UNISON FAQs

Answers to some common questions around UNISON

Frequently asked questions about UNISON

UNISON provides industrial relations support for the British Association of Occupational Therapists (BAOT). UNISON is a powerful voice for working people in the United Kingdom, with over 1.3 million members working in public services, the community and voluntary sector and for private companies.

Read the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions; if you have a question not answered please contact baotstewards@unison.co.uk.

What is UNISON?

UNISON is the trade union which provides the industrial relations services for BAOT members. This arrangement has been in place since 1993. UNISON is one of the UK’s largest trade unions with more than 1.3 million members who work across the public sector.

Are all BAOT members also members of UNISON?

If you are a member of BAOT, you are also a member of UNISON. The only exception is if you are working outside of the UK or if you are wholly self-employed.

If you are unsure of whether the membership category you have chosen makes you eligible for UNISON support you should contact the BAOT membership department on 020 3141 4648 or email: membership@cot.co.uk.

I've got a problem at work. Where can I get advice?

If you are facing problems at work, you should approach your local BAOT/UNISON steward or local UNISON branch. Stewards are trained to represent and support you with any problems affecting you at work and should always be your first point of contact. If you don’t know how to contact your branch, call the UNISON helpline on 0800 0857 857 and they will put you in touch.

Occupational therapy stewards

What is an occupational therapy steward?

An OT steward is a BAOT member who is elected and trained by UNISON. They work closely with the local UNISON branch to ensure that BAOT members are supported and given a strong voice in the workplace. By becoming a BAOT steward you could make a real and positive difference in your workplace, representing members’ views during the many changes that take place at work. As a steward you can influence the way in which those changes take place, and in some cases, whether they happen at all. The more stewards we have, the stronger our voice and the better we can represent our members. If you are interested in becoming a steward or want more information, speak to your local UNISON branch or email baotstewards@unison.co.uk

No BAOT/UNISON steward in our workplace

What if we don’t have a BAOT/UNISON steward in our workplace?

Every workplace providing occupational therapy services should have an elected BAOT trade union steward to represent the voice of members.

If you don’t already have a BAOT steward in your workplace, then think about volunteering for the role yourself, or encourage a colleague who you think would be good at the role.

If you are interested in becoming a BAOT steward or want more information, speak to your local UNISON branch or email baotstewards@unison.co.uk

How can I get involved in BAOT/UNISON?

There are lots of opportunities to get involved and active in your trade union. Contact your local UNISON branch to find out what’s going on and how you can get involved. If your department doesn’t already have a BAOT union steward, you should elect one and you may want to consider putting yourself forward for the role – again this is something you can discuss with your UNISON branch. There are other ways to get involved...

Workplace contact

Becoming a workplace contact is ideal for members who aren’t ready to take on the full role of elected steward. Workplace contacts can get involved in a variety of ways, including recruiting new members, distributing information, and helping with branch organisation.

Union learning representative

As a learning rep you can promote lifelong learning and support learning initiatives in your workplace.

Health and safety representative

Every day, the working lives of occupational therapy staff are affected by health and safety issues – use of equipment, lone-working, stressful workloads are just few examples. As a health and safety rep, you can help to ensure the health, safety and welfare of members at work.

Equality representative

Equality reps work with UNISON branches to make our workplaces fairer by promoting respect and dignity at work.

To find out more, speak to your UNISON branch – if you’re not sure who to contact, our helpline will put you in touch 0800 0857 857 or you can email us at baotstewards@unison.co.uk

My details with UNISON

How to update personal details

You can update your details by going to My Account on the RCOT website and updating the forms. Once saved, your details will be updated automatically.

Or if you don't want to do it online, please get in touch with our Membership Team if you need to update any of your details:

change of address
change of name
change of employer
new membership card

Contact the membership administration team:

membership@rcot.co.uk or call 020 3141 4648

I've changed jobs/my name/moved house

If you need to change your details, for example if you move house, change jobs, have a name change or any other reason, you need to let your local UNISON branch know. You should also contact UNISONdirect by calling the free phone helpline 0800 0857 857 and they will do it for you over the phone.

You can also change your details online by visiting the My UNISON page: https://my.unison.org.uk

UNISON has no record of me as a member

How to get news and updates from UNISON

For all the latest news and information go to: www.unison.org.uk.

As a BAOT/UNISON member, you belong to your local UNISON branch. Most branches send out regular communications to all members, so check with them and ask to be added to the mailing list. You should also receive UNISON's U' magazine which is sent to every member 3 or 4 times a year.

If you don't receive this currently speak to your branch. Also, don't forget to look out for the UNISON page in your monthly edition of OT news.

Other FAQs

As a member of a trade union, will I have to go on strike if UNISON takes industrial action?

Trade unions only ever take strike action as a very last resort, when all avenues for agreement have been exhausted and negotiations have broken down. As a BAOT/UNISON member you are part of a democratic union and you would only ever take strike action if a majority of members voted for it. In the event of any proposed industrial action, you would be consulted in a ballot, and asked to vote for or against taking strike action.

I am an occupational therapy lecturer at a Higher Education establishment. What trade union support do I have?

Members of BAOT/Unison who are teachers of occupational therapy in higher education institutions are able to have joint membership of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) or the University and College Union (UCU).

To take out joint membership simply join online at the relevant site below. Your subscription to the academic union is incorporated into your BAOT/UNISON membership at no cost to you.

UCU joint membership

As a manager, am I also a member of ‘Managers in Partnership’ (MiP), the trade union for NHS managers?

Your BAOT membership gives you membership of UNISON and its industrial relations support.

To access the services of Managers in Partnership, you would need to join that organisation separately

To find out more, speak to your UNISON branch – if you’re not sure who to contact, our helpline will put you in touch 0800 0857 857 or you can email us at

baotstewards@unison.co.uk

Representation for BAOT manager members in need of UNISON support

All BAOT stewards are fully trained by UNISON and accredited in their role of trade union steward. They are therefore equipped to take on the full range of trade union steward duties and provide support and representation to any BAOT member wherever necessary.

BAOT members in managerial jobs who are in need of trade union support / advice / representation, should approach their BAOT steward in the first instance. If for any reason the member is concerned about involving their workplace steward (e.g. the steward is line-managed by the BAOT manager or works with them at close quarters, which means there may be a conflict of interest), then the BAOT manager should contact their UNISON Branch to discuss their concerns and agree appropriate arrangements for accessing trade union support. If the member is not satisfied with the support they are receiving from the union, they may raise their concerns through the lead officers for the BAOT/UNISON contract, and/or make use of UNISON’s formal complaints procedure.