“That’s when I joined the union”

In Part 3 of our Heart Unions series, UniteLive speaks with a young rep working in the retail sector — a growing industry as the economy hurtles towards insecure, low-wage jobs.

James* is one of a growing number of young people who’ve fully embraced trade unionism – now a workplace rep at 20 years old, he started working when he was 16 and joined the union at 18.

“When I first started working, I was doing three days a week because I was studying at college at the time,” James explained. “A manager came to me in the office and told me I had to change my hours. I told him I couldn’t because I was in college and then he threatened me – he said if I didn’t change my hours I would be sacked.”

 
“I was just 16 at the time and didn’t know my rights – I didn’t have a clue; I was naïve,” he went on to say. “So I started doing the new hours to the detriment of my studying.”

 
Later, a team leader told James that he didn’t have to change his hours and that college came first.

 
“I got lucky in that instance that the team leader supported me,” James explained. “But that wasn’t the only problem I had. It kept happening – management bullying, not just against me but against other staff, too.

 
“That’s when I told myself – I’m sick of this. And that’s when I joined the union.”

 
James noted that joining the union completely changed his workplace.

 
“And as soon as I joined the union and became involved by becoming a rep, all of that management harassment just suddenly stopped.”

 
Based on his personal experience, James encourages young people, especially those in insecure jobs such as in the retail sector where many young people work, to join a trade union.

 
“Trade unions give young people in particular a voice in their workplace,” he explained. “Especially if you’re young, going through, for example a disciplinary, can be quite scary. Being in a trade union means you have someone who’s trained and experienced to back you up. It’s very reassuring.”

 
James notes that even though it’s been historically difficult to organise workers in retail, he says things are slowly changing.

 
“You have more union members in retail depos and things like that, but in the actual shops, many of the employees just don’t know how union membership can help them. It is starting to catch on though, I’m seeing it happen personally – but we’ve still got a ways to go. I do see a strong trade union presence in retail in the future; we just need the support to get there.

 
James had strong criticism for the trade union Bill.

 
“The government is acting as though trade unions exist to start some sort of revolution,” he said. “But they have no idea what trade unions actually do. We have a very straightforward function – to represent and protect people in work; to make the workplace a safer, more equal and better one.

 
“But now with this Bill, all of that is under threat – it won’t benefit anyone, not even business.”

 
Find out how you can help fight the trade union Bill during Heart Unions week – more here.

 
*Name has been changed to protect identity