Is it worth having a trade union membership?

November_Rain

I ask because I signed up to USDAW a couple of years back after a colleague was having some problems with our employer, but I've never really had any problems of my own and I keep hearing people say that unions don't really care about workers once you start paying them. On the other hand I would like some sort of safeguard in case I did ever have any issues at work.

How much protection do trade unions really offer that you couldn't get anyway? How much help are they likely to give?

Is it worth keeping my membership or am I throwing money away?

antonic

I resoundingly say YES, as someone who has been a PCS member for 25 years and has needed Union help 3 times.

I have found being a member is very helpful but whats more important is the quality of the Rep who represents you.

timbo58

I was with RMT for 15 years until I left that industry.
A resounding YES from me too: a solid insurance policy at the very least.

I found it strange when those not in the union came crying for help when they got into difficulties and then were amazed when they got a few words of basic advice and were told 'NO' you can't join now to get help.

Southend1

Who is the union? You are the union! You and your colleagues. So why wouldn't the union care about you?

Does your employer officially recognise USDAW? If you are concerned to ensure your union is doing as much as possible for you and your colleagues why not become active as a workplace contact, shop steward or other rep (equality, health and safety etc etc)?

If this isn't for you then think of your membership as an insurance policy. How much would your legal fees be if you needed to take your employer to tribunal? How does this compare with your monthly union subs? What price would you put on the peace of mind knowing that you would have union representation in a grievance or disciplinary hearing?

What other benefits do you get from being an USDAW member? Accident benefit, sickness benefit, death in service benefit, discounts on financial services? How much would it cost to buy these things from a financial services company?

How about the safety aspect? You are much less likely to suffer an accident in a unionised workplace.

And the political aspect? Business can afford to lobby politicians to get what they want. As an individual you can't do this but your union will be lobbying politicians on your behalf on issues like pay, conditions, equality, safety at work etc etc.

When you consider all this, surely a few pounds a month is a small price to pay? Don't forget that most union officials - your shop steward, health and safety rep etc - will be unpaid volunteers who while entitled to time off for union duties will still be giving up a lot of their own time for the benefit of you and your colleagues. I would say you get excellent value for your subs.

KME91

I've represented people who've paid into the union for 15 years without any need for it until one day something happens and then they are glad that they did. As has been said, joining a union is not just an employment insurance policy, you are the union. You have the opportunity to collectively influence your employer's policies on HR and pay issues, as well as potentially things like corporate social responsibility and equality issues. To do this you need to take part in things like union meetings and elections.

Your union can have a big influence on making your workplace a better place to work, but it needs members to participate and come together in collective support to achieve improvements.

Funky_Bold_Ribena

You won't know until you need them. But it's not all about you...it's about your money supporting other people who might need them as well.

Prothet_of_Doom

I was in a union - The association of professional engineers, which is now a sub set of amicus.

There were no other members of amicus on the staff, and I think any shop floor if they were in a union were not in amicus either.

However, one day, I suddenly had a new bully boy manager, who took an instant dislike to me. The reasons for this are perhaps that I was struggling at home, with my wife's health, plus I was doing a job that I actually wasn't that good at, and it had gradually turned into a job that I was struggling to do.
I spent 2 months like a rabbit in the headlights, watching him gradually move me towards the door, using all the normal vague objective setting type methods, but always it seemed I was set up to fail.
Eventually I was invited to a disciplinary hearing with him and HR, and I took my head out of the sand and phoned my union. Luckily because they had nobody on site, I got a very senior negotiator, who got it delayed a couple of weeks, and then took him apart (with my notes) in front of HR. Eventually I was given a capability assessment, but when I showed my collegues what they I was expected to do in the next fortnight it was clear that he was still trying it on, and she sent a letter to HR, explaining the informal chats I'd had which were to remain off the record. It was agreed between her and me, that I would work 12 hour days in order to get beyond the capability assessment, which meant I ended up working weekends at home, to ensure that I was one step ahead.
I passed, only for redundancies to be announced, and I was scored fairly I think, but lost out because I'd had a day off sick (no hols left) when my son had to be rushed into hospital with puemonia.
Having gone freelance contracting via my own ltd company, I decided that paying amicus was pointless.

But if I were a permanent employee, I would join.

I would say however that whilst they were trying to help me keep my job, in heinsight it would have been better if they'd been negotiating a compromise agreement, but I never realised at the time that, that would be better for me personally.

The Bully boy apparently was sacked, about 6 months later, and then re-employed in a more senior position about 12 months later, so all I can say is it's a weird world.

getzls

I've been in one Union or another for near 40 years, though i've never had to use them.

Then again i've had car insurance for 35 years and i've never had to claim.

Being in the Union is like an insurance policy.
Stay in it, i'm a strong believer in Unions.

Of course they have limited powers and also with my Union the GMB; i'm not happy they donate money to a group i'm strongly opposed to.

Southend1

getzls wrote: »

Of course they have limited powers and also with my Union the GMB; i'm not happy they donate money to a group i'm strongly opposed to.

Why don't you use the democratic structures of your union to try to change this? Can you drum up some support within your branch? You might be able to get a motion to your regional council and then to conference to change policy.

November_Rain

Thanks for all your responses, very helpful.

It's just that I was reading about somebody's experience with USDAW online recently and what they had to say was less than positive, to say the least. It made me wonder whether that person's experience was typical of USDAW and/or unions in general or whether it was the exception rather than the rule (assuming it was the full story).

Mind you, what I read was dated 2010, and I guess whatever services you subscribe to there's always going to be somebody who's not had a good experience with them. So I guess I shouldn't worry too much over that. I was just after some second opinions, that's all.

harrys_dad

Anyone who spends more than an hour reading posts on this board must surely know how important it is to be in a union.