USU Delegates play the most important role in the Union, since they have the key role of representing the collective and individual hopes, aspirations and needs of USU members and their families.
Delegates are critical to improving wages, conditions and health and safety in the workplace as well as ensuring that the rights and dignity of each and every worker is fully respected by employers.
Unions are voluntary, self-governing associations of working women and men who join together to protect, advance and defend their common interests as employees. Since unions are formed in and based at the workplace it is there that the most important union work is done by members who are led and represented by voluntary delegates.
Together, members and delegates work for themselves, supported by full-time officials and employees. Unionism is not a service provided by full-time officials to members: unionism is mutual self-help created and organised by workers themselves.
Issues that cannot be won in the workplace are rarely won in industrial tribunals or courts. Unity and strength in the workplace is therefore the most important asset working people can have and this must be developed and nurtured on a daily basis by workplace delegates.
The role of full-time officials and organisers is to work to support members and their workplace representatives to secure their full rights and dignity as workers, to win economic justice and to undertake safe, secure, rewarding and productive employment.
To carry out these vital functions, Delegates need rights and recognition from employers as well as the support of full-time union officials and members.
In 2002 the USU developed a charter of rights and responsibilities.
These rights must be made available in practice in workplaces and in the relationship between delegates and members and fulltime officials.
The USU commits itself to working with delegates to ensure that these rights and responsibilities are put into effect in agreements, in workplaces and within the Union. |
USU EVENTS
