BFAWU Reviews 5

Long time member, have been a member within one of the bread factories in Scotland and now that I’ve moved to NI, I am also a member in a poultry factory. Always there when I need them, have used their legal team too for a claim, was a very smooth process, and I kept all my compensation! Have been a member of another union in the past (one of the largest in the UK) and this union is by far a better union to join!

A food workers union, which gives help and advice on all employment related matters. I have been a member now for over 20 years, and there is a reason for that. They have always been there when I’ve needed them, and are the first point of contact should I ever need them for work related issues. Unions these days can feel very impersonal, however this union is one where you can literally lift the phone and be talking to a full time officer in no time at all.

Rang them to get information to help me decide which union to join. First person who answered honestly sounded like someone's nan in a nursing home (no offence to nans but she had absolutely no clue). Asked if they represent any members in my workplace (huge international catering company covering massive household-name outlets). Seemed surprised at the question - eventually said very slowly "well, I couldn't say if we do.... and I couldn't say if we don't". Great! So a union representing catering workers that gets huge amounts of hard earned subs off low paid people, apparently has no clue whether they have any members in a massive international catering company, nevermind any experience/past results of representing them. I was given a regional number to try (repeated over and over as if she'd forgotten she'd just given it to me), eventually managed to get off the phone (it really was like talking to your nan) and hoped for a better informed answer. No luck. This time it sounded like I'd just woken up some mildly stoned guy. Zero f*cks given. No attempt to maybe offer to take my details and get back to me, just "I don't know..." again. I pointed out that they receive a lot of subs, and it might be an idea to put some of it towards providing basic information to prospective members...he just agreed noncommittally like it was nothing to with him, no offer to feed this suggestion back, nothing. I let him get back to his stupor, and wondered what needs to happen for the unions to be fit for purpose these days. It's infuriating. They just take, take, take with so very little to show for it.

A complete waste of time the union recently negotiated a review of our terms and conditions with my employer and the final document which they strongly recommended can be described as nothing but an unconditional surrender. Every part of the new terms benefit the employer and nothing the employee, any changes since which have resulted in more work ,worse conditions or less pay are all explained as it’s in the new contract agreement.

If you work in the food industry, whether that be manufacturing, serving, selling, or whatever, this is THE union for you.
This is not a one stop shop that caters for all trades, it's dedicated to serving food workers and has vast experience and knowledge of the industry
Professionally trained reps will take care of you. If it's terms and conditions, disciplinary and grievance, harassment and bullying, discrimination, health and safety, the union is there to help.