Trade unions are relatively new to the tech industry. Despite a growing movement towards unionisation in recent years, we’re a long way from where we need to be - tech workers are second only to hospitality workers in their lack of unionisation.

This is why we want to normalise unionisation in tech. You always need a union before you think you need it, and the more members we have, the stronger our collective voice can be.

In industries where unions are long established, there’s a working relationship with the employer, which means we have input at the drafting stages of new policies, on pay rises, and on terms and conditions. We can influence things such as annual leave, flexible working, sick pay and the office environment. We want to get the tech industry to this stage.

More members means more opportunity for issues to be discussed before ambiguous phrasing or biased practice is baked into corporate documents or code. This means your union activities have the potential to not only improve the lives of your coworkers, but also the lives of everyone who your product affects.

Your union is also a support network for the people you work with and the wider industry. By building a strong network we can build the resources and structure to tackle wider problems of inequality, burn out, and discrimination - and we can also support each other when our mental heath is taking a hit.

Take a look at some of the other issues we can tackle, and join the network to start building support and normalise union membership.