UVW's early growth has been led by staff and volunteers who have worked or spent time in Latin America and are generally supportive of socialist governments, popular movements and alternative media. In particular, there is a strong influence of anarcho-syndicalist ideas and a drive to make the union more inclusive, democratic and member-led. Over a dozen mostly Labour MPs have actively supported UVW campaigns."Externally, UVW operates as part of a growing ecosystem of groups and organisations on the wider autonomous left. Comrades from other independent unions, such as the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), organisers from the London Renters Union, Women’s Strike and Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), the various Justice4Cleaners groups in universities and activists from groups such as Class War, as well as a large number of more loosely affiliated activists, regularly turn up to actions."In 2021, Black Lives Matter UK awarded a grant of £15,000 to UVW. Later in 2021, The Rosa Luxembourg Foundation coordinated the move of its offices, and other left-wing organisations including UVW, to an office block in East London.
