To not understand why people recommend Pregnant Then Screwed?

For under 21 hours a week? I have had a Google and minimum wage membership appears to be £18+

I know that this isn't affordable for everyone any more. Plus they are always overstretched so when needed they aren't the panacea that is touted on MN.

I pay £9 per month for my union membership.

Depends on the union and IME, your salary - my fees depends on what you earn. It was very low (maybe £1 a month? Can't remember,) when I was out of work.

Nope. Still hyperbolic

But it isn't a few quid, it's nearly £20 a month and for the already most vulnerable that is expensive.

Call it mn experience

^What @EBearhugsaid!

Most private sector companies are not unionised. They are largely irrelevant outside of the public sector yet it is a fairly common response on here.

Your workplace does not need to be unionised for you to be in a union. They only have to recognise a union if at least 30% of the workforce are members. If it's not recognised, the union won't be involved in pay negotiations (though mine can certainly advise on individual pay discussions,) nor can they call for strike action - but they can advise on employment law, and if you're involved in a disciplinary, can attend as a rep. Mine was very helpful when I was made redundant, and I was very glad of them when I was wrongly accused and had to go through a disciplinary.

They really aren't irrelevant. It's like insurance- I don't want to be in the position of ever needing to make a claim, but I've been very glad of them when I have needed to.

Bit hyperbolic there.

What I’ve come to realise over the years is that when it comes to employment law, if the employee cannot get the outcome they want then they will blame their Union / advisory service / HR or lawyers.
In reality, what the employee wants is often not possible or even lawful. For example, someone returning from maternity leave wants to come back in reduced days but their employer does not agree to this. They seek help from their Union, but still don’t get the outcome they want. The employee thinks everyone is wrong not letting her drop her days so blames them but in reality the employer cannot be forced to change their days if it does not meet the needs of the business.
Don’t get me wrong - there ARE shit Union reps / advisory services / HR out there, but most do their jobs as well as they can. I’ve needed Union support twice in my career; both times they were amazing and were able to take my employer to task but that was because what my employer was trying to do actually went against employment law.

I agree; horrible name.

My employer wont pay me to stay home for 9 months and do nothing
Call pregnancy and screwed

I demand a 300% payrise
Call pregnancy and screwed

Any demand that is suggestion

You don't need to be in a unionised workplace to join a union. I'm a solicitor and I joined a union. I've used them twice and they've been really helpful.

There are a number of unions for people who don't traditionally have a union. I'm with Affinity, as mentioned up thread.

This response always confuses me. Why is this such a common response when 80% of the population are not in a union. Most private sector companies are not unionised. They are largely irrelevant outside of the public sector yet it is a fairly common response on here. Makes me wonder if mumsnet weirdly attracts public sector workers rather than private sector?

It means put to sleep to me.

I'm not a union member. I work in a quasi legal profession and have a background in handling HR issues. I haven't found any advice that I couldn't have put together myself from my legal knowledge and used a proper lawyer for if needed.

A union isn't always necessary. It can be weighed against other options.

I have found most helplines/help websites for most issues to be pretty well useless, (apart from OCD-UK who have been brilliant).

Unless you were totally and utterly clueless beforehand about whatever the issue happens to be.

NHS mental health one especially with its 'have you tried colouring in and a nice bath' shite 🙄, but alzheimers, prem baby issues, mental health - all masters of stating the bleeding obvious.

Their advice should still reflect what is or isn't allowed within employment law, else they're likely to get the employer into more trouble rather than less.

My union has been excellent when I've had to contact them, but this is probably partly because it's not a recognised union in my workplace, so the reps sre directly from the union headoffice where they are employed as reps, rather than it being a volunteer position in addition to their actual job.

Yes when I rang the helpline they were not able to help and I didn’t think my query was that niche.

What union is recommended for a private sector worker assuming no one else is a member int he company? If you work for a small business

Years ago, I had a great UCU local area rep who helped a colleague and I fight, and win, against being made redundant. My colleague and I put in a lot of the legwork, and the union rep did the legal stuff. He was brilliant and very knowledgeable.

But since the trans thing, the same union (at a different college) have been worse than useless. Their rep made anonymous complaints about me to management and then tried to get me sacked from another college. I left UCU years ago and joined Free Speech Union instead.

None of this is helpful to your question OP, sorry!

Tbh you don’t have all the details so it’s not really insightful for you to comment

I'm a member of a union for people without a specific union for their job. They are also supportive of gender critical people from my understanding. (Affinity.)

But you didn't have a case. They couldn't tell you otherwise. There is no right to promotion.

Sure, but it seems to me the issue is that HR often get called in when it's too late, and not enough has been done to proactively try to prevent discriminatory behaviour coming from a manager / colleagues. Honestly, from where I'm standing it's about what can be proven and what can't. In my experience HR tend to dig down and do anything possible to deny that discrimination has occurred in order to try to ward off a claim.

Anyway look, I don't want this to get personal as I know you are trying to help OP and that's great. I have come across some great HR people, but to your point that apparently most union reps are useless... I'm afraid I have to say the same about HR. In all fairness, I've also seen some shockers from union reps.