Union Membership

[Southern Area NNC]

Reading through the threads on here it becomes apparent that so many of you are not members of a Trade Union.

 

In the very volatile times we now face regarding the economy and our employment can I please advise every working man and woman to join a Trade Union. Not only do they offer you free legal advice but they also make it harder for unscrupulous employers to get away with doing what they want. As a Union member you may also be entitled to make a Last Will & Testament free of charge.

 

It doesn't matter if you would be the only Union member in your workplace you can still be represented by an offcier of that Union. Your employer cannot stop this representation whether he likes it or not. Obviously it would be far better if every person in the workplace was a member

 

Please, phone your local union office and ask about becoming a member before it's too late.

[bazak1]

Hi Southern,

I myself am a trade union member, and agree that they are necessary in the workplace.

But some members on here have been let down by theirs, and obviously feel angered by it.

Handled by professional people who know their stuff, they are invaluable.

 

I would however be careful how posts are worded regards drumming up new business as it could be mistaken for unions using these kind of sites to look for ( and sign up ) new members.

[Southern Area NNC]

Hi Southern,

I myself am a trade union member, and agree that they are necessary in the workplace.

But some members on here have been let down by theirs, and obviously feel angered by it.

Handled by professional people who know their stuff, they are invaluable.

 

I would however be careful how posts are worded regards drumming up new business as it could be mistaken for unions using these kind of sites to look for ( and sign up ) new members.

 

Yep, quite agree with what you say. I am however just a Union member myself although I am of a more national level within the company I work for and negotiate our T&C's at that level rather than locally.

 

We were let down by our own Union several years ago and it turned out that a national officer was more interested in helping the company than his members. He slipped up when he was sent a bogus email about unoffical industrial action and it ended up with the HR director within 24 hours. Only 2 union members knew about the email before. One wrote it and the other passed it to the official to test him out. Rumbled!!

He now longer does the job!

[Jimbo44]

As a long-time union member myself (and a shop steward in my own workplace to boot) I cannot extoll the benefits of membership too much! However, I also realise that extolling the benefits too much on here could be mis-interpreted as well.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I had always believed in unions and having some protection for the working man but, in my opinion from experience, unions are a complete waste of time and I would never join one again and waste my time or money.

 

Rather than pay my weekly subs I would prefer to put that toward a comprehensive home insurance policy where work placed disputes are covered and representation would be from a properly qualified lawyer within the employment field rather than some numpty I would happen to work with who doesn't know his arse from his elbow.

[Donk28]

Just to be contraversial, I think Unions would carry much more credibility and support if they didn't encourage strike action whilst demanding exorbatant pay rises so often.

 

If they spent more time focusing on assisting people who need advice and support, I'd go and join one tomorrow.

 

Apologies if I've offended anyone. I just wanted to offer the other side of the arguement.

[Jimbo44]

Just to be contraversial, I think Unions would carry much more credibility and support if they didn't encourage strike action whilst demanding exorbatant pay rises so often.

 

If they spent more time focusing on assisting people who need advice and support, I'd go and join one tomorrow.

 

Apologies if I've offended anyone. I just wanted to offer the other side of the arguement.

 

Hi Donk28

 

I don’t think you're being controversial at all! What you are highlighting is really that the only regular publicity unions get is that which you mention.

 

 

What you don't read about in the newspapers, or see on the TV news, so often is all the work they do on a day-to-day basis concerning the interpretation of terms and conditions, health and safety issues, wages related matters and the more mundane matters that affect us all from time to time in the workplace. They tend to go un-reported because they're not as "newsworthy"!