Trade Unions?

[redcogs]

Trade Unions main purpose is to represent the sectional democratic and collective interests of those who work for employers whose fundamental objective is the generation of profits, an activity which can only occur with the active involvement of workers by hand and brain.

The idea that trade unions somehow "serve their own purposes" is a concept that i have some difficulty with. Which "purposes" do you mean?

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Most local union reps are volunteers, and often take on a lot of extra work and responsibility .

I know of one company that used to take the union reps on weekend "meetings" and supply them with alcohol and prostitutes.

 

[Danny]

I know of one company that used to take the union reps on weekend "meetings" and supply them with alcohol and prostitutes.

It goes without saying that the bosses will do anything to undermine the union

(Un)fortunately nothing like that ever happened to me during my brief spell as a union rep

 

[girofan]

Another thing that unions are good at, which has not been mentioned, is legal representation. Perhaps Patrick will have a comment on this?
Because of collective clout they can and do employ some of the best legal minds in the country on behalf of members, whether for employment or personal difficulties.

 

[gavintc]

Well in my experience, one of the aims of the Union was to slow innovation, development, efficiency etc. Improvements from a TU perspective were reduced effectiveness, less work and increased labour costs.

 

[Kirstie]

I have been a union member all my working life. And I keep trying to rejoin the UCU at my new employer. I have been there for four years, and they haven't responded to my repeated attempts to join. Tossers. But I always have supported and will support the trade union movement.

 

[Kestevan]

Bunch of pinko-commie-bedwetters the lot of em!

Should all be rounded-up, placed against a wall and shot.


Slowly

 

[Kirstie]

Bunch of pinko-commie-bedwetters the lot of em!

Should all be rounded-up, placed against a wall and shot.


Slowly

How do you shoot someone slowly? Surely the point of ballistics is that they are fast?

 

[gbb]

Like everything else in life, there are good and bad sides to unions.
I always liked the legal representation that was available if you needed it.
But so much depends on the relationship between union and employer, how successful the company is, how adept the union is, how interested the reps are, etc etc etc, that no two workplaces will have the same results.

My old company was slowly bled dry by it's supermarket customers. If there's no money in the game, the best union in the world is not going to improve matters, financial or otherwise.

My wifes union (which she has now left in disgust) was completely useless at the shop floor / area level. Completely disinterested in looking after their members. We would have liked to have thought it was maybe just a poor rep...but when we compained to the regional office, they didnt seem to give a monkeys either.

But then, there are benefits to membership, particually when you may need it most, victimisation, redundancy, accident etc. I used to look at it as insurance.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

I have been a union member all my working life. And I keep trying to rejoin the UCU at my new employer. I have been there for four years, and they haven't responded to my repeated attempts to join. Tossers. But I always have supported and will support the trade union movement.

Because they represent ill educated manual workers like you?