Belonging to a Union

[Tangled Metal]

Do you belong to a union or do they work for you? It's just belong implies ownership which might be the case if you're paying dues without getting benefit but are unable to leave without consequences (are there still any closed shops around these days? ).

I'd have thought unions belong to you not you to unions. Just curious about the thread title that's all.

I belong to a union of people with some common interests. There isn't a "they".

Jonathan

Aah! The old way of thinking. Is that still valid with a lot of decisions being made away from the union of people?

[Jdsk]

Do you belong to a union or do they work for you? It's just belong implies ownership which might be the case if you're paying dues without getting benefit but are unable to leave without consequences (are there still any closed shops around these days? ).

I'd have thought unions belong to you not you to unions. Just curious about the thread title that's all.

I belong to a union of people with some common interests. There isn't a "they".

Aah! The old way of thinking. Is that still valid with a lot of decisions being made away from the union of people?

I have no idea what that means. The members of the union are stronger by working together. The policies of the union are decided by the members. If we don't like the performance of the officers we can vote them out.

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

I think I should join a union too. Although not being a semi or fully public sector worker it'll probably just get me the sack. Are unions really only good for larger organisations where union action might reach the press and the resulting employer actions being more public? Do unions do much for the smaller private sector organisations?

With a few exceptions you have a legally enforceable right to belong to a union and you can't be sacked or treated unfairly for belonging to one.

As many people have posted above membership can be very useful, especially when something goes wrong for the worker.

Jonathan

[PH]

(are there still any closed shops around these days? ).

Not for thirty years!

[Carlton green]

LOL! I think I should join a union too. Although not being a semi or fully public sector worker it'll probably just get me the sack. Are unions really only good for larger organisations where union action might reach the press and the resulting employer actions being more public? Do unions do much for the smaller private sector organisations?

In my experience Unions normally represent employees in larger organisations and IIRC the Union is recognised by the employer as the representative of their workforce. In smaller organisations the Union might not be recognised as the employee’s representative but it can still support the member with specialist advice and a Union representative might well join meetings between the employer and particular staff. It’s swings and roundabouts, you won’t get called out on strike in some collective action and should receive expert industrial relations guidance but you’ll have to negotiate your own pay rises and won’t have the weight of colleagues behind you. Like payments into any insurance policy you hope not to have to claim on it and can never be certain how the insurer will respond but still need something to back you up.

As for the sack I simply wouldn’t tell my employer I was in any Union, it’s a private matter until you need it to be otherwise.

[mumbojumbo]

If you are not in a union you will need an exceptional skill set to make a decent living .In general Man makes more progress collectively than would be the case alone eg farming and retail cooperatives, unions and mutual/friendly societies .As for industrial action ,you vote and abide by that decision .The nauseating people oppose action but retain the benefits won when successful.

Less than 25% of employees are unionised. So you're saying 75% of employees have an exceptional skillset? Or that those in unions don't? And farming co-operatives. at least in UK , and which l have some experience of, are nothing like unions.]

To answer your several questions
1.No 75pc do not have an exceptional skill set and therefore may have a poor living
2.Farming cooperatives are trying to exercise the powers of a monopsonist, and thereby show the benefits of acting collectively. They are more effective in Europe than in UK.

[reohn2]

......LOL! I think I should join a union too. Although not being a semi or fully public sector worker it'll probably just get me the sack......

Why would joining a trade union risk you getting the sack?

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
I see that Royal mail have announced that they are possibly going to have a strike If they don't get what they want.

Am I right in saying that the Royal mail no longer has monopoly for collecting or delivering mail?

Am I right in saying that it's no longer publicly owned?

I see that post office is not renewing a contract with Royal mail?
This might be old news.
In 2012 post office was no longer part of Royal mail.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Office_Ltd


Royal mail, they've had a chequered history of late, under history heading this link.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Mail

But have lost Contracts recently.
There is talk about re-nationalisation?

[Jdsk]

Am I right in saying that the Royal mail no longer has monopoly for collecting or delivering mail?

Am I right in saying that it's no longer publicly owned?

The answers are in your linked articles!

It doesn't have monopoly powers. It has the Universal Service Obligation. It dominates the market for small physical mail.

It's not publicly owned.

Jonathan

[mumbojumbo]

Re: Belonging to a Union
Post by Jdsk » 27 Jun 2022, 4:37pm

I think I should join a union too. Although not being a semi or fully public sector worker it'll probably just get me the sack. Are unions really only good for larger organisations where union action might reach the press and the resulting employer actions being more public? Do unions do much for the smaller private sector organisations?

With a few exceptions you have a legally enforceable right to belong to a union and you can't be sacked or treated unfairly for belonging to one.

As many people have posted above membership can be very useful, especially when something goes wrong for the worker.

Jonathan

You can be treated unfairly for belonging to a union. This is done covertly and often escapes detection eg blacklisting, not being promoted, given bad rosters etc

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Scottish police work to rule.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... medium=RSS

[gbnz]

With a few exceptions you have a legally enforceable right to belong to a union and you can't be sacked or treated unfairly for belonging to one.....Jonathan

You can be treated unfairly for belonging to a union. This is done covertly and often escapes detection eg blacklisting, not being promoted, given bad rosters etc

+ 1. We always found it easy enough to get rid of the Union Rep's and members (Nb. On public sector employees being transferred to the private sector) . Aside from initiating unfounded disciplinary actions, a classic approach was simply to transfer them every few weeks to another part of the country, or ensure their 8am-4pm post, became a 5am-11pm oner day and a 6am-2am the next, with news of a transfer late on a Friday, elsewhere.

Never lost a case which in retrospect is quite incredible. But given we have a definitive two tier employment system in the UK, with those requiring protection not being protected and those who don't need protection, being protected by the state, it's not surprising

[PedallingSquares]

I have just completed my Stage 2 Advanced Rep course so once again I'm a rep.
I was on a residential course near Loughborough with 21 other reps.There were 3 steel workers,5 prison officers,2 HDC(tagging)officers 5 warehouse(think Amazon/Asos etc) 3 call centre and 4 working for smaller companies of less than 10 employees.

What I got from the course was just how poor some of the wages and T&Cs of the others were.PCO's(prison officers) are especially poorly paid and one guy turned up on the first day straight from doing a 24 hour shift We were told by the other PCOs that this is common due to staff shortages.Different PCOs working in different prisons but for the same company also had different T&Cs one having to buy his own boots and utility belt

I knew it was a bad situation in the UK but now know just how bad.Amazon/Asos warehouses etc are nothing more than modern day workhouses.I was actually embarrassed,when socialising later,discussing my job,T&Cs and salary.We think we are hard done by but having long union recognition(100 years or so) has put us in a much better place than the majority of other workers.

[simonineaston]

The Tory party continue to bang on and on and on about low taxes. In a country where our hospitals, schools, railways and everything else that matters, are crumbling to bits, what makes sense is higher taxes! If the right get their way, then stand by for more outsourcing, more service cuts and more shredding of workers' pay, terms and conditions and employment protection. In some ways, all that stands between them and working poverty is the unions - spesh. now out of EU. They make me sick (the Torys, obs)...

[mumbojumbo]

They mean low taxes on incomes. The Tories recoup funds through VAT and other indirect taxes, which are uniformly regressive in their impact ..They have increased taxes on income by freezing the personal allowance. Taxes are useful instruments to promote good practices and to deter bad eg tax such as a congestion charge.