UNISON’s principles of proportionality and fair representation mean that some seats on elected bodies are reserved for women and low-paid members, so that the make-up fairly represents the wider union. This includes the national executive council (NEC).
The definition of low-paid reflects the median gross weekly earnings for all jobs – full time or part time – and is revised each year.
The median gross weekly earnings figure for 2023 has been calculated in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings at £574.90, which represents a 7.7% increase on 2022.
This means that the cut-off wage for election to reserved (low pay) seats in the union rises to £12.70 an hour.