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Ballot box for 2021 elections with a hand posting a completed ballot. On a blue block background

2021 rep elections

Accord rep elections take place every two years. This page details everything you need to know for the September 2021 rep election process.

Before self-nominating for a rep position, please make sure you're eligible.

Any questions about the elections should be sent to [email protected].

Play the video
Check out the rep profile How to get elected

To become a rep, you must:

  • Be 18 years old or more
  • Have been an Accord member for at least one year
  • Have worked for Communisis for at least one year
  • Be up-to-date with your union subs

Anyone who wishes to be a branch or site rep must submit a self-nomination form no later than 5pm on Friday 17th September. This includes existing reps who want to continue in the role. 

If an election is required, we'll be in touch to make the arrangements. All elections must be held in the last working week of September (week commencing 27th).

Got a question? Use our web chat service or email [email protected]

Read the rep profile How to get elected

Rep profile

Find out more about the rep role and all that it entails.

Communisis rep profile

The representative role exists in each large site and is the heartbeat of our structure.

Job purpose

To work with the support of Communisis to establish strong union membership on your site while seeking to represent member’s views in a balanced and constructive manner through active and early dialogue with business leaders and managers. To influence management decision-making, engage in joint problem solving when appropriate and work with your local Accord officer to promote all that is Accord.

What the role entails

  • Supporting and representing members to the best of your ability, seeking an effective solution at local level whenever possible
  • Maintaining a good working knowledge of specific Communisis policies and procedures
  • Having regular check-ins with team level business managers
  • Informing all new recruits about basic contract and policy matters and showing them the benefits of joining Accord
  • Having a good awareness of the membership within your business area/site
  • Employing the Accord retention strategy across your site
  • Keeping union notice boards up to date and delivering an unmistakable Accord presence on your site
  • Encouraging feedback from members which should be passed up through your local Accord officer
  • Initiating and building close working relationships with members and managers across your site
  • Carrying out health and safety checks jointly with Communisis

You’ll be trained on

  • Organising your time off for union duties to be an effective rep on your site
  • Representing members in formal meetings such as health & attendance, misconduct disciplinaries, grievances and agile working requests
  • The art of recruitment through guiding/advising new colleagues on contractual rights at induction
  • Retaining members through a model of engagement
  • Maintaining specific policy knowledge required to do your role
  • Participating in meetings
  • Performing health & safety checks

The person

  • Open & honest: Communicates clearly and openly, keeping members informed whilst also providing feedback to and from all participants in the relationship.
  • Fair & balanced: Approachable, actively looking for opportunities to add value by supporting members and positively challenging the way things are done. Able to see all sides of an issue and form a balanced view.
  • Win-win approach: Takes ownership of members’ issues and their resolution looking for ways of achieving win-win outcomes.
  • Focus on union growth: Recruits new members and retains existing members to improve/maintain membership levels. Uses pre-defined recruitment and retention models to good effect.

Any questions about the elections should be sent to [email protected].

How to get elected

Fancy taking on the role as one of our reps for your workplace? Great. Here’s what you need to do / know...

    • Submit a self-nomination form to let us know you're interested in being a branch / site rep for the next 2 years - this must be done by 5pm on Friday 24th September 2021 
    • On completing the self-nomination form, please indicate any other role(s) you're interested in and provide the name and staff ID number of your proposer and seconder (both must be Accord members) 
    • If an election is needed for your workplace (i.e. there are more candidates than available positions), you'll be contacted and an election will be arranged. For Copley, let us know your shift too.
    • Any elections will be held in the final week of September (week commencing 27th)
    • Once elected, all reps will need to complete a data protection online training course (details will be confirmed via email to the elected reps)
    • Reps will have a two-year term of office that will run until September 2023

    If you've got any questions about the elections, please email [email protected].

    Submit self-nomination form