Union

[sledgehammer]

Just thinking, anyone in unite? I've never really thought of joining a union and I suppose this is the one for our field. Is it any good? Is it at all worth it?

 

[Pete999]

In my area Prospect has negotiated better allowances, better pay for Apprentices, attended employment tribunals, all in all my dues are money well spent
Pete999

 

[Robotstar5]

Joined EETPU as an apprentice in 1977 and been a member ever since through their various name changes, ETU, AEEU, Amicus, Unite (have I missed any? ).
Got injured falling into an unguarded cable trench and union solicitors got me a decent payout.
Present company has many thousands of employees and 99% union membership so still got a bit of power.

 

[Johnuk]

am with amicus unite but ive never payed a penny but get a card when it runs out lol

 

[Adam W]

My take on unions is that the idea is a nice one - they club together and stand up for the little guy, but the reality seems to be that they just make the situation worse.
Supposedly the unions do a load of cloak and dagger stuff behind closed doors, fighting for better pay, safer jobs and better conditions, but if you're not in a union then straight away you're around £12 a month better off, although officially they're not supposed to, companies see non-union workers as a safer option who they might be more likely to take on in the first place, and as mentioned when it comes to the crunch (ie the company want to get rid of you) the unions turn round and say there's not much they can do.
Unions are supposed to be making things better for the little guy, but it seems the people benefiting most are the fatcat bosses - the likes of 'red' Len McClusky and Bob Crow (and of course their family and friends who have cushy 'slacker' jobs within the union) who feather their nests at the expense of working men like me.

Just out of interest I joined the Unite facebook page a while ago; the conversations seem to mainly consist of a core of militant socialists blaming everything on the Tories, and if you disagree with them your comments are either deleted or you face a playground-style barrage of abuse from keyboard warriors with a poor grasp of the English language, which to me doesn't portray a very professional image.

I phoned Unite once to enquire about booking an ECS test. The woman on the phone announced "never heard of it" as if I were making it up. In the time it took her to find out what an ECS test is I'd printed off the forms from the JIB website, filled them in, written a cheque, walked to the post box to send it off, and walked halfway down the seafront. While not necessarily a reason not to join a union it's certainly not a reason to give away £12 or so every month.
As Robotstar says the union solicitors got him a payout for falling down a trench, but was it really any more than a non-union solicitor could have got? Could a non-union solicitor even have got more, partly due to the reduced overheads from not having an affiliation to the union?

So yes, the unions use your money for better pay and better conditions.... For themselves.

 

[Guest 004]

I attended the rank and file in London recently, held by unite, must admit I was not impressed. Seems very disjointed, and lots of small groups seem to be popping up, which is not helping anybody .

 

[Pete999]

Well join a proper

union [email protected]

 

[dingledong]

Some do seem more interested in politics than the people they serve

 

[Pete999]

Actually, it was Prospect members that had a far better service then me.

I was a full time Rep with them for 5 years

 

[Diddy]

The RnF do a great job IMHO. Think BESNA which would have been implemented without their direct action. As for UNITE (I realise this is an old thread) a union is as good as its members demand it be.
Unite Glasgow branch gives us -
17th Edition IEE regs course including books and exam free (Approx £500 ish ??)
2394 C & G course including books and exam fee - Free (Approx £700)
2395 C & G course including books and exam fee - Free (Approx £700)
So there is £2000+ worth of courses free for you weather you are self employed or employed or whatever...for £12 per month
Then also with the latest umbrella company scams being "forced" upon the sparks (And others in construction) UNITE have been pretty hot off the tracks on this and have been straight onto site when called to try and negotiate direct employment for blokes - Can make a £160 per week difference to the sparks weekly take home if they manage full JIB terms and conditions.....and they have been successful on quite a few big sites.
As said a union is only as good as it's members. There is no magic button that a shop steward or regional officer has....Workplaces have to be organised and signed up.....The more that take the view "What's in it for me" the weaker all unions become. £12 per month..its bloody 3-4 beers ffs.
BTW the Glasgow branch of UNITE get funding for all of these courses from the EU.....That funding is sitting there waiting on the rest of you lot telling your reps/regional officers...."Hey look what Glasgow UNITE have got how about we apply for some of that".....After all they are not going to write to you to offer it, You NEED to ASK.

 

[mayfair]

unions ....take a look a the miners then think hard, where are they now and what is Arthur up to now in his 1.5 million Barbican flat ?

 

[rapparee]

I'm a member of siptu, the union is a closed shop in our work place, we're all in the union even the agency workers. The management would pit worker against worker if we weren't in the union (giving pay rises to some sections but not to others)