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Unions are no strangers to adversity. The legislation governing unions is now among the most restrictive in the western world, the economic landscape is turbulent, and workers are increasingly atomised.  Unions are fighting on many fronts. The technology they use should make that fight easier.

Our recent webinar hosted with Join Together brought together organisers, developers and union leaders to discuss what a more effective approach could look like.This report draws on that conversation, highlighting the specific changes unions are making to improve member experience and what others can learn from it.

Digital friction is blocking growth

The crux of the problem is this: most union joining experiences don’t receive the technical support slick corporates get. Union forms can be complex. Whether it's an intricate form, a complicated website or a question worded in an alienating way, these issues contribute to significant drop-offs in sign-up journeys. But in many cases, they are completely avoidable.

Sam Jeffers, co-founder of Join Together, explained how their work with unions like the NEU, CWU and Forsa has revealed a common theme: people want to join, but forms and systems get in the way. In one case, replacing a blank text box for employer name with a searchable list boosted completion rates from 66 to 81 percent. A small tweak, but resulting in a big difference.

"Digital technology allows us to measure things in a way we haven’t before," Sam said. But many unions still aren’t monitoring drop-off rates or testing how their forms perform. Instead, they rely on assumptions, often outdated, about how people navigate online spaces.

Five principles for improving recruitment

The webinar presented five core principles for designing more effective joining experiences:

1. Measure everything: Using tools like Mixpanel or Google Analytics to track how users move through forms helps identify exactly where people drop out.
2. Test with real users: Observing real members use your joining process will quickly reveal what is confusing or frustrating.
3. Sweat the small stuff: From the order of drop-down menus to whether a question is skippable, details matter. Ask only what you need, and make every question easy to understand.
4. Don’t make people think: Break complex questions into bite-sized steps. Avoid jargon. Pre-fill answers where possible. Let users progress even if some details are missing.
5. Design for real life: People sign up on their phones, on buses, during lunch breaks. That means your forms need to load fast, work offline and offer the option to save and return later.

Tools that support the organising workflow

Building on these principles, we presented our new Organiser Dashboard, a tablet-ready tool for reps and organisers to manage real-world conversations. Rather than storing notes on paper or trying to collate scattered spreadsheets, the dashboard offers a clear visual layout of who has been contacted, what actions have been taken, and who needs a follow-up.

The system is customisable for different types of campaigns, from strike ballots to rep recruitment. Organisers can import data from membership systems, assign local reps specific contacts, and filter by region, engagement level or issue type. The tool also links directly with our broader digital platform, allowing organisers to follow up conversations with automated SMS, email or call campaigns.

Andrew from Movement described it as a "digital clipboard" always available, infinitely adaptable and designed to work in the messy, shifting terrain of real-world organising.

What unions are learning

Some of the most powerful takeaways from the webinar came not from major revelations, but from small surprises. In one case, rewording a date question for education workers from an academic year format to a simple graduation year resolved long-standing confusion. In another, adding employer-specific terms for employee or payroll numbers helped people recognise what was being asked for. 

As Hannah from Movement put it, these learnings offer a chance to rethink how unions build momentum at every level. They also show that when user-needs drive digital choices, recruitment doesn’t just increase; it becomes easier, faster and more rewarding for organisers and members alike.

From firefighting to future planning

In a context where organising is often reactive; fighting cuts, countering legislation or preparing for ballots, the temptation is always to put your head down and get on with the job. But the webinar reminded us that if we zoom out a bit, can simplify and speed up the systems that underpin our work. Smart, incremental changes to digital systems are simple to implement, and could reap massive rewards..

By adopting tools like the Organiser Dashboard and rethinking member journeys, unions can do more than fix forms. You can empower organisers, reduce admin, and start building a foundation for growth that is fit for the next generation of workers.

In short, digital transformation is not a nice-to-have. It is the front line of modern organising.

One of the pledges from Labour in this year’s election is that they’ll repeal the Trade Union Act brought in by the Conservatives in 2016. This would generate some significant change for working people, it means that trade unions wouldn’t require a minimum 50% response to ballots in order to go on strike, it would mean they won’t need to give 14 days notice to employers, and maybe most significantly it would mean employers can’t draft in agency workers when their full-time employees do go on strike. Agency workers who themselves are often paid very little for their gig work. But what it will also crucially mean is the opportunity for online, electronic balloting. 

Why electronic balloting is important

So far, trade union balloting for any picketing, strike action or any action short of a strike, such as refusing overtime in the UK must be done on physical paper, usually via the post. This creates a number of problems be it the delay in getting the ballot out to people, collecting the ballots or having to count the votes, often by hand. A slow and labour intensive task. 

The knock on effect of this process is that many don’t end up voting, many votes are lost and it slows down the attempts of industrial action, usually at a cost to the individual employee. This is where electronic balloting is so important. This allows for the clean, instant send out of ballots, straight to employee inboxes, it means that employees can vote within a few minutes of the send out and these votes can automatically be captured and aggregated inside a day. When everything else in the world is electronic, it feels as though the postal method is set up as a hindrance to working people and trade unions. We need electronic balloting. 

Movement is electronic ballot ready

Already the nexus for trade union comms, we’ve empowered some of the biggest unions in the country to mobilise using SMS, phones, email, and WhatsApp. With Movement, trade unions can ballot directly through the platform and collect the data in our secure, easy-to-use analytics platform. 

With the teachers strikes of last year we helped the NEU organise for better pay for teachers who were already overworked after Covid and struggling with a lack of funding for their classrooms. We’ve helped Prospect update their tech stack and we’ve helped UNISON win with our peer-to-peer messaging via SMS. Our tech is ready for the dawn of electronic balloting, and so too should trade unions. 

The post-election landscape

While the election is a busy time for us at Movement, with numerous groups campaigning and mobilising, we still keep the post-election landscape firmly in focus. Once this election is run, trade unions and NGOs will have to work with whichever government comes to power and that will mean sense-checking with members and vocalising their needs. 

We’re already ensuring clients have the right tech in place to stay on top of members' needs as the landscape changes. Whether that’s with a renewed Tory party who defy the bookies and continue with the Trade Union Act, or with the more likely looking Labour party who’re open to more engaged discourse with trade unions - trade unions and anyone else pushing for change will need to stay mobile and keep discussions with members going. 

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Get ready for electronic balloting

In all likelihood electronic balloting is going to happen, and as a campaigning organisation it's important you’re ready for it. In this instance it’s not so much about modernising as being ready for something long overdue. If you want to discuss setting up for electronic balloting, or any other mobilisation tech, then feel free to book a chat with us below: 

 Book a call and see how we can help you mobilise across email, phones, SMS and WhatsApp

In a move set to revolutionise the charity sector, the government has accepted an amendment to email marketing rules that could increase annual donations to charities by an estimated £290 million. This is a big move for our sector, where we’re already grappling with soaring demand and tightening budgets, this change could provide a much-needed boost.

The amendment, introduced as part of the Data (Use and Access) Bill, addresses a long-standing inequity in how organisations are allowed to communicate with their audiences. Until now, charities were bound by stricter consent rules than their commercial counterparts. This change is being celebrated as a victory for fairness and common sense, promising to level the playing field between non-profits and businesses in their ability to engage supporters.

At Movement we’re a bit of a nerd for email marketing and any other comms channel for campaigners, so we’re ready to help navigate clients and friends through the new soft opt-in option should it come into play after February.

The case for soft opt-In

For years, businesses have been able to use “soft opt-in” rules to send electronic marketing communications to customers without their explicit prior consent. Under these rules, if a person’s contact details were collected during the sale of a product or service, businesses could follow up with promotional emails.

Charities, however, were excluded from this provision. They were required to obtain explicit consent at the point of data collection—a process that, while well-intentioned, often resulted in lost opportunities to build lasting relationships with donors.

The Data & Marketing Association (DMA), a leading voice for the sector, had long campaigned for this disparity to be addressed. In a letter to science secretary Peter Kyle, the DMA called for changes to the bill, arguing that charities should be granted the same privileges as businesses when it comes to contacting their supporters.

The previous Conservative government introduced a similar proposal in an earlier version of the bill, but it was shelved when the legislation failed to progress before the general election. Now, thanks to an amendment proposed by Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones, the clause has been reinstated.

A win for the sector

Lord Clement-Jones made a compelling case for the amendment, stating:
“This amendment seeks to enable charities to communicate to donors in the same way that businesses have been able to communicate to customers since 2003. The clause intends to help facilitate greater fundraising and support the work charities do for society.”

The amendment has been met with widespread praise from within the charity sector. The DMA described the decision as a “significant step forward” in empowering charities to strengthen their relationships with supporters and innovate their marketing strategies.

In a statement, the DMA emphasised the importance of this change in the current climate:
“By extending this measure—currently available only for commercial messages—the government has shown it is willing to listen to charities and act to unlock more fundraising opportunities. In a time of consistent challenges for charities, this is important.”

Level playing field with businesses

The Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIoF) has also welcomed the amendment, which it sees as a long-overdue recognition of the vital role charities play in society. Claire Stanley, director of policy and communications at the CIoF, highlighted the significance of the change:

“We are delighted to hear that the soft opt-in to email marketing will be extended to charities as part of the Data Use and Access Bill. This is something we have been calling for on behalf of our members for some time.

“It’s a significant win for the sector and will finally put charities on a level playing field with commercial organisations, which have benefitted from soft opt-in since the introduction of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations back in 2003.”

Stanley also noted the government’s willingness to listen to the sector and respond to its needs during a challenging time:

“Crucially, it’s shown a willingness from the government to listen to the sector at a time when it is facing multiple challenges to deliver services amid rocketing demand. We are looking forward to working with government on this and will keep our members updated on the next steps.”

Looking ahead

The Data (Use and Access) Bill, which includes the soft opt-in amendment, is nearing the final stages of its journey through Parliament. After being debated in the House of Lords, the bill is set to proceed to the House of Commons in February.

The DMA has expressed optimism about the bill’s progress, anticipating a “swift passage” through the Commons. If enacted, the legislation will mark a turning point for charities, unlocking new avenues for fundraising and community engagement.

A catalyst for innovation

The implications of this amendment extend far beyond the financial boost it promises to deliver. By enabling charities to adopt the same marketing strategies as businesses, the change could usher in a new era of innovation within the sector.

With the ability to communicate more freely with donors, charities will be better positioned to reach new communities, share their stories, and push for action to be taken. At a time when public support is more critical than ever, this amendment represents an invaluable opportunity to strengthen the sector’s resilience and reach.

 If you’d like support navigating this change in policy or any other help in growing support for your cause then get in touch with us.