UNISON Reviews 

Further to my review on 26/07/2024, it came to light that my union representative was quite literally friends with the HR business partner on Facebook.

Therefore if you like being duped, hoodwinked, misled, fleeced and bank account bled dry with the monthly payments - sign up!

Unison is a joke, their masters have given them offices on Trust property, why would they bite the hand that feeds? Their sole purpose is to protect their own positions and jobs (not yours), and the only way to do that is to dance with the devil/brown-nose, HR.

I joined unison in December 2023, and first made contact with them in February - March 2024, this had to be escalated, by me contacting the main call centre, as the representative was extremely slow in responding to me.

I had been signed off since Feburary 2024 and was expected to retun to work in April 2024. A back to work interview had been arranged in early April and I was expected to attend. I requested representation of my Rep, who reassured me that he would support me on the day. Weeks leading up to the scheduled day, I contacted the Rep, whom informed me that he had annual leave booked and advised me that his colleague would step in to assist.

I tried to make contact with the Rep's colleague who noticed me that he would not be representing me on account of me not being with the company longer as I'd only been with them 4 weeks???

I tried emailing him, but no response adhered to my emails. The day arrived, no representative contacted me, the matter was escalated due to me being anxious and feeling unsupported and I decided to cancel, due to sudden stress.

A regional manager contacted me,as I requested escalation. There has been no contact from my unison rep or branch office.

I have contacted main switchboard call center who has promised to email branch office. Branch office has not been in contact.

There is another meeting with my employers scheduled Tuesday 6th August 2024, but unison are now stating that they will not be supporting me due to matters being ongoing as I am long term sick and this exceeding 12 months. This was relayed to me when I contacted call center on Friday 2nd August 2024, afternoon.

Since December 2023 I continued to pay my membership with no support, advocation from Unison, this is a terrible situation communication is poor to say the least. The branch do not call or email back. Save your money and time, and go to Unite!

Like all other reviews, don’t waste your money and time with UNISON. You consult them at a time I need , and all this does is exasperates your concern by lack of support and understanding. For anyone contemplating raising a grievance within your organisation. Keep the fine details to yourself before any hearing. UNISON works with HR and will pre empt beforehand. Take your own minutes , because my union representative, couldn’t even remember discussions had at any meetings. Consult ACAS , save your money for proper legal advice.

Awful. Gaslighters, bullies and downright rude 'caseworker.' No idea how they get away with it.

ABSOLUTELY USELESS UNION! On three separate occasions I have had relatively serious queries I needed assistance with and nothing was done on their part! I phoned last Friday about a concern and got told I would receive information on related topic and receive feedback from a Michael Tucker and nothing! How is this service is acceptable? I am paying a monthly fee for what? I am not leaving it like this. I will be forwarding my complaints because this is unacceptable!

How are they still going with only 1 stars and obviously scamming members, does anyone know who regulates them and how we can shut them down. Is it worth getting your MP involved? They're all corrupted at unison

Have been member for many years and useless service and reps who dont have time. waste of money. avoid. similar to UNITE services. too big and fogot the little man.

Unison is an absolute waste of time. I complained about a Unison Area manager who had represented me but they refused to ask him any questions . My complaint was very serious went to the UK office to complain they did exactly the same a complete whitewash. I am sending all their emails to a few papers to let them know how they treat their members.

Not really worth it

I have joined Unison as I was struggling with a problem with my employer.
After a while of trying (with no success) to get hold of them, I finally got to speak to a rep who explained that they could not assist me as I had joined after the problem presented.

They essentially said that joining a Union is like having insurance, where you pay for months when nothing happens, just so that you can hope for some support if something then does happen! They even had the guts of saying "It's not about the money", which I think it really is all this is about, given than loads of Unions elsewhere would give you advice even without being a member, whereas with Unison it seems that you can't even hope for a phone call if you don't pay your fee!

What is really nonsensical to me though is, had I waited the 4 weeks and then raised the problem, then it would have been fine and I could have maybe hoped for representation! This really goes to show how this Union is not supportive but rather caught up in their own system of nonsensical rules, just so that they can milk employees as much as they can!

Do not join, get advice from CAB, at least you won't have to put up with absurd rules and greed disguised as support!

just phoned them about problem with a holiday request no backing me up with the problem in fact the advisor was complacent about the attitude of the manager, when i accused the manager of gross negligence he replied "no he's not", had to do all the work myself.All UNISON are there for is to pick up their paychecks, going to cancel and use no fee ACAS in future.

If I could I’d give 0.

I cancelled my direct debit as advised by the unison customer services as I was told they couldn’t cancel the subscription themselves.

This was later contradicted by several emails from customer services asking why I’d cancelled via my bank and needed confirmation from me if I wanted to cancel.

Unison then wouldn’t refund me the monthly payment and told me I’d left it too late despite having emails spanding over a month of trying to cancel it. Nobody ever gets back to you until you stop sending them money, then they bombard you!

Then received rude emails from a customer service member who clearly did not understand the situation or grasp what I was trying to explain.

My suggestion is would be find an alternative union. Avoid avoid avoid!

As others have said, if I could give zero stars if I could. I’m an Employee of 23 years and the one time I needed support it wasn’t forthcoming. Emails and phone calls unanswered and in the meantime found out union rep was speaking to HR on a regular basis but I hadn’t had email or callback! I have now found out through seeking alternative representation that because of delay my discrimination claim was 3 months minus 1 day! Has anyone else had sane experience?

Dreadful, I wish I could leave minus stars!

They spent more effort ignoring and misrepresenting me than giving any kind of genuine help and advice. Probably colluding with employer and sabotaged my case.

I appealed to Christina McAnea, general secretary hoping to shame them into helping me. Christina didn't have the decency to reply. So its rotten from the top.

Will be publishing my correspondence on the Web soon.

Frankly starting lack of interest. After having called and emailed several times and having never received a reply I gave up. I have some relevant and serious issues at work which I really need advice on and my local branch at the University of York seems incapable of any kind of reply apart from "what do you want?" Seemingly a waste of £20 per month.

Join someone else is my advice.

Concerning Kronljus Lampa LED kristall E14 4000k 380lm, extremely bad quality, lifetime is about 2-4 months

Apalling service. I asked for general advice and had to jump through hoops to even request it. Needed to fill a form in even to speak to someone. Have waited over two weeks with no response from my rep. I will be withdrawing my membership and asking for a refund on my fees. Don’t waste your money

They don’t write back to you nomatter how much you email them they are not helpful at all they completely ignore you.

You don’t know how bad they are till you need them . Everyone says this but if you need them to fight for you in court there is no chance at all they made a decision not to take my case up against the hospital for disability discrimination without even seeing my evidence and a outside solicitor said my case was that strong I could fight it myself without a solicitor I had to file for my own tribunal they wouldn’t even answer the phone to do it for me don’t waste your money hospital Domestic Londonderry Northern Ireland trade and standers should shut them down

Don't bother going with this union I have paid my cons for over 22 years and when I needed them they let me down big style

DONT GO NEAR THIS UNION, Paid contribution's for over Twenty years was sold the service would provide legal advice if needed, After twenty three years and first time of asking for support which needed legal intervention was told unison dont't have their own legal team and it would be referred to local solicitors who would not take on any case unless it has 80% plus chance of winning where mine was 50- 50, absolutely useless only good at taking your money, READ REVIEWS 90% + OF REVIEWS CANT BE WRONG