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.
|