starting with another grind you down and plenty more where you come from company on monday there is a union membership present (unusual these days) is there any point joining after tesco livingston disater and all the good advice there members reiceved (not) as going by my own experience employers do what the hell they want to do ie theres always somebody out there that wants your job and they have already filled your job before they put new working practises to you dont see any benifit in union membership can anyone tell me ive got it wrong (think new labour got us by the goolies not maggie) its local work i will give it a chance make my mind up in a couple of day s as ex boss has gave me a couple of weeks if things dont work out (no union but you know where you stand )
I always reckon its worth joining the union.
You never know what’s around the next corner and if you have an accident you have the use of their solictors and legal team.
As for pay and conditions etc they vary from area to area and company to company but, for the price of a pint a week, I still think its worth joining.
I am with URTU and the help they and the free legal help line have given me over the past 5 years has been invaluable - well worth the subs
I personally won’t touch them with a bargepole!!
I was stitched up by 2 different unions when I was on the buses.
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Wage negotiations, big meeting. we voted and seconded a reasonable hourly rate and agreed to strike if we didn’t get it. (there were about 50+ at the meeting) Union rep refused to take our suggestion to the management and accepted a pathetic deal on our behalf without consultation. (Basically he came back and said “thats the best you’re gonna get so i’ve taken it”)
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Duties reorganisation. “I’ll look after you, all the good and bad will be shared out equally” says the rep. When the new duties came out, all the “cream” was on his rota, and all the crap on everyone elses rota
Yes people will argue that it was your reps that stitched you up, not the union but having been shafted twice i’m not prepared to risk it a 3rd time.
The 2 things you mention Semtex are what Unions are not good at these days. However, advice and legal backing are worth the money each week I would have thought.
As seen in the big row at URTU last year during the heavily prejudiced Gen. Sec. election show that it is best to avoid the poiltics, but I kept my membership (now reduced contribution in retirement) in spite.