Skip to main content
Home
Menu Close

Utility menu

  • Why join BASW
  • Events
  • Media Centre

Popular on BASW

Campaigning and influencing
World social work day
Social work stands against poverty
People with lived experience
Career stages
Cost of living crisis

Main navigation

  • About social work
    • What is social work?
    • Topics in social work
    • Professional Social Work (PSW) Magazine
  • Careers
    • Become a social worker
    • Returning to social work
    • For employers
    • Specialisms
    • Career stages
    • Jobs board
    • Work for BASW
  • About BASW
    • Campaigning and influencing
    • Governance
    • Social work around the UK
    • Awards
    • Social work conferences UK
    • International Work
    • Feedback, suggestions & complaints
  • Training & CPD
    • Professional Development
    • Professional Capabilities Framework
    • Let's Talk Social Work Podcast
  • Policy & Practice
    • Resources
    • National policies
    • Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
    • Working with...
    • Research and knowledge
    • Standards
  • Support
    • Advice & representation
    • Social Workers Union (SWU)
    • Social Work Professional Support Service (SWPSS)
    • Independent social workers
    • Student Hub
    • Financial support
    • Groups and networks
    • Membership renewals
    • How to contact us

SWU Blog: It is vital that unions work together

SWU Executive update on attempts for joint statement

Once more SWU has attempted to work with UNISON, this time on a joint statement about the importance of sufficient social work funding post Covid-19.

This would have been powerful and building on comments made by Roger McKenzie (UNISON Assistant General Secretary),  who spoke quite passionately recently  about the importance of UNISON working with other unions and moving away from seeing other unions as competition or threat and focussing on the positives of joint working. 

This attempt at collaboration from SWU followed on from a UNISON official’s previous comment when we asked about campaigning about ‘Working Conditions’ that ‘they would never work with SWU’.  In addition, it was also stated that ‘they would be developing their own campaign ‘This remains a real regret as the profession would be stronger together and would allow us an opportunity to really support UNISON with any future proposals for strike action.

It is difficult to support future strike action instigated by UNISON if they do not engage with the largest social work union in the UK.

UNISON's recent reply to SWU on joint campaigning was brief and the following: ‘I circulated the draft statement to my lay Committee and they thought rather than a joint statement it would be more effective for UNISON to mirror the concerns through the recognised National Joint Council (NJC) machinery’.

The Social Workers Union feels that it is important to share our frustrations regarding UNISON not engaging as we often get asked why we are not working with UNISON on social work matters particularly as ‘working together’ we would all be stronger. 

The NJC is the mechanism for pay discussion with Local Authorities and covered by the traditional unions of UNISON, GMB and UNITE and not social work specific.

Frequently we are also asked about Trade Union Council Membership and Collective Bargaining.

SWU can apply and consider TUC membership but the SWU  Executive has previously voted not to; partly this is due to the cost as there is a fee for each member but principally because we feel that our needs are well met through membership of the General Federation of Trade Union (GFTU) which is also costly but provides bespoke services and campaigning opportunities for specialist trade unions. 

SWU is an active member of the GFTU and we sit on their National Executive with 31 other specialist unions covered as part of the federation.  GFTU is also a member of TUC.

Some UNISON activists often criticise SWU for not offering collective bargaining. The issue for SWU as a small (albeit 13,200 social work members) but growing union is that we have not asked to be recognised by most local authorities for individual collective bargaining.  

Collective bargaining is the official process by which trade unions negotiate with individual employers, on behalf of their members and mostly linked to pay and conditions. The majority of collective bargaining arrangements in the UK are voluntary and moving forward we can apply to be recognised but this process involves complex legal statistical provision. 

It also involves having extra staff and union volunteers (please consider applying to be a Union Contact) to fulfil the duties of this.  

As a developing union we are building on our membership and will hopefully be able to apply for collective bargaining in the future but being in a union is much more than collective bargaining as you will know if you have ever been in touch for specialist social work advice and representation or followed some of our recent campaigns and union activity.  

SWU can implement national strike action on general issues similar to any other union.

Although traditionally larger unions have done well to focus on pay and conditions, moving forward, what also appears to be important for social workers is employment wellbeing and job satisfaction. Interestingly, this is reflected further through recent Bath Spa University research and follow up meetings indicating that addressing those factors keep social workers in their posts and not only higher pay levels or more annual leave.

This fits with findings from a recent GFTU conference. SWU is in a unique position as social workers to understand those issues as opposed to solely issues around pay.

Fortunately, the appetite for joining a union has never been stronger and this is reflected in SWU’s rising membership and recruitment of over 100 Union Contacts in the workplace.  Unions have a representative role in the workplace, and we have the experience of specialist advice and union representation if needed and we cannot be refused by an employer.

In addition, a more collaborative approach with British Association of Social Workers - our professional association - works best for social workers in the long term. Certainly, conglomerate large unions who represent social workers traditionally only have extremely low percentage members who are actual social workers; so how can they truly represent the profession on their own? 

Larger unions provide representation from shop stewards and reps who often have no knowledge or understanding of the complexities of social work. 

SWU staff, Executive Committee, workplace Union Contacts and full time Advice & Representation officers are all social workers with extensive and in-depth knowledge and experience of the profession.

Our door is always open to working and collaboration with any trade union as a priority.

Article type
Blog
Date
19 May 2020

Join us for amazing benefits

Become a member

Have a question?

Contact us

BASW: By your side, every step of the way

British Association of Social Workers is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England. 

Company number: 00982041

Wellesley House, 37 Waterloo Street, 
Birmingham, B2 5PP
+44 (0) 121 622 3911

Contact us

Follow us

Copyright ©2023 British Association of Social Workers | Site by Agile Collective | Privacy Policy

  • About social work
    • What is social work?
      • What social workers do
      • People with lived experience
      • Regulators & professional registration
      • World Social Work Day
    • Topics in social work
    • Professional Social Work (PSW) Magazine
      • Digital editions
      • Guidance for contributors
      • PSW articles
      • Advertising
  • Careers
    • Become a social worker
    • Returning to social work
    • For employers
    • Specialisms
    • Career stages
      • Self-Employed Social Workers
        • Your tax affairs working through umbrella service companies
      • Agency and locum social work
    • Jobs board
    • Work for BASW
      • BASW Commitee vacancies
  • About BASW
    • Campaigning and influencing
      • Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Social Work
      • BASW in Westminster
      • Relationship-based practice
      • Social Work Stands Against Poverty
      • This Week in Westminster | Blog Series
      • UK Covid Inquiry
      • Professional working conditions
        • Wellbeing toolkit
      • Housing & Homelessness
    • Governance
      • BASW AGM and general meetings
        • 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM)
        • BASW GM 2025
        • Previous BASW AGMs
      • BASW Council
        • BASW Council biographies
        • Vacancies on Council and committees 2025
      • Staff
      • Committees
      • BASW and SWU
      • Our history
      • 50 years
      • Special interest, thematic groups and experts
      • Nations
    • Social work around the UK
      • BASW Cymru
        • BASW Cymru Annual Conference 2024
        • Campaigns
      • BASW England
        • Campaigns
          • Homes Not Hospitals
          • Social Work in Disasters
          • 80-20 campaign
          • Review of Children’s Social Care
        • Meet the Team
          • BASW England Welcome Events
        • Our Services
          • Mentoring Service | BASW England
        • Social Work England
      • BASW Northern Ireland
        • About Us
        • Consultation responses
        • Find out about the BASW NI National Standing Committee
        • Political engagement
        • BASW NI & IASW's associate membership
      • SASW (BASW in Scotland)
        • About Us
        • Mental Health Officer's Conference 2025
        • Our Work
          • Cross-Party Group on Social Work (Scotland)
          • Social Work Policy Panel
          • Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
          • Supporting refugees
          • Campaigns
        • Coalitions & Partnerships
        • Get Involved
    • Awards
      • Amazing Social Workers
        • Amazing Social Workers profiles: Week 1
        • Amazing Social Workers profiles: Week 2
        • Amazing Social Workers profiles: Week 3
        • Amazing Social Workers profiles: Week 4
        • Amazing Social Workers profiles: Week 5
      • The BASW Social Work Journalism Awards
    • Social work conferences UK
    • International Work
      • Israel and Palestine/Gaza conflict | BASW/SWU Information Hub
      • IFSW and other international social work organisations
      • Influencing social work policy in the Commonwealth
      • Invasion of Ukraine | BASW Information Hub
    • Feedback, suggestions & complaints
  • Training & CPD
    • Professional Development
      • General Taught Skills Programme
      • Student Learning
      • Newly Qualified Social Worker Programme
      • Practice Educator & Assessor Programme
      • Stepping Stones Programme
      • Expert Insight Series
      • Social Work in Disasters online training
        • Module 1: Introduction to Social Work in Disasters (Online training)
        • Module 2: Law, Policy and Best Practice (Social Work In Disasters Training)
        • Module 3: Person-centred and research informed practice within a multi-agency context (Social Work in Disasters Online Training)
        • Module 4: Responding, using theory and self-care (Social Work in Disasters Online Training)
      • Overseas Qualified Social Worker (OQSW) Programme
    • Professional Capabilities Framework
      • About the PCF
      • Point of entry to training
      • Readiness for practice
      • End of first placement
      • End of last placement
      • Newly qualified social worker (ASYE level)
      • Social worker
      • Experienced social worker
      • Advanced social worker
      • Strategic social worker
    • Let's Talk Social Work Podcast
  • Policy & Practice
    • Resources
    • National policies
    • Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
    • Working with...
      • Older people
        • Learning resources
        • Useful resources to support social work capabilities with older people
      • Autistic people
        • An introduction to the Capability Statement
        • Capabilities Statement and CPD Pathway: Resources
          • Autistic adults toolkit
            • Autistic adults toolkit introduction
            • Feedback tool
            • Induction tool
            • Introduction to video: Sylvia Stanway - Autistic not broken
            • References
            • Reflective tool
            • The role of the social worker with autistic adults
            • Top tips
          • Organisational self-assessment tool
          • Post-qualifying training programmes
        • The Capabilities Statement for Social Work with Autistic Adults
      • People with learning disabilities
        • Introduction
        • Capabilities Statement and CPD Pathway: Resources
          • People with learning disabilities toolkit
            • People with learning disabilities toolkit introduction
            • Information sheet
            • Top tips
            • Induction tool
            • Reflective tool
            • References
            • Hair tool
          • Organisational self-assessment tool
          • Post-qualifying training programmes
        • The Capabilities for Social Work with Adults who have Learning Disability
    • Research and knowledge
      • Research journals
      • BASW bookshop
    • Standards
      • Code of Ethics
        • BASW Code of Ethics: Launch of 2021 refreshed version webinar
      • Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS)
      • Quality Assurance in Practice Learning (QAPL)
  • Support
    • Advice & representation
    • Social Workers Union (SWU)
    • Social Work Professional Support Service (SWPSS)
      • Become a volunteer coach (SWPSS)
    • Independent social workers
      • Independent member benefits
      • BASW Independents Toolkit
        • Section 1: Foundations for Independent Social Work
        • Section 2: Doing Independent Social Work
        • Section 3: Running your business
        • Section 4: Decisions and transitions
      • BASW Independents directory
      • Social Work Employment Services (SWES)
    • Student Hub
    • Financial support
      • International Development Fund (IDF)
    • Groups and networks
      • Special interest groups
        • Alcohol and other drugs Special Interest Group
        • BASW Neurodivergent Social Workers Special Interest Group (NSW SIG)
        • Family Group Conferencing (FGC)
        • Project Group on Assisted Reproduction (PROGAR)
        • The Diaspora special interest group
      • Special Interest Group on Social Work & Ageing
      • Independents local networks
      • Local branches (England)
      • Groups and forums (Scotland)
      • Thematic groups (England)
        • Adult Social Work Thematic Group
        • Black & Ethnic Minority Professionals Symposium (BPS)
        • Children & Families Group
          • Children & Families Resources Library
          • Disabled Children's Sub-group
        • Criminal Justice Group
        • Emergency Duty Team Group
        • Mental Health Group
        • Professional Capabilities and Development Group
        • Social Workers in Health Group
        • Student & Newly Qualified Group
        • Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Group
      • Networks (Wales)
    • Membership renewals
    • How to contact us
  • Why join BASW
    • Benefits of joining BASW
      • The BASW UK University Social Work Education Provider Affiliation Scheme
    • Membership Categories
      • Student member
      • Working (qualified less than 5 years) Membership
      • Working (qualified more than 5 years) Membership
      • Independent membership
      • Newly qualified social worker
      • Retired membership
      • Unemployed/unpaid membership
    • Membership FAQs
    • Membership renewals
    • Membership fees
  • Events
  • Media Centre
    • BASW in the media
    • BASW News and blogs