How does this union work?

Well...its layered. The big boss is our generals secretary Sharon Graham, and she sits and prevails over various committees, including the executive committee. There are then various national officers who deal with again, various industrial sectors. We have our own committee or RISC (regional industrial sector committee) which meets in Dundee 4 times a year. There are area activists committees, transport sub committees and probably a committee devoted to who's turn it is to make the coffee....

It might be to easy to think that all these committees are a waste of time and everything happens too slowly. Union business does move glacially sometimes, but the way we are constructed is the exact same way as a functioning government. The more dynamic stuff happens at branch level...in our workplace. The biggest group of people that make our union is our members. Anyone who either works for, or has a role in Unite has to be a member. We all pay our dues and we all get the benefits. There has never, and I mean never been a more important time to be a member. Within a few years the whole bus industry will change beyond recognition across Scotland and the ability of the bus company owners to plead poverty or try and dismiss someone arbitrarily or to just generally behave poorly has never been a greater threat than it is now.