Dave

When Unichef was first set up our aim was to ensure a different type of Union to that of any other. This also applies to our rules on transparency and how the National Chefs Union is ran and organised. Although the day to day operations are conducted by the Executive He/she is held accountable by independently appointed Directors who oversee the work, accounts and well management of the Union. Full members have the right to challenge and question the way Unichef conducts the Union and have the right to complain through the directors, who are the eyes and ears of our members and are there to see that members rights are upheld and complaints dealt swiftly and fairly. Whilst the Union continues to grow and flourish, how we attend to the issues of accountability and transparency will become more important and the Union must and always be seen to be accountable to its members in every respect. Sections within our written constitution (Official Union Rules) provide ample reassurance of that accountability whilst maintaining the balance of security from those wishing to infringe on that constitution. In all, members can be assured that their rights to accountability and quality of governance is set within the constitution and that the Union will continue to remain accountable and transparent at all times.

A revolution in working practise is about to impact on our industry and change the way employers engage with their workforce is about to happen, starting in April 2020. In 2018 the Government commissioned an independent report by Mathew Taylor on how to modernise and inspire the British workforce and its findings and recommendations have sent shock-waves through the Catering Industry. The principals are to create a British workforce fit for the 21st Century, a workforce that is inspired to do better and to produce more through Employer engagement, improved working conditions and care in the workplace as well as improved regulation and a new Regularly body to police these laws. Each Industry has its own unique issues and the Catering Sector is no different. Chefs have suffered for many years from inequality and discrimination, especially in multi departmental establishments, such as Hotels where, clerical staff, reception and HR are all treated differently in terms of facilities and contracts. This will all soon come to an end. Almost all of Mathew Taylor's recommendations have been accepted by the Government and the departments responsible are busy drafting the necessary legislation which is likely to come on stream bit by bit until the full report is enshrined in Law. These include ... Work Committees The right to have “workers committees” which will apply to businesses of 15 employees or more or 2% of the workforce. The Committee's will be encouraged to engage with their employer in ways never seen before. The committees will work with their employer who MUST engage in discussions and set up regular meetings to discuss all aspects that involve the workforce. Employers will be encouraged to seek ideas and put forward proposals to inspire and reward their workforce as part of the Government’s Good Work Plan. The Employer must encourage and act upon agreed grievances and consultations. Zero Hours. Those on Zero Hour Contracts, have at last been recognised. Whilst Zero hours has been useful to some, to many it is a huge lack of insecurity and the report recognises this. The discrimination of Zero Hours will end. Those on ZH for more than a year must be offered a permanent contract and those working add hock hours will be allowed to ask for a “minimum” working schedule. Zero Hours will come under the new heading of “one sided flexibility” where contracts that favour the Employer will be seen as discriminatory. So too will the abhorrent practice of prematurely ending of agreed shifts. Shifts that are cut in the middle of a working day when business is low, and workers are sent home without notice. This practise will cease, and business’s will be required to Re-work their business model in order to accommodate this. Split Shifts ( one sided flexible working ) Unique to the Hospitality Industry, Split shifts have long been used primarily for the benefit of the Employer. This totally unnecessary and abhorrent practice will also cease in places where the business operates normal straight shift patterns within its Company. Offering split shifts to Chefs and waiters whilst administrative and managerial staff are offered straight shifts will be discriminatory. Designated Policing The Government have also accepted the need for a designated Ombudsman solely to deal with issues arising from this legislation including hotlines for complaints. Conclusion In all, the most radical and positive work-related proposals in a generation. A chance to end the abuse and discrimination seen daily in kitchens every day and an exciting way forward for new chefs coming into the profession.

From time to time, we all experience an issue at work, sometimes its small and sometimes it’s beyond our scope and we need advice on moving forward. Unichef is here to help in any way we can but often its best to do a bit of homework first before you contact us so that you save us time in explaining things in detail. There are many links on our homepage that can give you very accurate help and advice before you feel the need to contact your Union. Since the pandemic, Unichef still runs on a small team of support staff and it helps us enormously if we are not on telephone calls all day, therefor SMS is a huge part of our routine and helps us get to issues much more quickly. If you are emailing us, that’s fine but please DO NOT send us documentation or try to explain what your issues is. It is much better and quicker if you let us ask the precise questions so that we can filter your grievance accordingly and escalate it quickly if necessary. 99% of all messages are answered within 24 hours, often quicker if your a member. Most queries that we get can be sorted easily and quickly and having such a filter system means that we can spend more time on more serious matters. You will always find us willing, friendly and supportive but please remember, we are also chefs and we call it the way it is, we have mountains of experience and if you’re in the wrong we will let you know, (as gently as we can). Here is a simple guide to help you. Firstly,visit the links and helplines below,they are often a great source of information which will help you decide how you deal with your issue. Next,contact us using the buttons at the bottom of this and every webpage.Please DO NOT send us any documentation at this stage,when we need it we will ask for it. Next,in the contact box tell us very simply what you issue is IE " I have been dismissed "I have been bullied "etc. Once we have your contact we will acknowledge your issue and make arrangements with you to discuss things in more detail.This will be through SMS or email only at this stage. Advice Lines https://www.acas.org.uk/advice https://landaulaw.co.uk/ https://www.advicenow.org.uk/

Q: Who owns Unichef A: Our chefs, that's right, every member of Unichef owns a unique part of this very special Union, you are a member for life, and your share in it remains until you resign. Q: Can I sell my share A: No, the share (stakeholding) is unique to you and cannot be transferred Q: Who is the Head of Unichef A: Our current Executive Director is Brian Mcelderry an experienced International Executive Chef and businessman. Q: What does he do A: The Executive is there to ensure that Unichef stays financially sound and adheres to the Constitution (bible) of its members. Q: Who does he answer to A: He is in charge of all day-to-day matters but answers to the Board of Directors, who are the Members' Representatives. Q: Can Unichef help me with my work issues A: Of course, we have experienced councillors who can support you or direct you to the appropriate support network. Q: Can Unichef be with me at a disciplinary hearing A: Unfortunately, no, but on most occasions (unless it is very serious), this isn’t needed or required as Union reps are normally there without involvement in the case. We can (if required) attend remotely, provided we have sufficient notice. As a case progresses, we may need to attend tribunals, court, and case meetings, but again, this is rare; most issues are resolved before these stages. Q: Can Unichef represent me in a Tribunal A: Absolutely, we work just like a normal Union in many respects, but with some important differences. Q: What are the differences between Unichef and a “normal” Union A: Unichef is 100% owned by its members, it’s totally independent and completely non-political, and it is solely for chefs; there is no other Union quite like it. It is a "Community Union," the very first of its type anywhere. Q: What happens to the money members pay A: All our funding and spending is tightly controlled and is overseen by the Board of Directors and the Government Ombudsman, who are the “eyes and ears” of the Members. Unichef is a “not for profit” organisation and its main aim is to inspire, support, educate, and give a voice to chefs in the UK. Most of the finance is spent on making sure we have a good core structure to our Union, that we always have sufficient funds to meet its expenses and obligations. Thereafter, the Directors have a say in how surplus funding (if any) can be spent on behalf of the members. Q: What is a C.I.C A: Unichef is a Community Interest Company, similar to a Charity but without the restraints of a charity, which allows us to work in the special way we do. It’s a mix between a charity and a business, run as a Social Project but managed as a Non non-profit making business.Unichef aims to educate and inspire our Chefs in a way no other Union can, whilst working together with partners and Employers in our industry to build a better, more supportive culinary community. Q: How do I contact Unichef A: Initial Contact is through our "contact section" on our website or you can message us on our dedicated WhatsApp number 07359 436285. Phone calls are NOT accepted and are by appointment only. Alternatively, you can contact us 24/7 at our email address admin@thechefsunion.co.uk Q: How do I request support? A: Simply contact us through our website contact section ( this is quicker). All requests are dealt with within 24hours and we will always reply to you.DO NOT send documents or lengthy statements at this stage; we only want the bare facts of your issue, so please be brief. DO NOT use AI-generated information. Set your notifications to respond to us quickly, and please follow our instructions carefully

Work Grievances From time to time, we all experience an issue at work, sometimes its small and sometimes it’s beyond our scope and we need advice on moving forward. Unichef is here to help in any way we can but often its best to do a bit of homework first before you contact us so that you save us time in explaining things in detail. There are many links on our homepage that can give you very accurate help and advice before you feel the need to contact your Union. Since the pandemic, Unichef still runs on a small team of support staff and it helps us enormously if we are not on telephone calls all day, therefor we SMS is a huge part of our routine and this helps us get quicker to your issues. If you are emailing us, that’s fine but please NEVER send us documentation or try to explain what your issue is. It is much better and quicker if you let us ask the precise questions so that we can filter your grievance accordingly and escalate it quickly if necessary. 99% of all messages are answered within 24 hours, often sooner. Most queries that we get can be sorted easily and quickly and having such a filter system means that we can spend more time on more serious matters. You will always find us willing, friendly and supportive but please remember, we are also chefs and we call it the way it is, we have mountains of experience and if you’re in the wrong we will let you know, (as gently as we can). Q: who owns Unichef? A: if you are member reading this then you do? That's right, every member of Unichef owns a unique part of this very special Union, you are a member for life and your share in it remains until you resign. Q: Can I sell my share? A: No, the share (stake holding) is unique to you and cannot be transferred Q: who is the boss of Unichef A: Our current Executive Director is Brian Mcelderry an experienced International Executive Chef and businessman. Q: What does he do? A: Brian is there to ensure that Unichef stays financially sound and adheres to the Constitution (bible) of its members. Q: Who does he answer to? A: He is in charge of all day to day matters but answers to the Board of Directors who are the Members Representatives. Q: Can Unichef help me with my work issues? A: Of course, we have experienced councillors who can support you or direct you to the appropriate support network. Q: Can Unichef be with me at a disciplinary hearing? A: Unfortunately, no, but on most occasions (unless it is very serious) this isn’t needed or required as Union reps are normally there without involvement in the case. We can (if needed) attend remotely provided we have sufficient notice. As a case progresses, we may need to attend tribunals, court and case meetings but again this is rare. Q: Can Unichef represent me in Disciplinary actions and Tribunals A: Of course, we work just like a normal Union in many respects but with some important differences. Q: What are the differences between Unichef and a “normal” Union. A: Unichef is 100% owned by its member, it’s totally independent and completely non-political, and it is solely for chefs, there is no other Union quite like it. Q: what happens to the money members pay? A: All our funding and spending is tightly controlled and is overseen by the Board of Directors and the Government Ombudsman who are the “eyes and ears” of the Members. Unichef is a “not for profit” organisation and its main aim is to inspire, support, and educate and give a voice to chefs in the UK. Most of the finance is spent on making sure we have good core structure to our Union that we always have sufficient funds to meet its expenses and obligations. Thereafter the Directors have a say in how surplus funding (if any) can be spent on behalf of the members. Q: What is a C.I.C? A: Unichef is a Community Interest Company, similar to a Charity but without the restraints of a charity which allows us to work in the special way we do, it’s a mix between a charity and a business, ran as a Social Project but managed as a business.