3. Building trust and understanding with migrant workers
Checklist: supporting migrant workers
• Have you explained what the union is and how it works?
• Do they understand how you can support them and any limits to that support?
• Have you built a safe and confidential channel of communication( e. g. phone, in-person, trusted intermediary)?
• Have you asked about any language needs or preferences, and offered plain-language information?
• Have you checked whether they are isolated, or if they are connected to any community or peer networks?
• Are they supporting family members or dependants in the UK or abroad?
• Are they under particular financial strain( e. g. recruitment debt, housing costs)?
• Have you given them time and space to tell their story in full?
• Do they feel safe to speak with you regularly?
• Have you encouraged participation without pressure, and made it clear the union is on their side?
Resources
UNISON information on becoming an Active Member in Social Care UNISON There for You services for migrant worker members
22 LRD • Supporting migrant workers