UNISON Reviews 

Worst experience helped in the beginning but she has changed during the process and in the last stage I was surprised she is supporting the employer

I'd like to say I'm surprised by Unison's rating on here but I'm not. They take forever to do anything and take a very long time to email back. My rep went on holiday for 2 weeks and left my Formal Issue Resolution in limbo, you'd think they'd hand the case over, but nope, just had to wait :D

Save your money, its a slow organisation with little sense of urgency and they only support you in cases they will definitely win. They just want your membership fee and little else

Used to be part of Northamptonshire Health Workers branch, but they were found to be friends on Facebook with individuals from the HR department of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Branch secretary openly divulged that one rep of the branch had 3 separate complaints made against them for not representing their members.

The regional organiser, Nadeem Samari, obstructs complaints and refuses to investigate them. Don't bother joining and paying into the coffers of this lot, demonstrably corrupt. Glad I've retired now.

Invited our company of staff to a video call (non members included) which seemed promising. Talks about reaching out to our employers on pay, due to our lack of pay rise this year. We would be invited to further calls if we signed up to the Union. I signed up to the Union. Tried to contact them with updates. Emailed several times to my allocated person/ people in my area. Ignored several of my emails (sent over a month ago with no reply). No updates about reaching out to our company after months. I left, due to lack of support and paying for nothing. Waste of money!

I am grateful for the help I got through the UNISON representatives in stirling branch, in the name of David O' Connor, Lorraine and others. I loved their professionalism and they followed me all the way. Thank you so so much for all the advice and guidance. I wouldn't have gotten my job back without your help. God bless you all.

Unison takes money from companies to keep quiet and not support me , I saw with my own eyes hazel one of the rep pads on information to the lady from HR . I could not believe it and hazel always also agreeing on things the company was saying. The government needs to get involved in this type of scam

I have been paying a membership fee for years and when I needed their support, they offered zero help. The union representative was rude, condescending, dismissive, lacked empathy and was clearly was trying to impress my managers during the meeting instead of supporting me, which was odd and embarrassing to say the least. I would definitely give a minus one star if that was possible. Very disappointing.

I signed up for UNISON as a carer. I paid 20£ a month based on my salary. When there was an issue I needed a legal help they did not help me at all and when I lost my job they still were taking 20£ a month. I called them and asked for a refund. They never came back to me. You still owe me 40£ you took from me when I was unemployed you scammers. Useless scammy garbage. Avoid them at all costs.

Liabilities. They're in it for themselves. I became a steward, but it was a farce. Five days training was an utter waste of time and money. Let's just say we're past the halcyon days, and you have to realise you are on your own. They are not your friends. My rep was best friends with the manager I was complaining about and hadn't thought to mention it lol.

Completely agree with others I will looking into closing my membership with unison NHS workers get a bigger pay rise than council workers I know NHS workers that are doing a similar job to myself but it seems there worth more than council workers . I will most likely cancel my direct debit tomorrow . Also is it okay for cleaners bin men and woman to get the same pay rise as social care workers who do split shifts work weekends and bank holidays . I'll be lucky if I ever see that £15.00 an hour before I retire that unison promised the workers . It's the same every year with unison our pay rises are just pennies.

See Elizabeth Felton 1 star review.
Read just below her review, more Diatribe from UNISONS GENRAL SECRETARY Christina McAnea, WHAT Ever You Need We”ll be there, Hi Elizabeth
You’ve joined an organisation with experience, influence & 1.3 Million Members she goes on read it for yourself, make sure you have a sick bowl handy a very big one.
These reviews all 629 of them tell you the real truth regarding UNISON they could not care two hoots for you just collecting your membership is all that counts

Instead of paying Unison I would suggest do charity or help others because this union is nothing but a staged scam where they say they support or help but in real they don’t do anything. If you seek any help they will start playing blame game so that they don’t have to do any paper work or put in any efforts for you. I will be withdrawing and will never be a part of this useless union. Unison is a perfect example of ‘look busy do nothing’!

Sorry to say I have always felt letdown by unison.
Every time I’ve asked for support it seems as though they have already collaborated with the trust I work for and agreed an outcome.
Now we really need some help through the union solicitors it feels as though they couldn’t care less.
Been chasing things up for a while now with no response.
If I were you I’d save your money & just call ACAS & citizens advice.

At risk of redundancy, I contacted Unison for support. Heard nothing for weeks until I submitted a complaint. They did eventually contact me to see if I wished to proceed with this complaint but still did not offer any actual support or help for my situation. Very disappointing, would not recommend. I am savvy and so aware of this but particularly, I am sad that they then let me cancel my membership without informing me that I would therefore not have access to any representation through this time, even if I joined another union. Although I had lost all faith in them to represent my needs, this needed to be pointed out. It seems they take no real responsibility for their individual members at all.

Not really sure what they should be doing but they are not supportive in meetings. All they do is cancel meetings when the day does not suit and never actually contact you prior to the meeting to advise/discusd your concerns. Collect money but apart from loads of emails about irrelevant information you can also find online and voting for, they are useless. The only thing they do in meetings is sit there and then just agree with everything said and discussed, like how are you going to see differently if you never actually discussed with me. Agree they are a waste of money, only thing you get is £1 diary every year, no other incentive. Do better!!!

omg they don't deserve 1 star. they never attend. I lost my job over something minor, they could have helped. when I called to cancel my policy, they told me to go to the bank and cancel it. ridiculous.
please don't go for them.

Unison are a waste of your money.
Completely useless.
Please do not join this union, there no help. Every penny matters at the moment with inflation.
You would get more joy burning your money in your garden and watching it go up in wind.

If I could give no stars, I absolutely would as they don't even deserve one! I'm going through redundancy, I'm disabled, I ask Unison for help, they contacted me twice, and they only contacted me the second time, was because I had left TWO messages saying how utterly disgusted I was, and how I've received zero support from them! I was with them for many of years, all that money I paid them and I received no help from them when I really needed it. My rep, well, she was all for my employer, she was most definitely not there to help me. Save your money, and go elsewhere, somewhere you can guarantee they will support you through every step you need - unlike Unison!!

I feel that I have wasted 30 years of my life working in local government and paying Unison subs for all those years. I was brought before a disciplinary hearing in January 2024 and the only person available to support me from Unison in my place of work was an elderly woman who had forgotten that she had been sent the disciplinary paperwork two months earlier, she told the hearing that she had only just been presented with my case and therefore would be unable to make any comment —although when she actually read the case details two months earlier she advised me that nothing in the paperwork suggested any gross misconduct to her. Unfortunately she had forgotten all about my case by the time the disciplinary hearing took place and made no useful contribution at all. It was a frightening and upsetting experience for me and I felt that I was very much alone. I therefore defended myself against the allegations made ( firmly but no shouting or swearing involved). I was dismissed for gross misconduct for my ‘belligerent’ behaviour during the disciplinary hearing. I had been given no warnings - written or otherwise. I asked the solicitors at Unison to take my case to a tribunal but they advised that the case only had a 54% chance of winning and they refuse to take any case with less than a 60% chance of winning at a tribunal. At my age and not in the best of health I now work 40 hours a week on a minimum wage.
I feel that I have been completely failed by Unison and wish I’d saved my money for an employment solicitor. These are life changing and devastating events for individuals and need to be properly addressed by trained professionals.

Update…. Waited 8 weeks to be told I’m not getting a refund after they investigated and admitted that they were 7 weeks late by their own 8 week guidelines, but that does not matter, they then told me just now over 18 months later that they can “liaise at their discretion” but still did not tell me that I did not qualify for any help until I’d paid for 10 months, and finally they are a non profit organisation so therefore in my words this means they can ******g scam you and you have to be ok with it!!!! No swear words allowed shame