Hello all, new driver… and advice on Union’s, how does it work in the lorry industry? Is it dependent whereabouts in the country you are based? Thanks in advance! D
Unions for anything but personal legal support - forget it generally because various Govts have curtailed what they can do
I personally found URTU great for personal legal support
Most of the drivers at work are in USDAW,we paid £5 to the Hardship Fund which pays any fines you get through work which isn’t bad for a fiver.
And it’s £8.93 a month.
In some ways its pointless joining a union if you are the only bod in it where you work, but from small acorns giant trees grow so why not?
I joined URTU at my first gig some 40 years ago, utterly pointless.
Been in the Transport and General (currently called Unite) for donkeys years.
Never had to call on their legal advice personally, though obviously during negotiations the Union office and legal sides have given advice help and shop steward training so it’s been an ongoing thing, and the union negotiated good redundancy packages ate the two unionised jobs i was made redundant from, the other job is was made redundant from, no unionised, i got bugger all.
Remember the union is not the general secretary or big cheeses, and its certainly not the bloody parliamentary labour party who now think themselves way above the working class who they no longer represent…with a few honourable exceptions such as Dennis Skinner.
The members, the boys and girls who pay their dues every month and attend union meetings to discuss issues and to work out how to better their terms and conditions are the union.
Put it this way, i’ve been doing the job for 40 years now, i’ve had poor jobs at times and some of the better jobs in the industry.
Every poor job has had no union involvement, every top class job has been unionised and i’ve always done my share.
Not every good job has 100% union membership, where i am now doesn’t but we have class leading terms, those not in the union have no trouble trousering the pay increases the rest of us negotiate for them and yet still winge about it, odd that.
That’s my union experience, not saying i’m right and others will disagree entirely.
Thank you for advice
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