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Trade union research officer

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Trade union research officers inform the activities and strategic development of trade unions by collecting, analysing and circulating information on social, economic and political issues

As a trade union research officer, you'll carry out research to support three key aims:

  • recognition of unions as bargaining units
  • recruitment of new members
  • representation of members on issues that affect working people.

The role combines:

  • research and writing
  • presentations to key decision makers
  • networking with other unions and academics
  • using specialist media.

You'll work on joint projects with other agencies, dealing with common issues that affect working life and social justice. You'll need a strong political commitment to support workers' rights in various sectors such as engineering, retail, transport and education.

Tasks can vary significantly between unions and some researchers will focus more on internal research (such as looking at membership data), rather than external research.

Trade union research officers often carry out similar duties to policy officers. Job titles vary and you may see roles advertised as trade union research and policy officer, for example.

Responsibilities

Your role can span the whole process of identifying issues to explore, gathering information, analysis, writing up results, delivering a report or briefing, and circulating information within and outside the union.

Tasks vary depending on the size of the union you work for, but you'll typically need to:

  • apply qualitative and quantitative methodologies to research projects for the union on economic, social, political and industrial issues
  • interview members of the public, union workers and trade union officials
  • network with stakeholders such as other unions, campaign groups and charities
  • provide statistical data and other information to support negotiations, bargaining and representation
  • analyse official documentation and legislation (recent and historical) to assess the impact on union activities and interests
  • work with other union staff, management and industry members to produce research information
  • collate information and produce reports to inform and develop union policy
  • prepare speeches, press releases and articles for union journals
  • prepare presentations for union committees and conferences
  • provide briefings and bulletins on behalf of the union to other officers, activists, members and MPs
  • research and write recruitment, retention and publicity leaflets and assist in developing publicity campaigns
  • carry out internal research on areas such as membership data and respond to internal and external research enquiries
  • organise conferences and seminars
  • develop a network of research contacts to help inform your research and, where appropriate, contribute to the research of others
  • maintain good working relationships with employers, other trade unions, senior civil servants, ministers and the specialist media
  • keep up to date with industry and union developments
  • provide technical advice and best practice to colleagues who are undertaking research projects.

Salary

  • Starting salaries for entry-level roles vary between regions and can range from £25,000 to £35,000. Salaries in London, for example, are typically higher than elsewhere due to the higher living costs.
  • Experienced trade union research officers can earn between £35,000 and £55,000.
  • Senior research managers may earn in excess of £60,000 depending on the size of the union, the level of responsibility and the exact nature of the role.

Salaries vary depending on a range of factors including your location, the size of the union you work for, your skills and experience, the level of responsibility you have and the sort of work you're undertaking.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are usually 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Some evening and weekend work may be required for events such as branch meetings or conferences.

There are opportunities for part-time and flexible working.

What to expect

  • Work is mainly office-based and undertaken in small teams or independently. Some travel may be required to complete primary research and conduct interviews. In more sizeable unions, you may be part of a larger team that also includes policy officers and information managers.
  • As well as carrying out research, there are day-to-day enquiries that need to be juggled alongside longer-term projects.
  • Work may be challenging at busy times, such as before Trades Union Congress (TUC) meetings and other major union events.
  • Many opportunities are available in London and the South East at union headquarters. They may also have regional offices. A few smaller unions are regionally based, and these may contract work out to independent researchers. See the GOV.UK website for a list of trade unions.
  • Travel within a working day, absence from home overnight and overseas work or travel are all occasional and depend on union interests. You may need to travel to attend conferences and meetings, which may include stays away from home.

Qualifications

Although this area of work is open to all graduates, useful subjects include:

  • economics
  • history
  • law
  • politics
  • sociology and social sciences.

A degree related to the union's area of work may also be useful.

Entry without a degree is not usually possible. A postgraduate qualification may benefit your application, especially if your first degree doesn't cover statistics or quantitative methods. Relevant postgraduate subjects include:

  • development studies
  • industrial relations
  • employment relations
  • labour law
  • research methods or statistics.

Search for postgraduate courses in industrial relations.

It's possible to get into trade union work without a degree by taking a Level 4 Trade Union Official Higher apprenticeship (equivalent to an HNC). You will need further qualifications and experience if you want to move into a research role.

Skills

You'll need to have:

  • commitment to the aims and objectives of trade unions, as well as a strong interest in political systems
  • knowledge of the key issues that affect specific trade unions and social, economic and political issues
  • excellent research skills - the ability to understand and interpret complex material and produce clear and concise written information and oral briefings
  • strong communication, presentation, interpersonal and networking skills
  • active listening skills
  • the ability to analyse statistics and produce tables and graphs
  • organisation and planning skills, with the ability to prioritise the competing demands of complex research projects
  • the ability to work well under pressure
  • time management and project management skills
  • critical thinking skills and the ability to use your judgement to make decisions
  • the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues on complex projects
  • strong IT skills and the ability to use specialist statistics software packages such as SPSS.

Work experience

Competition for jobs is keen so relevant experience is essential, ideally some prior involvement in trade union activities. Any work with a political slant is relevant, such as working in students' union or society positions or as an MP's research assistant. Experience in campaigning, mediation and advice work is also useful. If you have undertaken research related to union work, it may improve your prospects.

Experience in the voluntary sector, local government, a charity or a non-governmental organisation (NGO) may also be helpful.

Try to get involved in trade union or political party work. Contacts are useful and networking is important. Some trade unions take on work experience staff and it may be possible to start in an administrative role and move into research and policy later.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

An initial research position is likely to be with one of the larger trade unions, many of which are affiliated to the TUC. For information on the range of different unions affiliated to the TUC, see their Union listing.

Some of the biggest unions include:

While TUC unions represent the majority of trade unionists in Britain, there are several unions that are not affiliated. These are mainly small organisations representing specialist staff.

There are also some substantial organisations outside the TUC, such as the Police Federation. Although not a union, the Police Federation has a legal duty to represent its members on all issues relating to their welfare and efficiency.

A list of all unions and employers' organisations is maintained by the government appointed Certification Officer, an independent officer appointed by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade.

Look for job vacancies at:

Larger trade unions may advertise vacancies on their websites.

Professional development

Training is mainly on the job and larger unions often have their own in-house training programmes.

As a research officer, you need to be proactive in identifying your own training and development needs, which are also related to the priorities and interests of your union. For example, an officer within a transport trade union may need knowledge of logistics management.

Additional areas of training may include:

  • company structures and how to analyse company reports and accounts
  • human resource management issues and industrial relations policy
  • IT packages and databases
  • language skills
  • presentation skills.

You can undertake training in social research through attendance at events, conferences and seminars provided by specialist organisations, such as:

You'll need to keep up to date with news and developments in the industry by accessing resources and attending events through the TUC.

Generally, it's your responsibility to seek out training opportunities that allow you to diversify your skills and develop your career.

Career prospects

You may enter the field as a research assistant then progress to research officer. Following that, you can progress to senior research officer, research manager or head of research. Job titles vary and these roles are sometimes called senior policy officer.

Many research departments have fairly flat management structures and unions generally tend to have a slow staff turnover. This means that career progression may be limited. However, with the in-depth organisational knowledge that you develop as a researcher, it is possible to progress into other areas of union work, although this depends on the size and scope of the union.

Larger organisations are more likely to have research officer posts and dedicated departments, allowing you more scope for career progression.

Many research officers move into other careers after a few years in post. Some go into other positions within the union, such as political adviser, but others move into another sector, perhaps related to their specialist knowledge. For example, if you've worked on transport policies, you may want to move into transport and logistics as a transport policy adviser.

It's also possible to use your research skills to move into roles in areas such as:

  • consultancy
  • lobbying
  • parliamentary advice
  • public relations.

There are also opportunities within academia and private and voluntary sector organisations to undertake research. The academic research route may lead to a career as a research fellow and lecturer. Think tanks (research centres and institutes) provide opportunities nationwide - see the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) for more information.

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