Why I became active – Chris


As soon as I became a member I asked other members if I could become a steward and they all said this was great as we’ve not had one for nearly a decade and It would be great as being so far away from [the main council offices in] Winchester we sometimes get forgotten about a bit.

How much of your time do you spend on UNISON activities?

This varies greatly I can go from no time to a few hours a day, depending on or if I get asked questions. Some questions can be easily answered others however can be more challenging. For example, recently I helped a member decide to put in for an enhanced redundancy, by getting them all the information they need and putting them though to more experienced people within UNISON.

What’s the best thing about being a UNISON steward? 

Knowing that if there is an issue small or large it can be fixed, and the whole work place benefits from this. Also once fixed/helping people with their problems you do get a get sense of achievement.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about becoming a steward? 

Becoming a steward was much more fun and interesting than I thought; the courses are good and well structured. You’ll get to meet people like you starting to become a steward and hear a lot of rewarding stories about their successes. A steward is a rewarding addition to you job and day to day life, you can find yourself also giving advice to friends and family too from what has been taught in the stewards course.