Published: June 17, 2024
Unity Trust Bank is proud to support the UNISON National Delegate Conference. The four-day event takes place at The Brighton Centre in East Sussex this week.
More than 2,000 people are expected to visit the public service union’s annual event between Tuesday 18th and Friday 21st June, where there will be various sessions and delegates can vote on motions.
Unity has a proud and historic relationship with trade unions having been founded on May 1st 1984 out of a vision by the trade union movement to create a bank that would serve the common good.
90% of affiliated trade unions bank with Unity and for four decades we’ve provided day-to-day banking products, services and support so that unions can manage their organisations effectively.
Last year we launched a dedicated Union Customer Service telephone line – a hotline to our Birmingham-based call centre where customers can speak to a specialist advisor.
We also designed a Union Hub within our Online Banking platform offering tailored support and advice for union-related banking matters. More than 2,000 trade union branches are already making full use of this service.
Providing excellent customer service is also a priority at Unity. Our trade union customers have direct access to two experienced Relationship Managers. Richard Rose and Gareth Eynon have an in-depth knowledge and understanding about how trade unions operate.
Richard has worked at Unity for over 30 years. He said: “At Unity we know that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to how organisations operate. So, we have always worked closely with our trade union customers to understand their needs.
“Having listened to feedback, we launched the union-only telephone line at our UK-based customer support centre. We’ve also extended the opening hours to 9.30am to 5pm weekdays.
“In addition, the Union Hub offers a one-stop shop of help and information so that unions can manage their banking effectively.
“There’s a wealth of information and useful forms as well as tutorials such as ‘How to Run Your Account’ or the short ‘How to’ videos in the tutorial section. It also provides information on how best to contact the bank.”
The bank has just celebrated its 40th birthday last month. The trade union movement’s founding principles are still at the heart of everything Unity does today.
Fully independent since 2015, Unity has a ‘double bottom line’ strategy. Our work aims to create positive social impact as well as sustainable returns. We demonstrate how financing can be used for good. We enable organisations such as SMEs, social enterprises, housing associations, charities, co-operatives and frontline healthcare providers to grow and improve the lives of local communities.
In 2023 we surpassed a milestone £1 billion in responsible lending. In 2024, we were honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development. This was a recognition of the work we do to support customers that address social, economic and environmental needs across the UK.
Aligning our lending practices to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and impact investment standards, such as the ABCs of Enterprise Impact, every loan is reviewed to understand the quantifiable impact it will have on people’s lives.
We also assess whether our lending supports those who need it most. In 2023, over 45% of our financing went to areas of high deprivation.
This means that when customers choose to save with Unity – and trade unions form 30% of our deposits – they can be confident that their money will be used to make a positive difference to society.
With offices in Birmingham, London and Manchester, we demonstrate our values in our own employment practices. We have a collective bargaining agreement. Pay is set at or above comparable jobs in our sector. Plus, we actively encourage employee ownership.
Unity was also the first UK bank to become a Real Living Wage employer in 2013. We were the first to achieve the Fair Tax Mark in 2014. This is an achievement which we’ve maintained for 10 consecutive years.
We are also a Disability Confident employer and a signatory of the ‘Women in Finance’ charter. We hold the Investors in People Gold standard too. Additionally, we are members of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV).
