I’ve never really come across unions before in my previous career before becoming a driver and the consensus on here seems mixed at best having browsed a couple of previous threads.
However, my current employer seemingly recognise unions as there’s a union rep, and two of the senior drivers (both decent and knowledgeable guys who I’ve learnt a lot from) have told me that it’s worth joining. They claim that the union rep has saved a fair few drivers from losing their jobs in disciplinary cases and that if work dries up the non-union members are first to go.
Tbh, I can’t see my company getting rid of drivers any time soon as they were desperate for new drivers a few months back (needed 15), but on the other hand a few new guys have joined and they do seem to be losing customers regularly as my depot is so crap at running things (e.g. rounds not being covered at all when drivers off for a week etc). Not sure how many new customers are coming on to replace them, but my employer are defo in the top three waste companies.
The union do seem to do a decent job from what I’ve seen as they’re currently in pay negotiations to bring parity to all drivers - some are on £2.50 an hour more due to being on the old contracts. Looks almost certain that my hourly rate will go from £12.60 to £14.60, putting me on about £40k a year once my £20 daily bonus is included. That’s a great wage for a 9.5-10hr a day Class 2 job so I’d like to do everything I can to protect it.
Is it worth paying £16 a month for union membership, given that I’d get the pay rise either way? Will it likely give me any job protection outside of legal support in the unlikely (but possible) event of a bad accident etc?
Generally, with a few exceptions, companies with strong union presence offer better pay and conditions. Choosing not to join dilutes the bargaining power and may result in a poorer future for workers.
And there is a name for those who benefit from the work and actions of others, but don’t contribute when they can.
.
And for less than half the cost of a coffee per day?
UNIONS are not all about money agreements,as you say the Company is not likely to get rid of Drivers BUT they can and will if they have been given reason for serious disciplinary action. Such time you will need representation to make sure you are being treated fairly.
Your attitude of any pay rise you will get any way is typical of many who only want Unions in their hour of need
All the reasons already spoke about and alot more, if you lose that job most of the betterjobs out there give union members priority when you apply. I’ve been a member of the union for 50 years and always had top jobs, still in it now o.a.p. section. The job has certainly nose dived since the union lost its popularity and that goes for all industries.
I have been in the RMT for many years and proud to wear the tiny lapel badge, quite honestly as a self employed person running my own business (not driving) I don’t need to be however I have always foreseen that one day I might need their assistance. The RMT magazine I get monthly habitually features reports of unfair dismissal and personal injury at work cases with quite appalling company management actions which have been fought successfully by the union’s solicitors. The RMT is seen as a railway workers’ and sailors’ union, with a few bus workers, it has for some time been trying to recruit more from the HGV sector.
Whichever union your company recognises I would advise joining simply for the unforeseen event protection. As said “a coffee a day” .
interesting point about non union members being first in the firing line should the company need to cut back.
Although my jobs not driving related i’m in a union, as is 99% of the workforce. I dread to think what the company would try and pull if we were not in a union.
Back in the 60s you had to be in the Union because a lot of the drops would not tip or load you unless you were a union member i remember going to Bowaters in Sittingbourne to plck up a load they refused to load me because i did not have my Card with me and i had to go back to London empty i was lucky not to get sacked.I was not a fan of the Unions when i worked for Davis Bros in London it was a Driver who collected the Union Money he was a Driver on Tramping the same as my self sometimes wee never seen each other for Months and you were in arrears some times,I had to into Hospital for 6 Months so i was in arrears about a Month so i went to the Union Office and paid up to date which they duly acceppted.Later on i tried to claim sickness benefit and i was told as i was in arrears i did not qualify that was me finished with Unions after that i was only in it when i had to be.
Definately yes! Companies with a strong union tend to have better pay and conditions, less accidents and a better working environment. Just look at Germany and Scandinavia, strong unions working with the companies to build better businesses, it’s a no brainer.
100 % im a union man.
Funnily I work for a good company on good wages and terms and conditions. Maybe thats a coincidence?
However there is a financial benefit to being a Union member and that is free legal advice. I was involved in a car accident last year. I was a rear seat passenger and we got shunted from behind at 50mph. I had a minor neck injury but put a whiplash claim in via the free union solicitors. When the compo was settled I kept all of the money. Had I gone to another solicitor I would have had to give 25% of the final settlement to them. So the money saved in my claim covered my union fees for the past 5 years
Tailschwing:
Is it worth paying £16 a month for union membership, given that I’d get the pay rise either way? Will it likely give me any job protection outside of legal support in the unlikely (but possible) event of a bad accident etc?
There’s no question to answer here, why do you think the terms are so good.
You should also be thinking about the bigger picture here, not just what’s in it for me personally if XYZ happens.
Those members of the union who have gradually made that job what it is today won’t think much of the grabbing crew who have no trouble trousering the money and benefits the union members negotiated, but can’t bring themselves to pay the union subs.
Many will trouser the money and have nothing but contempt for the union, funny how they soon go bleating when its them who are in trouble and the stewards rightly ain’t interested.
I would never join a union.
But I have never worked at a place that I have seen worth sticking around for years.
I usually do a year max than move onto another gig.
Maybe if I found a job I really enjoyed I would sign up but even than most unions are pretty toothless these days.
Yes, the union and the shop stewards have made that job, probably through many years of negotiations and a good relationship with the employer who sees the value of their employees.
Drivers who for the most part are not able to see past the end of their noses, they usually base their opinion of a job on the hourly rate and are too stupid to realise that they are being had, not to mention being treated like and spoken to like an idiot.
All the unseen perks and add ons that the union have gained over time are over looked, things like sick pay, overtime and guaranteed hours, free CPC medicals, licence renewals digi card and so on, average holiday pay and no loss of pay for pre planned medical operations.
In fact all the things you don’t get at a two bob outfit with no representation where you get treated like an imbecile and worked to death, like others have said there will be those who bleat and whinge about the job and run the union and the company down but who are quick enough to take the benefits membership brings without paying the subs.
personally ,i despise unions and everything they represent .
ive never joined one,and never will.
in my opinion they are the direct cause of the uk now being the useless nonentity of the country they used to be.
classic examples of the uk workers mindset of how much can i get for doing as little as possible whilst twisting and tirning the screw into their employers at every opperchancity they could get.
thankfully nowadays they have little power compared to what they used to have .
anywhere ive worked,then the union rep would have been the laziest slimy workshy git in the workforce,full of their own importance somewhat similar to the cretins in some security huts.
i quite regulary got refused loading in placs like shell oil trafford park and such which made no odds at the end of the day as the company i subbed for just loaded trailers for me and i hooked up outside the gate.
ive always made my own wages on my own merits and like anywhere else,if the co start extracting the urine,then either get it sorted or get a different job.
Ask some lads who are in Union firms what their t.&c.s are like.
Time and a half over 40?
Guaranteed hours for Sat and Sun on overtime rate?
Extra for early starts?
Then ask drivers (like me) who have no Union backing.
The problem is Unions to some are synonymous to what went on in the 70s, but that can idea can be applied to anything that goes too far and is abused.
Unions in their ‘Reason to be’ state, ie to stop employees being used, abused and underpaid, running all hours for the same rate, and all the rest of the crap that should not be going on in the 21st Century, can only do good for an employee… and those who shout the loudest negatively about Unions are in a lot of cases being treated like that themselves.
So ask each type of driver, and make up your own mind.
Edit…Just noticed DD’s post above, it looks like I was having a pop…I wasn’t
