Trade unions

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#1

We’re going on strike next week over pensions :muscle: Obviously people at work have been talking about this a lot, and I’ve been really surprised by how few of the people I work with around my age (early 30s) are in the union. I signed up pretty much as soon as I started working here. I’m not particularly active, but it’s good to know there’s someone representing my interests and there’s some help available if my employer tries to screw me over.

Anyway, I was interested in how many people are in a union so here’s an anonymous poll.

  • I’m a member of a trade union
  • I’m not a member of a trade union, I don’t want to be
  • I’m not a member of a trade union, I want to be but don’t have the option
  • I’m not a member of a trade union, I want to be but haven’t got around to signing up

0 voters

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1 Like
#2

Last time there was a strike HR sent a message saying that if we decided to go on strike and happened to die on that day they wouldn’t honor their ‘death in service’ payment to our next of kin :joy:

1 Like
#3

i’m a member of and pay a membership fee for one but have never once engaged with them in the slightest

#4

I used some ‘find me a union’ online tool J Corbz was plugging on social media a while back.
It told me Prospect would be the one for me, it also told me I’d have to pay >£100 a month to join/be a member. I’m not currently a member of a trade union.

2 Likes
#5

Not a member as it is really quite expensive for what you get and have faith in my employers and industry to take good care of me and uphold my rights

#6

Wow, that’s a lot! I pay £20 p/m.

#7

I wasn’t while in my last job because the union were a bunch of bastards. They almost made me unemployed at a few days notice, arguing that I shouldn’t be offered a job (despite having worked in that position for two years as a temp, and passing the board at interview during that period) because it was somehow unfair to existing staff. The same dicks kept voting for strike action based on really trivial things too (reduced benefits such as subsidised gym memberships and glasses, at a time when the rest of the public sector was being gutted of staff and pay) and ended up losing 30% of their membership within our 500-staff building.

Guys in my new place are tops though. Signed up just because my boss was enthusiastic about them and they’ve very visibly fought our corner on a ton of issues already.

1 Like
#8

Sorry that £100/month is wrong, should be £15 a month - so >£100 per year!

edit mods can you please edit my original post

#9

Trade Union membership fees are usually staggered by salary so those on higher wages pay more. Quite right. But I don’t think £15pcm is excessive from my experience.

#10

Not currently a member of a trade union, don’t currently feel the need to be.

Have been a member of a trade union in the past. Never had recourse to use them for anything.

#11

Was a rep at my old job but the chair of our branch was so awful and useless that it made a lot of people leave. It was pretty soul destroying. Don’t have the option in my current job.

#12

Can’t help imagining this being read out in the voice of one of Bernard Matthews’ turkeys.

2 Likes
#13

I work in corporate HR and although there are trade unions I could join, the only real benefit to me in joining one would come about if i ever got myself into trouble at work. Which did happen very early in my career and I thought about joining one as a result, but when I looked into it I realised that the main benefits involve collective bargaining on things which really don’t apply to the kind of job I do.

It also creates interesting conflicts of interest - E.G. in my previous job, it was my team who had to communicate and administer the exact same changes against which your union is protesting.

#14

Not sure I can join one. I’m a member of a chartered institute and a few other professional bodies.

#15

Working hard and appropriately, along with Work time regs and employment rights act is all I need. Unions are often pretty pointless/useless tbh.

#16

I’m not denying you believe this, just that you are unaware of how vulnerable you are.

#17

I’m self-employed, so I HOPE I can trust my employer not to act like a cunt :neutral_face:

3 Likes
#18

You’re on of those people who it’s difficult to tell whether is constantly on the wind-up or a fucking moron. Never a great look tbh.

#19

Was NUT so now NEU, have been involved with strikes and did some support for Labour during the election with my local NUT division

During the teacher strikes a few years ago I was the only one at my school striking (mostly cos the others were nasuwt) but now all the parents think I’m some sort of radical uncompromising leftie

3 Likes
#20

Chilling.
I’ve been on a fixed term contract for 3.5 years and due to end in 6 weeks. This is completely acceptable