We are pleased to be able to inform you that since launching towards the end of last year, the new United Tech and Allied Workers (UTAW) National Branch within the CWU – which seeks to represent and fight for workers interests in the expanding tech and digital sector – has just reached its initial membership target of 200 members!
The CWU has for some time been a viable option for workers in the tech industry looking to unionise and already had members in the sector. The formation of the new branch and the recruitment efforts that have followed have sought to expand our existing membership and provide a dedicated space within which to organise and collectivise, to support and empower one another, to fight against exploitative business practices in the industry, and for the improvement of every member’s working conditions.
Please join us in warmly welcoming all new members to the UTAW branch of the CWU, and spread the word within your networks to help us further expand the CWU family and grow what is, without a doubt, the best fighting union in the country.
United Tech and Allied Workers (UTAW) is a national branch of the Communication Workers Union which seeks to represent and fight for workers interests in the tech industry.
How did UTAW come about?
At the beginning of 2020, the CWU was approached by a group of workers who work or are employed in the U.K. Technical and Digital sector (a sector responsible for 2.93 million jobs – accounting for around 9% of the U.K. workforce)!
These self-organised workers outlined the background of their organisation, provided details on their current working environment, highlighted the issues that come with working in a sector where little to no union recognition currently exists, and made the case for why they wished to join as a standalone National Branch within the CWU. The rest, as they say, is history…
Who is eligible to join UTAW?
UTAW represents all tech workers. So, if you develop or deploy technology, regardless of your employer’s industry; if your workplace is owned by a tech company; or if your labour is a necessary part of a tech companies’ operation, we encourage you to join us. From developers and project managers to cleaners, couriers, and warehouse assistants, UTAW will fight for your interests. The worker led movement to organise in tech is growing. Together, we are building a future where everyone has the wages, rights and benefits they deserve.
Why is UTAW so badly needed?
Union membership density in the sector currently sits at an estimated <3%. No one U.K. union has engaged with the majority of the industry, which has emerged over the last 20 years, and no union recognition currently exists for programmers, graphic designers, product teams and testers, etc. at companies like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, or within the majority of smaller and medium sized tech start-ups. Tech workers are five times more likely to suffer from mental health concerns, compared to the wider population, with as much as 52% of the workforce admitting to suffering with stress, anxiety and depression at work. 28% of U.K. tech workers have seen decisions made about technology that they felt could have negative consequences for people or society. Nearly 1/5 of those went on to leave their company as a result. 60% of tech workers are millennials who report having no property or savings, and many are now realising their prospects are better when we stand together.
Join the conversation.
Join UTAW at the CWU. Join today at: https://utaw.tech/join