Not posted for some time but returned to post this important subject for all drivers, especially URTU members.
There is an ongoing debate on my forum about the election and David Higginbottom (Candidate) is posting on there also Bob Monks has been invited to join in the debate. Also a shop steward who favours Bob Monks is actively involved.
Some very interesting information is starting to come out and believe all URTU members should be informed
Plus as Drivers we need a Union that will be run to its full potential.
Have a look for yourselves http://www.truckersworld.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1251
Lucy has given me permission for this post, Thank you
That wouldn`t surprise me jammymutt.
As a fairly recent member of URTU I am surprised at what I am reading on that thread, if you are thinking of joining or even if you are a member of the union it is definitely worth a read.
Didnt know they were still alive…yet another union run by suits…how many ex drivers work for this union…and any other union come to that…like i keep saying…we have always needed a union…started…and run by drivers…someone who knows how a driver works…and has to put up with…and obviously a large commitment by the drivers themselves…but that aint gonna happen…
AFAIK Truckboy, Bob Monks is a former driver and should know what us drivers have to put up with. I don’t know about David Higginbottom though, but in the bumpf I got from URTU it stated that he was paid a lump sum of £40,000 when he resigned in 2001. Do you think he should pay that back if he gets re-elected?
penfold:
I don’t know about David Higginbottom though, but in the bumpf I got from URTU it stated that he was paid a lump sum of £40,000 when he resigned in 2001. Do you think he should pay that back if he gets re-elected?
the circumstances surrounding this have been explained along with follow up problems, some of which are still clear to this day
Sorry, Scanny, the circumstances have not been explained to me! (see Truckersworld)
As far as I am concerned, if he has a gripe,he should take it up within the union. It is the members business, if you want to enter the debate, JOIN!
Mr Higginbottom has a lot more to explain, he claims to be concerned about the union and its members. In that case he should conduct his case within the union and not in any other place.
A guid new year tae yin and aw.
Alex.
alexsaville:
Sorry, Scanny, the circumstances have not been explained to me! (see Truckersworld)
As far as I am concerned, if he has a gripe,he should take it up within the union. It is the members business, if you want to enter the debate, JOIN!
Mr Higginbottom has a lot more to explain, he claims to be concerned about the union and its members. In that case he should conduct his case within the union and not in any other place.
A guid new year tae yin and aw.
Alex.
not knowing the history Alex, i can only judge what i can see in front of me. although i respect the man for talking to us, i still havent seen anything to make me join this or any other union so i am still on the fence and firmly so. whether David or BoB get elected is irrelevant to me. i may respect one more than the other but that is no reason to give money away although to be honest, if Bob wins, there would be a slimmer chance of me becoming a member based purely on the fact that he has not taken the time to respond to Barries emails
alexsaville:
Sorry, Scanny, the circumstances have not been explained to me! (see Truckersworld)
As far as I am concerned, if he has a gripe,he should take it up within the union. It is the members business, if you want to enter the debate, JOIN!
Mr Higginbottom has a lot more to explain, he claims to be concerned about the union and its members. In that case he should conduct his case within the union and not in any other place.
A guid new year tae yin and aw.
Alex.
jammymutt:
Is there any truth in the rumour that someone broke in to the headquarters last month and stole the election results?.
Well if they have, I will be canceling my membership, because i havent had my ballot papers yet, so if they’ve allready decided, which i dont think they have then i’m out got the lit’ about the election the other day, didnt know Higginbottom wanted back in, I never read or heard an explaintion as to why he felt he had to leave, but the direction of the Union should be decided by its members, and to the best of my recollection i dont remember being asked at the time,about which direction to follow, and if the ideas of the excutove and general secretary wher at so much odds, then should not the members have been consulted. It was the same as returning the TUC after the Ford drivers debacle, bad move IMO,. I’m of for quick nose on Bazmans site. TTFN
Unions did a lot of good up to the mid/late sixties, then went into a period of self destruct culminating in the destruction of the mining industry and putting thousands out of work
Unions belong to the dark ages along with the dinasours that try to resurrect them. Union leaders dont give a toss about ‘their’ members, only about lining their own pockets (take a look at Scargill)
…in fact, how about joining my newly formed union (established 2 minutes ago) the DKOL (Driver 's Keeping Ollie in Luxury), you send me £5 each a week and I’ll send you a postcard from each port of my luxury cruise. I will of course be on ‘Official’ Union business.
Ollie,You are right about the union suits,I went through a company process which need union backing(many years ago) above shop steward level,the guy who was based in liverpool turned up and know each of the manages personally ,each on a first name basis,he did not know my name or who I was,the meeting was ajourned with the union guy well aware of the date for the next meeting,guess what he never turned up even though he heard the date same as me,4/5 weeks after the meeting I got a letter from his office asking if there would be any more meetings after the last one he attended,best thing about a union is if you ever need a lawyer when you have a claim,rest of the time the subs paid amount to a waste of money.
alexsaville:
Sorry, Scanny, the circumstances have not been explained to me! (see Truckersworld)
As far as I am concerned, if he has a gripe,he should take it up within the union. It is the members business, if you want to enter the debate, JOIN!
Mr Higginbottom has a lot more to explain, he claims to be concerned about the union and its members. In that case he should conduct his case within the union and not in any other place.
A guid new year tae yin and aw.
Alex.
well said my friend,my sentiments too.
Ditto ,
If Mr Higginbottom gets elected which I can not see happening I will be seriously considering my membership with the URTU, there is only one man for the job and that is Bob Monks simple , end of story.
I can see absolutley no point to as why Mr Higginbottom is fighting part of his campaign on a website no offence meant but its not even a big website, so the number of drivers he will influence isnt going to add up to alot .
A rather pointless excercise, as Alex correctly points out it is members business and preaching what he would do if elected to people who are not members is a waste of time, all you get is the normal anti union ■■■■■■■■ about “oh but look at the miners” " oh but I am too tight to spend £10.00 a month " " yea I dont want my union rep to drive a decent car or wear a suit , he should turn up to represent me in rags and drive a poxy van"
I have read and spoken to people from both camps and the info given online has been cherrypicked to say the least and to be honest I do not think such statements are going to sway real Union members to vote for Mr Higginbottom.
alexsaville:
Sorry, Scanny, the circumstances have not been explained to me! (see Truckersworld)
As far as I am concerned, if he has a gripe,he should take it up within the union. It is the members business, if you want to enter the debate, JOIN!
Mr Higginbottom has a lot more to explain, he claims to be concerned about the union and its members. In that case he should conduct his case within the union and not in any other place.
A guid new year tae yin and aw.
Alex.
well said my friend,my sentiments too.
So because someone is in a union who con their members, a bloke who may want to join is left out of any debate.
I can see absolutley no point to as why Mr Higginbottom is fighting part of his campaign on a website
He isn’t. He joined in a thread about ‘why drivers should join a union’ and was asked questions about his candidature and the reasons for his previous resignation.
Quite naturally and properly, he replied, which is more than can be said for Bob Monks despite repeated invitations both on Truckers and here.
Ollie:
Unions did a lot of good up to the mid/late sixties, then went into a period of self destruct culminating in the destruction of the mining industry and putting thousands out of work
Unions belong to the dark ages along with the dinasours that try to resurrect them. Union leaders dont give a toss about ‘their’ members, only about lining their own pockets (take a look at Scargill)
…in fact, how about joining my newly formed union (established 2 minutes ago) the DKOL (Driver 's Keeping Ollie in Luxury), you send me £5 each a week and I’ll send you a postcard from each port of my luxury cruise. I will of course be on ‘Official’ Union business.
Ollie (Leader of the DKOL Union)
Yes I feel much better for that
Write about something you understand because its blatantly obvious you know nothing about the miners strike or miners.Scargill was right,and the destruction of our communitys is living proof.We came out on strike to protect our jobs and communitys and were more than happy to stand and fight (some of us did more fighting than standing).
URTU doesn’t represent the majority of the workers in the industry and many of those who are union members, don’t really take part in it, just use it for legal insurance.
The same goes for the T&GWU, except they have other vested interests.
And then you expect them to change all the major problems in the industry. They can hardly be an effective lobbying group if they don’t represent the majority of the work force. Obviously if you have a majority in one place of employment they might have more influence with the employer.
The best they can do is fight for your rights within the existing legal framework, and it doesn’t matter how good you employer is, their first objective will be to look after thier business. So if it come to a court case, say over a defective vehicle in an accident, your employer will scrafice you to save their operators licence.
Ditto ,
If Mr Higginbottom gets elected which I can not see happening I will be seriously considering my membership with the URTU, there is only one man for the job and that is Bob Monks simple , end of story.
and why is bob monks the best man for the job?
whats he done for the members?
whats he done for the industry?
whats he done?
made urtu into a nice carpet for james irlam to walk over.
raked in thousands of pounds for a few members in legal claims against employers.
we are still paying too much to park at motorway service areas, msa’s are now wheel clamping trucks that haven’t paid for overnight parking because of the inaction of the unions, drivers are being gassed and robbed while they sleep and the union haven’t done anything to promote security for us, instead of funding speeding fines for members they could be asking operators to supply gas alarms or protekdor locks and organising night trunkers into watchers as they drive at night, they haven’t achieved anything for us in years.
david higginbottom did a lot for us when he was Gen Sec, he put himself out for all drivers and not just urtu members, wheels magazine used to be full of information about what the union had done and will do but now it’s a bare skeleton of it’s former self, even the website has little about it.
it’s time for a change and if david gets in then i will certainly think hard about joining urtu once again.
Do you think he should pay that back if he gets re-elected?
no offence meant but its not even a big website, so the number of drivers he will influence isnt going to add up to alot