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Is it worth having a trade union membership?
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I'm retired and still retain union membership, have always been a union member since starting work.If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales0
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I'm a USDAW member, to be totally honest, the thing that enticed me to join was 20% off at Frankie and Bennys lol.On a serious note, I haven't had to use them so far (fingers crossed it stays that way!) but its nice to know that if anything does happen then theres something to fall back on and fight my corner for me.
I had the political fund ballot through today from USDAW and their main point is fighting Sunday Trading hours, which for me is important. I don't want to lose my Sundays as I currently only work one a month but as I'm shift work and OH is set weekdays only, Sunday is our only proper day together.
As everyone else has said, its basically insurance and I would highly recommend it.0 -
A resounding no from me, had to laugh when a union had announced a hard won payrise of 2%, I kept quiet as I had managed to negotiate a 7% rise for me and a 5% raise for my team.
Sod collective bargaining I will look after myself and my own.0 -
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.
Assuming you're referring to the Labour Party, two facts in should keep in mind:
1) The Union are obliged by law to let you opt out of every political fund, which is where donations come from.
2) GMB members vote every few years on whether to remain affiliated, so continued affiliation is the democratic will of the Union.
I'm a member of PCS - politically they're a bunch of crazy loons with the Trots being considered right wing, but it's either them or Prospect which is little more than a discount club. And as a Labour Party member, I'm required to be a member of a Union under Chapter 2 Clause 1 Paragraph 6b of the party rules, so I hold my nose and at my twelve quid a month.0 -
Definitely be a union member. You may never need it, but just imagine giving up your membership and regretting it if you need their support and legal help a few months later. It will be too late then.0
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The only union I was ever in was the Police Federation. As useful as a chocolate fire guard in a vocation that could not strike!
Personally, I consider myself a good boss. I treat people as I expect to be treated, but would never employ anyone who wanted to unionise any business I am involved with.
IMHO the unions destroyed this country in the 1960 & 70's. I grew up in a city that had, Jaguar, Daimler, Rover, Talbot, Humber, Alvis, Herbert's, Morris, Churchills, Massey Ferguson, Triumph, Rolls Royce, Hawker Sidderly, Land Rover and many more. From 1975 and 1982 the fifteen largest firms in the city shed a total of around 55000 jobs. I am not blaming the unions solely, but my Dad and Grandad were on strike in that period more times than not.
It's no co-incidence that the worlds most productive car plant is in the UK. That car plant does not recognise a union, but the workers have rights, a committee and never have an issue rise far enough that anyone contemplate strike action.
I have just had the option of setting up a small production unit of just over 50 people. It could have been in China, or here in the UK. I set it up in Glasgow. Our cost per unit is £1.02 more (based on a factory gate price of £32), the Chinese were delivering 9-12% fault returns. The British workers have the rejections down to 0.3%. If given the chance British workers are far more conscientious than their far eastern competitors.0 -
Brassedoff wrote: »It's no co-incidence that the worlds most productive car plant is in the UK. That car plant does not recognise a union, but the workers have rights, a committee and never have an issue rise far enough that anyone contemplate strike action.
With all due respect, that's !!!!!!!!. The plant you are referring to I assume is Nissan in Sunderland? Where they've recognised the AEU (and its successors Amicus and then Unite) since it opened? Both Toyota and Honda also recognise the same union.
Unions are not interested in striking or fighting with management - their interest is in having people employed in good jobs where they are paid fairly, kept safe, and given opportunities to improve themselves. Each time the PCS goes on strike in my workplace, it costs me personally around £100, so not something I do lightly.
A good boss has absolutely nothing to worry about from a Union, so if you'd refuse to employ people involved in one I can only assume that you're nothing like the 'good boss' you think you are.0 -
Never been in a union, anywhere I have worked doesn't recognise them.0
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Never been in a union, anywhere I have worked doesn't recognise them.
You can still benefit from individual representation and things like accident/sickness/death in service benefit etc.
And clearly the more members at your place of work the more likely the union is to gain recognition.
So there is a very good argument for joining even where the employer doesn't (yet) recognise a union.0
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