site, you’ll soon be convinced that membership
of Unite brings brings with it not only a unique range of benefits
but also the full resources of a powerful organisation that’s on
your side if things turn unpleasant, as, regrettably, they are
sometimes inclined to do.
Membership brings a range of benefits normally associated with a
large organisation e.g. financial services, a free legal helpline
for matters even outside your employment, a free will-making
service and, an energy company set up to offer better value energy
just for union members. Find details of these services and benefits
elsewhere on this site. By taking
advantage of one or more of these, your membership subscriptions,
excellent value anyway, could easily be recovered by the savings
made so, your membership could, in effect, be free! How’s that for
a good deal?
Employment legislation over the last few years has given, among
other things, all employees the right to individual representation
by a union on disciplinary and grievance issues. At HP, this means
that Unite can represent any union, in any personal grievance or
disciplinary situation. Many Unite members will testify to this
valuable benefit. However, total recognition of Unite will only
happen automatically when more than 50% of staff in a bargaining
unit are members.
If you would like to join hundreds (and rising by the day) of
your HP colleagues as a Unite member, don’t hesitate any longer -
join on-line today. It’s quick and easy
and you’ll be a member in no time. You will be assigned to the IT
& Communications sector of the union.
Remember, you have the right to join a union. You will not be
victimised or labelled – that's illegal – more likely, you'll be
respected for your membership. Once you join, you will certainly
feel the spirit and camaraderie of membership – you’ll be informed,
you'll take part, you'll belong. You will also receive regular
union communications from head office and from the workplace rep to
whom you will be assigned.
Make today the day that you resolve to take control of your
working (and non-working) life by joining Unite.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Your HP Unite
colleagues are looking forward to welcoming you as a new member
very soon.
