User:Ncaton

UFS is a registered, independent trade union, established in 1988 with it's headquarters in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. It is a non-profit-making organisation, and is not affiliated to the TUC or to any political party.

UFS members come from many different employment sectors and they have partnership agreements with some of the UK's major employers, including Zurich Financial Services, Capita Group (Life & Pensions), IBM and CSC.

History
The union was originally formed as the Eagle Star Staff Union when the local organiser Alan Wood decided to break away from the national Banking, Insurance and Finance Union. Following the takeover of Eagle Star by Zurich Financial Services in 1998, ESSU changed its name to the Union of Finance Staff, but it has since failed to gain many members outside the Zurich company.

Mission Statement
UFS believes that a constructive relationship with the companies employing union members is the best way to ensure the profitability of the business, and thus job satisfaction and job security for its members.

UFS aims to be the most professional, effective and supportive union in the UK and, most importantly that members remain at the core. UFS aims to facilitate good relations between members and their employers, to further members’ employment interests and support individual members in all matters connected to their employment.

National Executive Committee
As a union, UFS is a democratic organisation that is organised into geographic regions, and is controlled by a National Executive Committee (NEC) which is elected by UFS members from different regions.

NEC members are not employed by UFS except the position of General Secretary, which, as well as being an employed position, is also an elected NEC seat. The current General Secretary of UFS is Alan Wood