Your rights as a rep
As a workplace rep, you have certain rights under employment law.
These are set out in the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) code of practice on time off for trade union duties and activities.
The NEU is recognised in the vast majority of schools and colleges, including all maintained schools and sixth-form colleges, the majority of academy schools and FE colleges and many independent schools.
If our union is recognised by your employer, you are entitled to:
- statutory paid time off for union duties and training.
- approach non-members about joining.
- somewhere to display NEU materials.
- reasonable use of facilities, such as email, telephone and a photocopier.
- use of a room for meetings.
You have the right to access documentation affecting members including job descriptions, staffing structures, pay and conditions of service documents, and local employment policies.
Your branch or district secretary can give you details about how to implement these rights in your workplace and how you can claim back any expenses you may incur.
Organising your workplace
Organising your workplace is the number one task for any rep. Holding meetings, making sure you know who your members are, letting them know what’s going on in the wider union and allowing them to talk about the issues they face are the activities that are cornerstone of the whole union.
If you’re thinking about becoming a rep, or just want some new ideas, watch some of our reps talk about organising their workplace.
Here are some tools that can help you organise your workplace
