Ten reasons to join

Year on year, TSSA wins pay rises for its members. Trained representatives negotiate with employers for the deals that only our members influence.

Union members are 20% better off in the public sector and earn 7% more in the private sector compared to non-unionised workers, this particularly benefits younger workers who earn 33% more. Where the unions have more members, the deals are better.

Union members are more likely to be in permanent and full-time jobs. TSSA reps challenge job cuts and campaign when contracts are under threat. Trade union members are less likely to be sacked. TSSA members negotiators have a significant role in reorganisations at work and are accountable to their members.

TSSA has recognition with 100 employers across Britain and Ireland. Because TSSA is actively negotiating and representing members, your employer is more likely to have maternity, parental and carer leave policies in place which are more generous than the statutory minimum, and can help to negotiate better policies at a local level. This is important when negotiating your pensions and future policies and procedures. Where TSSA is stronger so is its ability to negotiate policies that prevent discrimination and enhance maternity leave pay and flexible working policies above statutory minimums.

Workplaces with union recognition are 20% more likely to have an equal opportunities policy. Trained TSSA reps and Organisers represent members in disciplinaries and grievances at work and can negotiate with employers to resolve issues such as bullying and collective grievances not covered by legislation.

 TSSA are actively pursuing fair pay across all workplaces through legal action and collective negotiating TSSA has lodged 39 cases for equal pay at Network Rail and is currently negotiating a new fair and transparent pay scheme for managers. Unlike solicitors who take up equal pay cases for individuals and charge fees, unions negotiate principled pay schemes that involve all workers and use the collective strength of their members as leverage.

Our trained reps deliver representation and advice for members at discipline and grievance hearings. Our legal team has an excellent record for winning compensation for TSSA members. Over the last six years TSSA has achieved settlements totalling over £2 million for personal injury claims.

TSSA has Union Learning Reps (ULRs) on the ground negotiating with employers for increased training offered to everyone. Research shows that where a workplace has ULRs, employees are 15% more likely to report receiving training.

TSSA has won increased annual leave and practicable shift arrangements for its members. On average union members got 3.8 days more paid holiday than non-members. This is even more significant for part time workers, who benefit on average by 5.5 days.

TSSA stands with the majority of the British public who want to see public ownership of the railways because they should be accountable to the taxpayers not the shareholders. This would simplify the system for passengers, reduce costs and ticket prices, increase accountability and transparency so we can all have a less complicated ticketing system. TSSA’s Better Rail campaign is run by activists and members to engage with passengers and community groups so that it can win the trust of those that use public transport and influence the politicians that make the decisions.

As a union we strive to empower members and workplace representatives to stand up for their entitlements and push for more. We give members a real say in who represents them and a voice in the campaign and policy decisions taken in their name. We have structures in place to ensure that members can influence union policy at every level and if those bodies don’t represent everyone we have additional self-organised groups (SOGs) to represent women, black members, LGBT, disabled members and younger and older members. These groups all feed into TSSA’s annual conference to debate and decide the direction and policies of the union.