Trade Union rights
You have the legal right to belong to a Trade Union. In addition under section 137, Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 you have the legal right not to be refused employment because you are a union member. There is also a right not to be victimised, dismissed or selected for redundancy for trade union reasons (section 152, Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992).

No employer can refuse you the right to be accompanied by a GMB Youth official where, they wish to tell you off, or, where you wish to tell them where to get off.

If your employers threaten you with any action because you have joined the union report this at once to your GMB representative. The GMB will take up every case of harassment of its members, including up to the stage of seeking reinstatement or compensation from the employer.

You will also soon have the right to trade union representation once the government takes steps to implement a key section of the Employment Relations Act 1999. This states that every employee, called to attend a disciplinary or grievance hearing, has the right to bring along a representative, even in workplaces where there is no union. This right is likely to be in force by the middle of the year 2000.