Why become a shop steward?

As a shop steward, you can influence matters at your workplace and improve working conditions with your coworkers. A shop steward acts as a representative elected by the employees and ensures that the employees’ voices are heard in the workplace.

Many shop stewards have taken on this role because they wanted to help their coworkers, address grievances or improve the operations at their workplace. As a shop steward, you not only represent employees, but you also have the opportunity to influence what the workplace and working life will look like in the future.

You can make a difference

As a shop steward, you have the opportunity to participate in discussions and negotiations about issues that affect employees’ everyday lives. At the same time, you have the opportunity to improve the operations at the workplace in collaboration with your coworkers and your employer.

In many workplaces, the shop steward also participates in local bargaining. At the local level, agreements may be made on matters such as practices related to working hours, work arrangements, or other matters made possible by the collective agreement. As a shop steward, you can help ensure that employees’ views are taken into account in these negotiations

You will learn new things and grow

Serving as a shop steward offers an opportunity to learn negotiation skills, the rules of working life, collective bargaining as well as cooperation and communication skills. Many shop stewards say that the role has given them skills that are also useful in their own work and their personal lives.

You will not be alone

You do not need to be a seasoned expert to become a shop steward.

The Industrial Union offers shop stewards training, advice, expert assistance and a network of other shop stewards. You can count on the support of union officials, experts, the local branch and the entire network of other union representatives.

You are building a better workplace

Shop stewards do not work alone. The best way for employees to represent their interests is to get involved and work together.

As a union representative, you have the opportunity to bring employees together to address shared concerns, strengthen the workplace’s collective voice and work with your team to build a better workplace.

In addition, you help strengthen unionisation at your workplace. The more employees participate and the more members the union has, the stronger the employees’ voice becomes and the better chances they have of influencing things at the workplace.

Could you be a shop steward?

You do not need any special training or prior experience to become a shop steward. What is important is an interest in common workplace issues, willingness to help coworkers and courage to learn new things.

Shop stewards do not only represent themselves. A shop steward is a representative elected by the employees who brings people together to address common issues.

A workplace’s strength comes from the participation of employees. The strength of the Industrial Union comes from its members. And a strong shop steward needs the support of a strong team.