is trade union membership worth it?

DKLS

Not for me, I prefer individual bargaining to collective.

takman

A Union just adds a barrier between the workers and the management. At my workplace we are able to walk into any managers office and discuss any problems we have and get them sorted quicker than involving a Union. We have a works council with representatives from each department that the management consult with on any changes they want to make.

Health and Safety is a top priority and we have a system where any employee can submit a Health and Safety concern and it gets reviewed at daily meetings until it is resolved. Plus we have regular Health and Safety audits by managers and outside companies. So a Union definetly wouldn't benefit Health and Safety.

The last two years we have had 3% pay rises each year and before that it was linked to performance but people wanted a yearly set pay rise so that's what we got. I haven't known any similar companies in my local area getting anything more than that even with a Union. We also have documents that show what each person needs to do to progress to the next pay level. So there can be no disputes over unfair pay because it's all based on skill level.

We have a medical plan that pays for the dentist, chiropractor, hospital stays etc. We have access to free legal advice, councelling etc. Discounts at supermarkets , holidays etc. Plus a lot more benefits.

Plus things like 6 months full pay when off sick then 6 months half pay per year is a lot better than most other places.

Who needs to waste money on a union?

axomoxia

takman wrote: »

A Union just adds a barrier between the workers and the management. At my workplace we are able to walk into any managers office and discuss any problems we have and get them sorted quicker than involving a Union. We have a works council with representatives from each department that the management consult with on any changes they want to make.

Health and Safety is a top priority and we have a system where any employee can submit a Health and Safety concern and it gets reviewed at daily meetings until it is resolved. Plus we have regular Health and Safety audits by managers and outside companies. So a Union definetly wouldn't benefit Health and Safety.

The last two years we have had 3% pay rises each year and before that it was linked to performance but people wanted a yearly set pay rise so that's what we got. I haven't known any similar companies in my local area getting anything more than that even with a Union. We also have documents that show what each person needs to do to progress to the next pay level. So there can be no disputes over unfair pay because it's all based on skill level.

We have a medical plan that pays for the dentist, chiropractor, hospital stays etc. We have access to free legal advice, councelling etc. Discounts at supermarkets , holidays etc. Plus a lot more benefits.

Plus things like 6 months full pay when off sick then 6 months half pay per year is a lot better than most other places.

Who needs to waste money on a union?

You will, when in six months time the company gets bought out by a competitor with a considerably less pleasant corporate culture.

t0rt0ise

What if someone gets injured and they say it's because of your negligence. Lawyers are expensive.

C_Mababejive

t0rt0ise wrote: »

What if someone gets injured and they say it's because of your negligence. Lawyers are expensive.

Is a TU likely to underwrite a legal case where there is less than a 50/50 chance of a positive outcome? Its all very well funding bread and butter ambulance chasing but other stuff,,well it might be different.

bugslet

Back in the 70s my limited contact with unions involved intimidation and physical bullying. It may be unfair and things have changed, but my perceptions of unions are negative in the extreme.

As an employee I would never join a union, I always worked on the principle that I agree with the Ts&Cs when I joined a company. If those Ts & Cs changed, I could either try to amend them or find another job and I never had an issue with doing that.

Southend1 wrote: »

Whereas with individual bargaining the employer starts low because they know they can get away with it and there's nothing the employee can do other than get another job elsewhere.

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

With some, yes granted but actually you'd probably find the vast majority of employers are fair from the start and give fair pay rises.
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As an employer I will never recognise a union. No doubt some non-union places are worse, on the other hand some are better. We pay nearly a pound an hour more than my closest competitor, more night out money and higher allowances etc. Our H&S is on a par with any other company's. I'm guessing there won't be a rush to join at our place;)

System

They're powerless to stop changes, just delay them by asking for more info. Not all of them bother to turn up to meatings either. They are a business themselves and capitalise on fear, trying to recruit at times of change. Like most insurance policies, thethey don't pay out.

I think unions should at least merge to be more powerful, but they wont as that'd cost them their cushy jobs

takman

axomoxia wrote: »

You will, when in six months time the company gets bought out by a competitor with a considerably less pleasant corporate culture.

That is something that will definitely not happen. My company owns thousands of locations around the world and has recently bought a massive competitor plus many other smaller ones. They are all about expanding by aquisiton and would only sell a location if it was underperforming and didn't fit in with their business model.

w00519772

Has anyone used Unison Rewards? http://www.unisonrewards.com/

How does it compare to TopCashBak and Quidco? Is it free? I have read some reviews where people said they were charged £5 even though they did not receive cashback.