The latest edition of the United Road Transport Union states,
"In the private sector, for every £10,000 that a non-member earns, a union member on average earns around £580 more.
and
Union members have 3.8 days more paid holidays than non-members on average. 25.5 days compared with 21.7 days"
Union membership costs £171.60 pa
Without a comparison of hours the figures mean little.
Everyone gets paid the same and had the same days holiday regardless of whether they are in the union on our place.
I was having a thought…(quite rare) in the good old days when 1,000s of drivers was in the twgu the
union helped the labour government out with donations…yes through no fault of there own the
unions have been squeezed. there are lots of small companies who are not bothered one way or another
about unions. all the big union outfits are closed …pits steel car plants… so the payments don’t get to help
the labour party…i think theres people behind the scenes run the country not the parties. so no money…
lets introduce a cpc for drivers we’ll get 300pound off them all that’ll make up the money the unions can’t
pay us no more. god what a sad mind you have john… but its the best motive anyone come up with…
unions and the reps are all in it for themselves, been in the gmb before and was awful.
wouldnt join another as long as i live.
war1974:
unions and the reps are all in it for themselves, been in the gmb before and was awful.wouldnt join another as long as i live.
Same here. We have URTU at our place, and they’re comical
There’s a link between those yards paying near minimum wage - and them having “no union”.
Collective Pay Bargaining is worth more than anyone realises - by the looks of it. 
How many firms are there in the country that pay their own full timers more than even the better agency rates for example?
I was always led to understand that even GMB-present firms like Yodels were still considered a “cushy number” among the full timers…
Royal Mail is even better of course… Thus, for all their weak stuff, getting paid that 5.7% more than comparable work outside the Unions - is worth a “union sub” of well under 1% of earnings…
I’m thinking that “If it could be that good even when running on 3 all the time, then imagine what could be achieved with effective union representation?”
Even in unrelated matters like “Shall I join an umbrella or not” - If someone tells me "It’s a HUGE £90 a week deduction, but we’ll pay you £30ph on a guaranteeed 25 hour contract or better" - then I’m there!
I don’t mind paying for stuff that turns me a seriously nice profit. I do mind paying pound one for something that loses me money though - we should not confuse the two entirely seperate scenarios here. 
I’ve been in the job a lot of years, i’ve had scabby jobs, and i’ve had some of the best, still have luckily.
Without a shadow of a doubt every job i’ve had where the job is properly unionised has been head and shoulders above the terms of the non unionised, and to the tune of far more disparity than the figures in the OP and for less hours and better working practices.
Unions have good points and bad points, but i’ve happy to pay my subs and do my bit as a member, and accept gratefully the good terms and conditions negotiated for me.
If a union and rep are only in it for themselves, pray tell me how thats any different to any one of us, last time i looked we all went to work for our pay and if we could better our lot we did.
I agree. The Union Rep “In it for themselves” is no more or less relevant than the lack of solidarity among drivers in general these days.
I spent over 20 years in the CWU (formally UCW) and despite handing over a large sum in “dues” over the years, I don’t feel like I didn’t get my moneysworth out of being “in” the Union.
Every time I am in trouble for any reason - it’s a lot easier for the firm to get rid of someone “not” in the Union, than someone like me who was.
Euro:
The latest edition of the United Road Transport Union states,"In the private sector, for every £10,000 that a non-member earns, a union member on average earns around £580 more.
and
Union members have 3.8 days more paid holidays than non-members on average. 25.5 days compared with 21.7 days"
Union membership costs £171.60 pa
Seems a great selling point for Companies to ensure their drivers arn’t in the URTU !!! 
Mike-C:
Euro:
The latest edition of the United Road Transport Union magazine states,"In the private sector, for every £10,000 that a non-member earns, a union member on average earns around £580 more.
and
Union members have 3.8 days more paid holidays than non-members on average. 25.5 days compared with 21.7 days"
Union membership costs £171.60 pa
Seems a great selling point for Companies to ensure their drivers arn’t in the URTU !!!
I think that good, professional companies ,especially those with a competent HT department, are more comfortable negotiating grievances and rates with one well-informed entity rather than lots of individual employees who would rather be left to get on with their work. While these figures suggest that a unionized workforce is better off, maybe it should be an indication that non-unionized workforces are worse off.
Euro:
Mike-C:
Euro:
The latest edition of the United Road Transport Union magazine states,"In the private sector, for every £10,000 that a non-member earns, a union member on average earns around £580 more.
and
Union members have 3.8 days more paid holidays than non-members on average. 25.5 days compared with 21.7 days"
Union membership costs £171.60 pa
Seems a great selling point for Companies to ensure their drivers arn’t in the URTU !!!
I think that good, professional companies ,especially those with a competent HT department, are more comfortable negotiating grievances and rates with one well-informed entity rather than lots of individual employees who would rather be left to get on with their work. While these figures suggest that a unionized workforce is better off, maybe it should be an indication that non-unionized workforces are worse off.
I should have said “HR, human resources department” not HT dept.
I’ve worked for firms with 5 - 15 employees, with terms and conditions that needed altering.
All the drivers agreed that these need altering, yet when push came to shove there was usually 1 or 2 that stood up, the rest bent over.
Even worked for a firm once, and they decided they were going to start charging the drivers £2 per week to park, not a lot of money but I still disagreed.
All the drivers moaned and whinged about it, I told the boss “NO!”, a decision was made that since I use a motorbike for work, and could easily ride around the barrier, and didn’t take a full ■■■■■■■■■■■■, then I wouldn’t have to pay.
Other drivers eventually found out and whinged and moaned AT ME about it… They were paying, I wasn’t, it wasn’t fair etc 
Seriously, if a firm has 5 trucks and 5 drivers, those 5 drivers should get together and better their lot, but they don’t, and that’s why Unions don’t work anymore IMHO
Once worked for a company and the gaffer said that if anyone brought a union in, he would close the place down, and he did
Driver-Once-More:
Once worked for a company and the gaffer said that if anyone brought a union in, he would close the place down, and he did
good for him…anyone that’s ever worked for me who mentioned unions,was a spokesman for “the lads” or was the usual dung stirrer was the 1st one out the door,whether they knew it or not,as soon as they opened their mouth they were on borrowed time .who needs the greif of listening to some sweetie wife bleating…if you don’t like the job,work somewhere else.dont moan about the job your in…just leave.
Driver-Once-More:
Once worked for a company and the gaffer said that if anyone brought a union in, he would close the place down, and he did
Yip, been there before with this bosses attitude.
I now work in what was once a closed shop, we just had a ballot for strike action after a long
negotiation over pay etc.
Said ballot took place and we accepted the company offer.
Result as follows, for strike action 63%
Against action 37%
And heres me thinkin it was a 50/50 split. How wrong was I.
Unions have lost everything (thank you goverments past and present).
rocketsquadron:
Driver-Once-More:
Once worked for a company and the gaffer said that if anyone brought a union in, he would close the place down, and he didYip, been there before with this bosses attitude.
I now work in what was once a closed shop, we just had a ballot for strike action after a long
negotiation over pay etc.
Said ballot took place and we accepted the company offer.
Result as follows, for strike action 63%
Against action 37%
And heres me thinkin it was a 50/50 split. How wrong was I.
Unions have lost everything (thank you goverments past and present).
Exactly what was the point of the ballot then?
waynedl:
rocketsquadron:
Driver-Once-More:
Once worked for a company and the gaffer said that if anyone brought a union in, he would close the place down, and he didYip, been there before with this bosses attitude.
I now work in what was once a closed shop, we just had a ballot for strike action after a long
negotiation over pay etc.
Said ballot took place and we accepted the company offer.
Result as follows, for strike action 63%
Against action 37%
And heres me thinkin it was a 50/50 split. How wrong was I.
Unions have lost everything (thank you goverments past and present).Exactly what was the point of the ballot then?
Errr…to gauge support for strike action.?
waynedl:
rocketsquadron:
Driver-Once-More:
Once worked for a company and the gaffer said that if anyone brought a union in, he would close the place down, and he didYip, been there before with this bosses attitude.
I now work in what was once a closed shop, we just had a ballot for strike action after a long
negotiation over pay etc.
Said ballot took place and we accepted the company offer.
Result as follows, for strike action 63%
Against action 37%
And heres me thinkin it was a 50/50 split. How wrong was I.
Unions have lost everything (thank you goverments past and present).Exactly what was the point of the ballot then?
Better pay rise etc. Management got one hell of a lot more yet we are struggling they say.
My point is the 50/50 split.
I’m unionised and most probably get paid a lot more than non unionised workers. Also my term’s and conditions will be far superior. I have been on strike many times and will alway’s support our public service workers any way I can. I’ll alway’s stand up for the employee and will NEVER cross a picket line, even though I know I could be suspended.
A Union is only as strong as the people who are in it.