I can’t recall a time where i am now that the union as such was ever called in.
The union isn’t some TUC speech suit, the union is the members at depot level, us drivers and warehouse/production staff who pay their dues, attend the meetings, chip in with their (hopefully) sensible tuppenceworth, and vote on proposals and pay offers with a view to not killing the golden goose.
The union regional office is there for training up the elected stewards, and for legal advice and guidance if necessary, usually not needed.
Speaking of stewards, one of the most important things is to elect the right people.
All the really well termed jobs i’ve had have been unionised, though there were and no doubt are still exceptions, a common theme of better terms being that flash tackle wasn’t and isn’t normally involved, no interest to me because i’ve always been drawn to the money not the lorry.
I’ve never seen a union kill a job that i’ve been on, often the union stewards have taken on a sort of foreman type role where they keep a bit of discipline in the ranks, ie if the pay is decent but not linked to productivity as such a sensible view is taken of the amount of work done, so a decent days pay sees a decent days work in return, don’t take the ■■■■ like some (usually non driving) 70’s excess of clocking in other bods who were never there and some sleeping the night away on a rota basis, it’s no coincidence that those jobs have vanished.
The only problem with good jobs, whether unionised or not, is half wits (of which there are legion) taking the ■■■■ out of sick pay, the same bods are the ones who always having a ready supply of excuses not to do their job and usually ■■■■■■■■ things up on a regular basis to boot, twerps like that really get my goat and there is no faster route to ending the good (often own account) jobs leading to the arrival of the green death and other assorted mobs.