Union, should I join or not?

[Asa Bear]

I was a union committee member for a number of years representing the the views and concerns of my department....does that count?

 

I applaud you GB. I have been a watch rep and station rep in the past but unfortunately don't have the time for an official post within the union at the minute. I do however still try to help out colleagues as much as I can.

 

In my experience you get out what you put in and that applies to the whole membership not just the individual.

 

Perhaps the union had nothing to offer when you needed help at 61 because a lot of the members had joined for selfish reasons and missed the real point of union membership.

[delburt0]

i am a unite member and back and support my union 100%

its OK thinking your company will give you a wage rise because of the union, but if there wasn't a union would you get a rise and if so would you fight as much as your union.

people think unions are not worth a toss,

there right if they are not union members..

my union has just got 6 workers off with smoking on site, as we were not made aware there were new cameras been fitted in the areas where they got caught.

if there was no union i am sure it would have been a lot harder to maintain ther 38k a yr jobs

you do the mathematics,,

this is my opinion anyway.

my wife has not had a wage rise through her company for the last 6 yrs

the minimum we have had is 3.25% in the last 10yrs "what recession "

atb delburt0...........

Edited January 27, 2013 by delburt0

[delburt0]

I see Arthur Scargill surfaced again a few weeks ago in court trying to hold on to the NUM grace and favour apartment he's had in London all these years.

 

Wonder how many subs that has cost his union members over the last quarter century

wasnt a union man just like been different and a argument with maggie.....he as made a good life through the num... Edited January 27, 2013 by delburt0

[pegleg31]

As long as it's not U.seless ***** A.nd T.imid T.radesmen they're **** and go behind your back and make deals with the big companies rather than sort their members out.

 

And that's U.C.A.T.T if you can't work it out

[Beretta06]

Delgurt, this is the second time you have nementioned your union 'getting guys off charges'. If they broke clear safety rules, the union should be making them pay the price for putting others at risk, not arguing a technical point!!!!! If that's what unions do, they should be outlawed as negative impacts on HSE.

[V8landy]

my union has just got 6 workers off with smoking on site, as we were not made aware there were new cameras been fitted in the areas where they got caught.

 

I do not see why the union should help people like this? If the site is no smoking, then they got caught so tough.

[delburt0]

Delgurt, this is the second time you have nementioned your union 'getting guys off charges'. If they broke clear safety rules, the union should be making them pay the price for putting others at risk, not arguing a technical point!!!!! If that's what unions do, they should be outlawed as negative impacts on HSE.

your right I am not glorifying this as I am a non smoker and do not agree with what they have done , but I am just making aware even though there stupid they would have been dismissed if it wasn't for the union..

 

your right I am not glorifying this as I am a non smoker and even if I smoked I do not agree with what they have done , but I am just making aware even though there stupid they would have been dismissed if it wasn't for the union..

[Tug]

The biggest point to consider is how active the union is in your workplace, and whether they are successful. There's no point joining a union if they don't have many reps (although that's the fault of the membership for not electing from within the ranks).

 

To answer those who say policies are there are policies to protect workers so"keep your nose clean and you will be fine", I've recently defended a member who was disciplined for their sickness attendance. She had four short instances of absence whilst undergoing exploratory surgery and then a hysterectomy following the discovery of cancer in her womb and ovaries. The management response was that they were "just following policy". Without a knowledgeable and confident rep behind her she'd have been on a written warning and may have lost her job for catching a cold, despite almost 15years with an immaculate HR record.

[flickrod]

Dont bother, my wife was in unite and when she had problems at work they were impossible to contact the excuse was they were in a meeting or on holiday,they promise to call you back but never do, my wife tried to contact them for more than 3 weeks and got no response at all.save your money they are useless.....

[Canis]

During my career I have carried vartiousd professional roles connected with the construction industry. I have been invited to join unions on a number of occaisions.

 

 

The only place unions have in the modern world is standing up for those manual workers who lack the eloquence to fight their corner, when dealing with the insideous forked tongued filth from the HR department.

 

In the case that Tug mentions would that member of staff really of been put out of work for her sickness record? I doubt it- the potential for a constructive dismissal claim would have made insideous forked tongued types correcti their mistake eventually . I don't doubt that tugs intervention made it easier on the employee however !

 

 

 

Jobs are not for life anymore, thats just the way of the world

[Tug]

Dont bother, my wife was in unite and when she had problems at work they were impossible to contact the excuse was they were in a meeting or on holiday,they promise to call you back but never do, my wife tried to contact them for more than 3 weeks and got no response at all.save your money they are useless.....

That isn't Unite's fault, that's the fault of the reps at her workplace. Hence my comment about how organised they are in the OP's workplace.

[Tug]

During my career I have carried vartiousd professional roles connected with the construction industry. I have been invited to join unions on a number of occaisions.

 

 

The only place unions have in the modern world is standing up for those manual workers who lack the eloquence to fight their corner, when dealing with the insideous forked tongued filth from the HR department.

 

In the case that Tug mentions would that member of staff really of been put out of work for her sickness record? I doubt it- the potential for a constructive dismissal claim would have made insideous forked tongued types correcti their mistake eventually . I don't doubt that tugs intervention made it easier on the employee however !

 

 

 

Jobs are not for life anymore, thats just the way of the world

Shows how out of touch you are. People do get dismissed for their sickness absence. Rather than dealing with the **** takers most organisations now just attempt to apply a carte-Blanche approach regardless of reason.

The situation you describe is "unfair dismissal" not constructive dismissal, and a tribunal payout would be unlikely to pay the bills for long.

I'm glad that you can hold your own in a meeting with management, the majority of employees can't do that and usually assume that their manager knows what they are doing and plays by the rules.

[Guest cookoff013]

The 8 or so HR meetings i`ve been involved in have been a complete joke.

 

one incident, after i spoke with them she tore the blank piece of paper up she was using as note paper and walked out. she didnt even say a word.

 

Then after a few meetings i had to have a HR meeting from head office. They CLEARLY stated, that they are uninterested in the welfare of the employees. it is their job to reduce the legal action i can take against company.

 

i kinda avoid HR now.

[Canis]

Shows how out of touch you are. People do get dismissed for their sickness absence. Rather than dealing with the **** takers most organisations now just attempt to apply a carte-Blanche approach regardless of reason.

The situation you describe is "unfair dismissal" not constructive dismissal, and a tribunal payout would be unlikely to pay the bills for long.

I'm glad that you can hold your own in a meeting with management, the majority of employees can't do that and usually assume that their manager knows what they are doing and plays by the rules.

 

Tug, I realise people get disciplined due to their sick record. or misusing their mobile or even accessing PW on the internet. you can find a gross misconduct for even the most diligent employee if you want to search for it !

 

These days often companies areoften looking to cull an individual whose face doesn't fit or numbers of staff in general without it costing them redundancy . Ive had it happen to me on a couple of occaisions and its not pleasant.

 

HR types seem to now be little women(so that the screwed upon employees don't hit them) with the attitude of a traffic warden

 

 

Having a union rep to assist the working man in these situatiions is the thing that i do respect about unions - this is generally assistance from a volunteer. what i think is disgusting is the way that unions are set up for the benefit of the union bosses to play at politics while making the hard working members pay for it all( by a (voluntary?) tax on their earnings

You (I would guess) volunteer as a union rep and i think that assistance you gave that woman was great - If all the Union staff bigwigs where volunteers I would have more truck with it

[MM]

Some are good, others are bad. Im RMT and thankful for what they have done for me. Some areas of the union im in are shocking, and some reps should be flogged. Then again, i wouldnt work for another company that isnt unionised.

[Tug]

I'm in UNISON which allows me to opt out of Labour Party affiliation/support, one of the few that do so.

As for "playing politics" that's the route that has to be taken sometimes. Strikes don't make laws and regulations, Parliament do.

[Clayduster]

Union recognised company rises 2010 4.7% 2011 4% 2012 3.25% and an absolute guarantee that action will be taken if final salary pension is threatened.

 

Non Union company rises 2010 1% 2011 .5% 2012 0%

 

Figures are mine and a friends

 

I think that justifies my dues plus all the other benifits and protection of being a union member.

 

I'm in UNISON which allows me to opt out of Labour Party affiliation/support, one of the few that do so.

As for "playing politics" that's the route that has to be taken sometimes. Strikes don't make laws and regulations, Parliament do.

 

 

All unions must offer an opt out, it is the law.

[Tug]

All unions must offer an opt out, it is the law.

No they don't have to "offer" it. One of the reasons I switched from GMB was that I couldn't opt out of any affiliation.

Edited January 29, 2013 by Tug

[MM]

You dont have to be in the union that the company recognises, you can choose another. If you can get more rhan 50% of the workforce signed up, the company must by law recognise its members.

[flynny]

Nowt wrong with the unions , im not and have never been in one i'll fight my own corner thankyou very much, its the militant reps with there own personal vendettas that spoil it for the unions. If you have a good rep that works with the management things can usually be resolved, its the militant reps that can spoil it for everyone

 

atb

 

Flynny

[keg]

Always worked in places that had superb management/employee relations ( Japanese) and even when redundacy came round they were more than fair. I did find it amusing that the tube drivers got a bonus for doing their job during the olympics and that Comrade Crow is such a good socialist/communist.

 

in 2009 so god knows what it is now, his basic was £94k plus perks (total package around £133k), he lives in a Housing association whose rent is about £150 per week and yet he bleats about fat cats.. he is one!

[flickrod]

That isn't Unite's fault, that's the fault of the reps at her workplace. Hence my comment about how organised they are in the OP's workplace.

 

My wife did not have any reps , she contacted Unite direct and they are USLESS

[Tug]

My wife did not have any reps , she contacted Unite direct and they are USLESS

That's a shame, although it is the workforce that appoints/elects a rep rather than the union.

[Clayduster]

No they don't have to "offer" it. One of the reasons I switched from GMB was that I couldn't opt out of any affiliation.

 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/52/section/84

 

 

I will concede that "offer" was the incorrect word, but it is the law that any member may opt out of any unions political fund.

[Clayduster]

Always worked in places that had superb management/employee relations ( Japanese) and even when redundacy came round they were more than fair. I did find it amusing that the tube drivers got a bonus for doing their job during the olympics and that Comrade Crow is such a good socialist/communist.

 

in 2009 so god knows what it is now, his basic was £94k plus perks (total package around £133k), he lives in a Housing association whose rent is about £150 per week and yet he bleats about fat cats.. he is one!

 

Bob always fights for his members, just because of his success why should he move himself and his family from where his mates live. The RMT consistently improve the conditions of their members the sums add up to millions that makes 150k good value for money.