Displaced from job, advice please

justontime

marybelle01 wrote: »

I think your husband may be getting confused, or his branch official is. The local branch officer can attend a meeting with any employer - he's a union rep and where he works isn't relevant. The issue may be that he doesn't get paid time off from his employer, in which case he needs to kick it up to regional office for a full time official. Unless your union is very odd and very small, they can't be that far away that they cannot travel to support a member. That is what they are paid to do. Several years ago, when I needed a union official, my regional office were not able to help because of the specialist nature of the issue - the union rep was a national officer who travelled 250 miles from London for every meeting.

Thank you, I have always thought it odd that they could only support employees in their own company. I have just asked my husband about this again, he said it is a company rule, but reading between the lines I think you hit the nail on the head, none of the local people get paid time off to support employees in other companies. He is waiting for a call back from a full time officer and if they agree to help it will involve the same sort of mileage that you mentioned in your post. I have told him to be polite but determined and insist that he needs help urgently.

DVardysShadow

justontime wrote: »

Thank you, I have always thought it odd that they could only support employees in their own company. I have just asked my husband about this again, he said it is a company rule, but reading between the lines I think you hit the nail on the head, none of the local people get paid time off to support employees in other companies. He is waiting for a call back from a full time officer and if they agree to help it will involve the same sort of mileage that you mentioned in your post. I have told him to be polite but determined and insist that he needs help urgently.

The law allows a colleague to attend - or any recognised union official from anywhere even if the employee is not a member of that union. The company might portray it as policy, but if it was written down, it could get them into bother.

justontime

getmore4less wrote: »

Not you your husband

but I have already explained that he had to give up being a union rep a couple of years ago because of his disability!

justontime

My husband is having no luck re getting help from the union. After three days of phone calls he was told that the full time officer who should have been able to help is on long term sick leave and therefore will not be able to help him. He is still trying to get hold of someone who could help, but so far without success. I don't know what else he can do, it looks as if he will have to deal with this on his own.

marybelle01

justontime wrote: »

My husband is having no luck re getting help from the union. After three days of phone calls he was told that the full time officer who should have been able to help is on long term sick leave and therefore will not be able to help him. He is still trying to get hold of someone who could help, but so far without success. I don't know what else he can do, it looks as if he will have to deal with this on his own.

The union must have more than one full time officer? Phone the national office.

justontime

marybelle01 wrote: »

The union must have more than one full time officer? Phone the national office.

He has called them.

marybelle01

justontime wrote: »

He has called them.

And there is only one full time officer. Must be a minute union!

justontime

I'm at a loss, I don't think it is a small union, and I am sure they must have more people, but we are just getting nowhere fast. I have asked him to ring the helpline again because they must at least be able to give him some guidance on how best to handle this.

marybelle01

justontime wrote: »

I'm at a loss, I don't think it is a small union, and I am sure they must have more people, but we are just getting nowhere fast. I have asked him to ring the helpline again because they must at least be able to give him some guidance on how best to handle this.

No. Don't ring the helpline. Ring the main head office number, and if necessary ask to speak to the General Secretary! Don't accept no for an answer; don't let them fob you off with someone is off sick. And ask for the unions compalints procedure because you are thinking of suing the union - that usually gets their attention!

ohreally

Call the regional office and ask to speak with a full time officer - if no one is available ask for the mobile mumber of a caseworker and get their e-mail address and cc in branch secretary/ chair.