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Trade unions - good/bad thing ?
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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They provide protection from exploitative employers for workers in low paid industries
in conjunction with a forward looking management they can help make a business a success - the UK car industry being a example
But where management is poor and unions dogmatic they help create inefficiency and are barriers to necessary change - as witnessed by done of the outmoded practices in the public sector |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I refuse to go into the trade union at work. The behaviour of the reps I have personally seen is disgusting and I wouldn't want to be associated with it. They bully, are slanderous,oppose change and development,intimidate others, are rude and use the excuse of being in the union to try and get out of work and do as little as possible. I walk past the picket lines to go into work as I dont believe in the reasons they are striking for. However this is only my experience and perhaps in other organisations the unions are represented differently x |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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When I was young, companies seemed to be encouraged by unions to strike for this that and other. My dad said that the problem was, people wanted what management had hence the strikes for more money. Because of the constant strike attitude, it has put me off them so I have never been a member and wouldn't want to be |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"They do good work at grass roots level but the top management need to separate their political aims from the job they are employed to do."
Yep , agree with that.
I have been a union rep for a fair while and only because no one else wanted to do it.
Management sometimes treat me with suspicion and the staff think I am colluding because I have a working relationship with said management .
I do it unpaid , nearly every day I have to sort others problems ,sometimes way out of my remit .
And then when I go to big meetings and listen to the higher echelons of the union speak I realise how out of touch they are with what the grass roots want and care about . |
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By *eavenNhellCouple
over a year ago
carrbrook stalybridge |
"I refuse to go into the trade union at work. The behaviour of the reps I have personally seen is disgusting and I wouldn't want to be associated with it. They bully, are slanderous,oppose change and development,intimidate others, are rude and ause the excuse of 6being in the union to try and get out of work and do as little as possible. I walk past the picket lines to go into work as I dont believe in the reasons they are striking for. However this is only my experience and perhaps in other organisations the unions are represented differently x "
and when and if those people who went on strike got better conditions and pay through there actions did you refuse to accept them ?
Or when you get bullied and badly treated by your manager who would you turn to ?
May not have agreed with every action my union took but I did support action if voted for by the majority of the membership . |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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Seems a tetchy subject with very opposing _iews ..... Just to throw a spanner in the works...... Did the unions create the "modern middle class" through gaining better terms and conditions for today's workers?
Thus leading to the very workers who oppose unions now leading a more affordable/affluent lifestyle ? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Good and bad. The union where i work is fantastic and has an excellent relationship with the management team. As for the bad we took on a large number of people who worked in a industry that self destructed in the 80's and 90's. Everyone who came over moaned about working conditions, hours, pay, sick pay, lack of cut pay (you get cut the company pays, most people used to make £1000 a year by "getting cut"). The union, the other guys on the floor and management were sick of them, and the trouble makers were managed out over 12 months |
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Despite being in the union they didn't help when I needed them, I didn't even get my calls returned. Now our company want to sack us and then re-employ as for less money etc it will be intresting to see what the union can do. |
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we are going to see the benefit of unions in the next 2/3 years the way this shower of shit are waging war on the poor, cos when they have done away with all the rights gained over many years for the working class they will then destroy the middle class earners they want a total subserviant compliant workforce btw all politicos are the same |
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Unions just like political parties can be a force for good but so often are hijacked by a leadership who have their own agenda and have forgotten what they are supposed to be there for and no longer represent the _iews of those who put them there.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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There is good and bad in almost everything, Unions are no different. On balance i believe society is a better place because of them.
Although many in my opinion are now outdated and out of step. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I'm surprised by the balance here from previous experience......
I am a pro trade unionist, they have helped the working class to have better wages and conditions over all, the decline in union membership over the last 30 odd years has see general decline in relative pay and conditions.
re political ambitions, it was the unions who formed the labour party in the 19th century to further the interests of the working classes and that worked out well.....also the unions do fund the labour party. If the unions are forced to stop then it stands to reason that big businesses and the rich should be made to stop funding the liberals and the tories......
No organisation is ever truly representative of all of its members but on the whole my experience of unionism has been positive and id hope that my members experience of me as a rep was positive too..... |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I refuse to go into the trade union at work. The behaviour of the reps I have personally seen is disgusting and I wouldn't want to be associated with it. They bully, are slanderous,oppose change and development,intimidate others, are rude and ause the excuse of 6being in the union to try and get out of work and do as little as possible. I walk past the picket lines to go into work as I dont believe in the reasons they are striking for. However this is only my experience and perhaps in other organisations the unions are represented differently x and when and if those people who went on strike got better conditions and pay through there actions did you refuse to accept them ?
Or when you get bullied and badly treated by your manager who would you turn to ?
May not have agreed with every action my union took but I did support action if voted for by the majority of the membership ."
Hi,
If I was being bullied at work by my manager I would record every event and go see HR and higher management. I wouldn't use the services of the union as I'm not in it and I wouldn't want to be represented by them.
Regarding benefits etc I understand your point but not all benefits and pay rises have come about by the union...I negotiated my salary terms and conditions etc when I started working for the company.
I do respect those that campaign and work hard for the greater good but im only going on my experience and that is not in my opinion something I want to be associated with. Like said elsewhere it may be different and if I get a job elsewhere and the behaviour is differentand what I consider professional then I would consider joining x |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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They have their place in companies, but like anything there has to be some give and take by both parties.
In my place the union is not that strong as there are so many people who won't back up the union reps, on the other side of the coin though there a few union reps who only want a strike. |
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By *orkieMan
over a year ago
Who knows |
"I refuse to go into the trade union at work. The behaviour of the reps I have personally seen is disgusting and I wouldn't want to be associated with it. They bully, are slanderous,oppose change and development,intimidate others, are rude and use the excuse of being in the union to try and get out of work and do as little as possible. I walk past the picket lines to go into work as I dont believe in the reasons they are striking for. However this is only my experience and perhaps in other organisations the unions are represented differently x "
You have obviously got the wrong kind of union reps in your workplace. In a former life I was a union rep ending up as head steward before I left the company. Yes I have opposed change and development when plans were put forward by management, the reason.... because they were to the detriment of union members, both in terms of pay and conditions. Many hours of negotiation later a satisfactory outcome which suited both sides was achieved.
So I ask the question to the poster I am quoting, what problem do you have with trade unions.?? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I refuse to go into the trade union at work. The behaviour of the reps I have personally seen is disgusting and I wouldn't want to be associated with it. They bully, are slanderous,oppose change and development,intimidate others, are rude and use the excuse of being in the union to try and get out of work and do as little as possible. I walk past the picket lines to go into work as I dont believe in the reasons they are striking for. However this is only my experience and perhaps in other organisations the unions are represented differently x
You have obviously got the wrong kind of union reps in your workplace. In a former life I was a union rep ending up as head steward before I left the company. Yes I have opposed change and development when plans were put forward by management, the reason.... because they were to the detriment of union members, both in terms of pay and conditions. Many hours of negotiation later a satisfactory outcome which suited both sides was achieved.
So I ask the question to the poster I am quoting, what problem do you have with trade unions.?? "
Hi,
In theory im not opposed to trade unions but I would not join the unions in my organisation as I dont respect the behavior demonstrated by the people representing the unions. I have personally seen them disrupt meetings, act disrespectfully to colleagues in situations to bring up their own agenda. Bully and intimidate those not in the union, make slanderous allegations / spread false rumours and use the fact that they are in the union as a reason not to do certain tasks. Also not listen to others opinions and talk over and shout at meetings.
This is only my experience but this is why I do not want to be in the unions in my workplace. I do not want to be associated with what I see as disrespectful and unprofessional behaviour.
So the theory of trade unions I am not oppose to and if I worked in an organisation where those ethics and principles were conveyed in an appropriate manner then yes I would join. But I dont see that in my organisation and that is why I dont want to join. Its personal preference, I have colleagues that are in the union and that is their choice. X |
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Good thing when they do what they are meant to be doing..bad when they are sticking their oars into other things that dont concern them...
They annoyed me when labour were in last time and they called us out on strike due to something labour had/hadn't done...it would have been a lot easier and far more effective if they had just witheld the money the give to the party instead of expecting workers to lose out. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I'm surprised by the balance here from previous experience......
I am a pro trade unionist, they have helped the working class to have better wages and conditions over all, the decline in union membership over the last 30 odd years has see general decline in relative pay and conditions.
re political ambitions, it was the unions who formed the labour party in the 19th century to further the interests of the working classes and that worked out well.....also the unions do fund the labour party. If the unions are forced to stop then it stands to reason that big businesses and the rich should be made to stop funding the liberals and the tories......
No organisation is ever truly representative of all of its members but on the whole my experience of unionism has been positive and id hope that my members experience of me as a rep was positive too..... "
Well said !!! |
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By *B9 QueenWoman
over a year ago
Over the rainbow, under the bridge |
"I'm surprised by the balance here from previous experience......
I am a pro trade unionist, they have helped the working class to have better wages and conditions over all, the decline in union membership over the last 30 odd years has see general decline in relative pay and conditions.
re political ambitions, it was the unions who formed the labour party in the 19th century to further the interests of the working classes and that worked out well.....also the unions do fund the labour party. If the unions are forced to stop then it stands to reason that big businesses and the rich should be made to stop funding the liberals and the tories......
No organisation is ever truly representative of all of its members but on the whole my experience of unionism has been positive and id hope that my members experience of me as a rep was positive too..... Well said !!!"
Wouldn't be without mine. Had a very positive impact on my working conditions. |
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