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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2005 10:45:00 GMT
In light of recent actions by the likes of Bob Crow, do you think unions do any good, or are they trouble causers looking after their cronies?  Or, are they still a useful protector of the front line worker? |
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Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Dec 24, 2005 10:58:10 GMT
It depends on the union and the nature of the job their members do. When I worked at the motorway services, pemanent staff were highly reocmmended to join the union (GMB), as most of them were unskilled workers and the motorway services companies are all just out for money not to provide a service. The union there did some good. In my current job (Defra) there are two unions, one for general administrative staff (PCS) and the other for technical staff (Prospect). PCS do a lot of filibustering and make a lot of noise and go out on strikes periodically, but never actually achieve anything other than delaying when we receive our annual pay increase. Prospect do hold the more constructive negotiations with managment regarding pay (there efforts are sometimes undermined by PCS :  but regarding pretty much everything else they are a complete wet blanket. I am not a member of either. |
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Post by doubletrigger on Dec 24, 2005 13:54:47 GMT
Still very relevant in my opinion, especially in the privatised railway where money matters more than staff! Otherwise the companies would walk all over us... I'd say his recent strike on New Year's Eve is worthy of a strike though not sure if the timing was quite so right. It will cause a lot of disruption which is the whole point of why they are doing this when they are. I might not agree with them on that part though I do agree with what the strike is about in principle.
A "Cronie".
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2005 14:26:52 GMT
Yes the Unions are relavent. People who complain about unions being dinosaurs are often in non unionised low paid jobs.
I rest my case.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2005 20:27:11 GMT
Yes the Unions are relavent. People who complain about unions being dinosaurs are often in non unionised low paid jobs. I rest my case. Errr... I'm not in the CWU (Communication Workers Union), as the only thing that they seem to be good at is wildcat strikes*, which have achieved nothing more than to lose me and my colleagues money and a further erosion of conditions. The TGWU, whilst better on a national level, locally concerned itself with trivia and achieved nothing more than ensuring we got the original pay offer in June nstead of April. The staff reps made sure that their mates / cronies got the best buses and shifts. Maybe I have been a little hasty in my assasination of the unions; instead is it the trade unionists, such as Mr. Crow, who are the dinosaurs? *- Please note, before I get flamed, that I would not cross a picket line, and never have. |
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Post by dunois on Dec 24, 2005 21:45:28 GMT
I would say that they are still relevant but their organisation and functioning needs to be reformed.
In all the cases in think That British's unions are not as dinosaurs as theirs French counterparts.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2005 23:41:55 GMT
Maybe I have been a little hasty in my assasination of the unions; instead is it the trade unionists, such as Mr. Crow, who are the dinosaurs? On that David, we are in agreement. |
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Colin
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Post by Colin on Dec 26, 2005 21:24:25 GMT
Yes they're relevant - providing they do what they exist to do. As I started out on the stations, I have always been a member of RMT, and stuck with them when I moved onto the trains side. However, they have got progressively worse of late - with their first response to anything being "we're calling a ballot for strike action". I have now joined ASLEF as they do actually consider other forms of negotiation first.
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but regarding pretty much everything else they are a complete wet blanket. I am not a member of either.
