Winseer:
Norfolkinclue1:
Winseer:
If you’re not in a union:-
You can be picked on
You can be bullied to cross picket lines
You don’t get any automatic pay rises - ever.
If you get the chance to join the union where you work - do so. 
For all those that like to slag off agency - it could be argued that the bad things that happen to a driver whilst on agency are all about “not being in a Union”. 
Picked on by who? Union members who have bully boy backing? Load of rubbish
Bullied into crossing picket lines? Threatened by spineless morons into not crossing them more like, why or how on earth would an employer use those kind of tactics “against” someone who actually wants to do a ddays work for them, you make no sense at all on that one.
No automatic pay rise? Yep, you do understand however that the reason is that your pay rise is “automatic” is because someone else just made a life impacting decision on your behalf by way of a “majority” vote that might not be in your interest but is doesn’t matter as you agree to follow others rather than what’s best for you and yours. How about being wise to your contract and approaching your employer when it comes to renewal, maybe speak to them about what they can offer you and what you might be looking for? It’s your job, your package, your wage and no one else’s!
Hope you realise this is not the 70’s or the 80’s fella…
If you are in a union at one firm, and a customer firm is out on strike - you probably WON’T be asked to cross their picket line, despite it being “third-party” as it were.
If you are in a non-union firm - you will be TOLD to cross that picket line - or get fired on the spot. Since there’s no chance of everyone at the original firm walking out over YOU being picked on - it’s open season for TMs in non-unionized firms to get the job done, regardless of worker-to-worker political consequences.
I’ve been in a union, and I’ve also worked in non-driving industries without one.
On two seperate occasions I was sacked for someone elses’s “crime” - which I couldn’t argue with, since I had no rights whatsoever as an employee of less than 2 years standing who wasn’t in a Union either.
Fast forward to being IN a Union, at first reluctantly on my part… - I got legal representation all paid for when the firm acted in a roughshod manner towards me, and I was able to hang on long enough to get a decent exit package rather than just be booted out of hand like what happened with my two former employers.
With those previous employers (outside of the transport industry, I didn’t even have a car licence at the time) I was penalized both times by someone else’s thieving. I couldn’t prove it wasn’t me - so I got the boot as the new boy.
In the months after I left, the thefts had continued, and eventually the real culprit was caught by a plant in both cases. I didn’t get my job back, nor even an apology from those involved in my getting shown the door. 
I was the boy - I had no rights.
I am not particularly fond of Unions - but they do have their uses, and joining one once starting with a firm full-time should be seriously considered by all, rather than dismissed out of hand as you seem to be doing.
I’ve never even vote Labour. 
As for getting a 2 year 9.1% pay deal by neogiating yourself? - Yeh right. Maybe if this was the first payrise for a decade, and represents a one-off?
No one outside of the corridors of power gets a deal like that on a regular basis…
The last bloke who was bragging away in a yard at me over his “self-negotiated meaty deals” pulled his suzies off five minutes after giving it large on the benefits of self-employment. ‘He couldn’t be that good then!’ I thought to myself at the time…
I’m trying to imagine how good someone would have to be to get paid “more than all the other drivers” whilst doing the same job exactly. If the top driver’s job involved some tough extras to do - then the pay might be well earned, and thus fair enough. If it’s the same as everyone else though - what firm is going to pay one bloke any percent more than all the others for being exactly the same?
Winseer, I never said I got these types of deals on regular basis, the clue would be in the 2 year fixed part, don’t believe me, no problem. I also never mentioned that I was the only one and I was something special, never bragged either, I mentioned it as it is relevant to the issue being discussed so if making things up is being mentioned then take a look in the mirror.
As for self negotiating, it wasn’t hard. Ask what was on offer, agree to the wage rise being fixed, refused to join an enforced weekend rota, refused changing to a banked overtime system and accepted that the 30 mins taken for breaks would stay. Also managed to agree, along with others I might add, a rota for bank holidays that would include a bonus payment when working. Am I brilliant, nope, on another site I found out the buggers had negotiated a large one off attendance bonus for Boxing Day and NYE on top of triple time. I never even thought to mention it. If you think 9.1% is made up then no worries, it really sounds more impressive than the actual sums involved but it’s more than others will be getting. Christ, an agency driver can see a bigger change from week to week! I know there are drivers in my company on more than me, but my point was that I know for a fact the unionised drivers are on less.
As for your final sentence regarding what firm would pay one bloke more than all the others for doing the same job? Well plenty from what I have seen, I know a site in the northwest that has 6 drivers all doing the same roll, only 2 of the are on the same wage, that’s through a mixture of contracts being carried over or held by TUPE and not being renegotiated,Christ, one of them even 5 years on is still paid a travel allowance from a previous contract when the then firm moved to its present site before the contract was awarded to the current firm, oh and he negotiated that himself, no, it’s true, really!!
I, and others have been fortunate to see our wages rise, we are lucky, lucky in more respects than just wages judging by the comments spread over this forum.
So Winseer, I am happy with my lot, well away from unions, well away from the pretend politics and having to worry that others stupid behavior may have an enforced affect on my work and my job. No need to put up with the bull talkers and trouble makers. Apologies if you don’t believe me, but I’m not really that bothered, it’s a reaction to expect when you talk to the internet I guess.
Oh and for the comment of me being angry, (not from you Winseer), nope not me, just have very firm views on unions and union tactics, some of which can clearly be seen in this topic. Try not to mistake a firm challenge to your views with anger or maybe it’s just because you have been challenged you would prefer to try to dismiss it?
