DBE Advocacy and Advice Service

Representation will be provided to DBE members whomever their employer or whatever the job role or position in the workplace hierarchy.

All DBE Advocacy & Advice Officials (AA Officials) undergo relevant employment law training and update session(s)  and will have developed skills in the field of advocacy in disciplinary and grievance procedures. All DBE AA Officials will be remote workers and will meet you at an pre-agreed office base.

DBE will seek to work in collaboration with other Trade Unions and Associations/organisations.

The representation service is only operated in accordance with its Terms and Reference outlined below.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1 Representation can be provided for all work related issues for members who indicate that they wish to be members of Equal Justice The Union. This includes matters relating to your competence and professional registration.

2. Proceedings in employment tribunals will be by referral to our partner legal firm and will be after an internal and external assessment your case. Assessment decisions are final, there is no appeal. Direct contact from members to the partner legal firm can only take place after your case has been formally allocated.

3. Trade unions are recognised for the purpose of negotiating terms and conditions of service. Where there is no recognised trade union in the workplace, Equal Justice will seek to negotiate and secure trade union recognition status in the workplace.

4, In any event support from DBE AA Officials in service condition matters can only be provided in collaboration with the recognised trade union. Furthermore, DBE members who do not belong to either another trade union or Equal Justice the Union do not qualify for support in service condition matters simply because of this fact.

5. DBE does not provide representation in criminal matters and civil court proceedings.

6. The DBE AA Service is only available to members who have been in membership for at least three consecutive months.

7. The DBE AA Service cannot consider issues retrospectively. Members can not therefore call on the AA service to represent them on issues originating prior to their eligibility for the AA service.

8. The DBE AA Service is not available to overseas members.

Advice From DBE

Access to the DBE Advice Line is available from day one of your membership. You can contact the service on the free telephone number 0800 046 0186. When you call you can be sure of a concerned response and sound advice about the employment related problem you have.

Please contact us as soon as possible after the problem arises because support and advice at an early stage can sometimes lead to a solution or resolution before the issue becomes too complex or entrenched.

If you are willing, an AA Official can sometimes make discreet contact with your employer on your behalf .  Many members who contact the service are able, following advice, to resolve the difficulty without further help. When this is not the case, you may be asked to send a written version of events to us together with relevant correspondence, documentation and procedures, so that we can form a view of your situation and advise you accordingly.

In some cases our analysis may be at odds with your own view, if this happens and we are not able to agree after discussion, you are at liberty to seek another opinion, but DBE not will not fund this, nor necessary follow the external advice.

The Advice line is available as outlined below and operates an appointment system. If you require advice please call and you will be given an available time for someone to call you. If you are calling and require immediate advice this will be considered where it is possible.

Monday -Thursday: 10am – 4:30pm
Friday: 10am – 4pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed