Anyone belong to a trade union?

Used to be, until I became a Running Dog Lackey of Imperialism (i.e., set up my own company). I have no desire to join the IoD, although apparently the lunches are good.

Everyone who can should join a union IMO.

-- Ian

Where Trades Unions exist for the sole purpose of advancing the (long term) interests of their members I'm all for them.

I've often considered joining the TGWU in the (unlikely) event of a dispute between me and my local council over my taxi badge...

Regards,

Steve.

[This message was edited by Steven Toy on Wed 27 October 2004 at 2:27.]

I've always been a member of a Trade Union even as a apprentice I was a member of the AEW Apprentice Section and carried their Red card [no comments needed Steven] Then eventually their Green card [Top Section]and was always very active within the Union ,Branch Member, Member of the Branch Committee,Safety Rep.and Shop Steward until I left the Industry in 1987.I
then joined Unison in my last Job and I'm now still a member of the Retired Members Section.
In a ideal World ,some may argue that there may have been no need for trade Unions, but we don't live in that kind of utopia, and the Working Classes have had to fight for every single penny Agrrrrrrrrr don't get me started on this track
oldie.

I'm a member of NATFHE (teachers in higher education). We are presently in dispute with the management over contracts so I go to about half the meetings.

The university recently succeeded (on a technicality) in obtaining a High Court injuction to block strike action. The crux of the technicality was that management was not informed 'in reasonable time' of a ballot result in favour of strike action. The ballot result was known Friday and management were not informed until Monday. This was deemed an unreasonable delay. Present legislation screws Unions at every turn.

Uninons, what a nightmare.

Gary, in your line of work I'm sure you know your Uninons.

Yes Tom,
I've also been there, Two major breakdowns, myself being one of them ,One jumped off Beachy head "ALLEGEDGLY" [inserted for legal reasons]and eventually most of my other colleagues, with a helping hand,also left[ only one still there], to be replaced with people from the perpetrators background. The Unions wanted desperately to take up our cases , but unfortunatly we were in to much of a mess to be able face that kind of tribulation. Hence my presents here, and not still at the Uni.
oldie.

In 1974 ish ACAS came in and the employees voted something like 97% against belonging to union

In 1990 to 1995 half the employees were made redundant with reasonable packages

In 1997 the company hijacked the pension scheme and reduced it from being one of the best to one of worst in the country and is still ensuring that it is one of the worst

Would union membership have done much for us - dunnow - It might be useful re the pension issue but not when reality dawned in the 90s

Derek

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quote:

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Originally posted by sideshowbob:
Used to be, until I became a Running Dog Lackey of Imperialism (i.e., set up my own company). I have no desire to join the IoD, although apparently the lunches are good.

Everyone who can should join a union IMO.

-- Ian

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ASTMS - now that takes me back! After spending 15 years in a field not represented by a TU I'm in the same situation as you Ian. Spot on about the IoD and I couldn't agree more about joining a TU if you can.

Cheers

Harry

When I had to retire due to ill health my union were absolutely brilliant with advice and help. During the protracred 'discussions' they were the only ones that I knew were unconditionally on my side.

Bob

Great post and a very important subject. I work freelance but am thinking of applying to join the NUJ.

Mole Man

quote:

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Originally posted by garyi:
Uninons, what a nightmare.

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garyi,
Any more of this and thats y'shallot



sorry oldie.

I tried to unionise my little corner of the major Management Consultancy organisation for which I used to work.

Everybody laughed. Said there was no need.

Then they all got sacked.

As most of them were very keen on "flexible labour markets" and quite happy to jokingly refer to "Business Process Re-engineering" excercises as "Slash & Burn", I was less than sympathetic when they all started moaning about not being able to pay the mortgage on their 5 bed det. in Tweely-Upon-Thames.

Matthew

I was a member of the NUJ until I moved to the US. Now I live in a so-called "right to work" state, which basically means you can be fired for any (or no) reason. My former employer took full advantage of that. One dismissable offence would be to hint that a union might be a good thing. It's a tragedy, brothers and sisters.

Regards,
Davie

By coincidence this afternoon I have been enjoying "Must I Paint You a Picture" the excellent Billy Bragg retrospective which includes the rousing "There is Power in the Union":

There is power in a factory, power in the land
Power in the hands of a worker
But it all amounts to nothing if together we don't stand
There is power in a Union

Now the lessons of the past were all learned with workers' blood
The mistakes of the bosses we must pay for
From the cities and the farmlands to trenches full of mud
War has always been the bosses' way, sir

The Union forever defending our rights
Down with the blackleg, all workers unite
With our brothers and out sisters from many far off lands
There is power in a Union

Now I long for the morning that they realise
Brutality and unjust laws can not defeat us
But who'll defend the workers who cannot organise
When the bosses send their lackies out to cheat us?

Money speaks for money, the Devil for his own
Who comes to speak for the skin and the bone
What a comfort to the widow, a light to the child
There is power in a Union

The Union forever defending our rights
Down with the blackleg, all workers unite
With our brothers and out sisters from many far off lands
There is power in a Union.

Matthew
More of Wating for the Great Leap Forwards Man myself actually

Anyone belong to a union then

Not really iam in Unison, I reckon all that lot that “box for their own corner” sure would join one if they ever had to.

Stuart

I still belong to the NCU even though I have retired from BT. They have a reduced rate for pensioners and of course you still get access to a solicitor etc. I was a Branch officer for many years but the branches got so chopped about no one knew which branch or who represented them.BTs aim I expect.

Howard

I'm a member of Unison. Don't really know why, they're a waste of space.

I joined after I was nearly one of the victims of a "slash and burn" about 10 years ago.

Over a period of years they've done absolutely sod-all about constantly eroding conditions, repeated rounds of redundency and India-isation (target: 25%+ by 2007). Then they moan that they don't have many members.

The unions have been beaten, big business has won.

Martin

E-mail:- MartinPayne (at) Dial.Pipex.com. Put "Naim" in the title.

Martin,
first of all thanks for the advice on the other thread.Regarding Unison, in general I would agree with you having been a member since 87, except and by christ it is a big except when I needed help a couple of years ago they were there for me and couldn't do enough to help. It wasn't their fault that the mental state I was in[work related stress syndrome ,that has been discussed with others in the same position on another thread]made it impossible for me to be able to face the tribulation of a industrial tribunal so I lost out, but others in this forum were helped successfully in as much as now it seems they are financially secure[ lucky sod's]. The main point that I wish to make though, is again every thing historicaly wanes and fluxes in the 70/80's the Unions were able to increase wages, improve holidays, shorten the working week and generally improve not just working conditions but also the safety of working people,thus cutting into the massive proffits industry was making at that time.This was the fundermental reason, why first of all Ted Heath and then Thatcher started to, and almost destroyed the Trade Union Movement in this country. But our time will come again, we have now started to have job queues or mass unemployment in some areas similar to 1920's, Job's being sent abroad, realtime cuts in wages [ie wage increases smaller than inflation]
we have the longest working week and shortest holidays in Europe and some of the poorest working conditions now. Admittedly there are a few in the service industries that receive high wages, but generally the gap between the poor and wealthy is increasing at an alarming rate.The British people at large are a bit slow to wake up to things, and normally don't wish to rock the boat,[ generally known as politically stable] but when they are aroused well thats a differant story. We are now heading for the flux,our turn is coming again, the worm is about to turn and when it does the Unions will still be there for people.
oldie.