Trade union official
Trade union officials represent, train and advise union members, carry out research and develop policy.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As a regional trade union official you may:
- advise members and management on legal or health and safety issues
- study and interpret legal policy, agreements and procedures relating to work
- recruit, train and support local officials and shop stewards
- represent union members in negotiations or before industrial court and tribunal proceedings
- deal with local disputes and case work
- work as a learning representative
At the national head office you may:
- develop national policy
- carry out research
- develop learning programmes for members
- work in media relations
- negotiate with employers' organisations, political parties and government
- represent the union at conferences
Working environment
You could work in an office.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could become a regional secretary of your union or work at its national head office. You could also move into politics as a councillor or MP.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- knowledge of human resources and employment law
- knowledge of English language
- analytical thinking skills
- the ability to use your initiative
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- excellent verbal communication skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
- training with a professional body
You may be able to join a national head office as a research officer straight from university, if you've got a degree or postgraduate qualification.
You could study most degree subjects for this role, with common ones including:
- social science
- politics
- economics
- law
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
More Information
You could apply to do a Trade Union Official Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.
This usually takes around a year and a half to complete.
Entry requirements
Most people following this route have:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
- experience in related work
More Information
You could start as a trade union representative in the workplace, or a union administrator or organiser in a local union office. This would help you to get experience and understanding of how a union works.
There's a lot of competition for full-time jobs, so relevant paid or voluntary experience could give you a head start when you apply for work.
Relevant experience might include:
- advice work
- student or local politics
- mediation and negotiation jobs
- campaigning
You may be able to apply directly if you've got a background in adult education or training and development.
It can also help if you have experience in the voluntary or public sector, or experience of tackling issues around equal opportunities, economics, or health and safety.
For many jobs at national head office level, you'll normally be qualified and experienced in a specialist area like:
- employment or general law
- economics
- trade union legislation or organisation
- media
- research
- education and training
You could do work-based training courses through Unionlearn or the General Federation of Trade Unions. Training like this could be useful when you apply to become a full-time paid official at a union branch or regional office.
Career tips
You can see an official list of trade unions on GOV.UK.
Further information
You can find out more about working and training as a trade union official through the Trades Union Congress.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.