Trade unions have a woman problem. Excellent article by union NEC member Paul Embery

If you have a look at my previous posts, you’ll see that I’ve made exactly that point.

I’ve also made the point that there are GC women trade unionists who are in a lonely position trying to change things, and that it would be less lonely if more GC women volunteered and got involved.

And the trade union more generally would be better if more women were involved. In my opinion anyway. But I fully understand how hard it is on top of work and family commitments. And how draining it can be.

I know - but that's not exactly a ringing endorsement of the TU movement for women is it? Be careful and discreet before speaking out about not wanting men watching you while you undress at work or speak about child safeguarding.
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But in order to even do that then you have to be sufficiently motivated to give up time and spend emotional energy trying to instigate change in an already captured organisation. How many people with families, jobs and other commitments have either the time or the inclination for that?

“Honestly, most people join a union to be represented in pay negotiations and to represent them should they have issues at work.”

And if they cancel their local union membership in order join one of the recently set-up unions which only offer personal representation and are not recognised in their workplace for collective bargaining purposes, they won’t be represented in pay negotiations.

As I said in my post….“You’ll need to tread carefully/ be discreet whilst you’re figuring out how it all works.”

If a union can not understand the actual law and can confidently state that trans people have to be allowed to use the facilities for their chosen gender then that union is a joke and not worth joining. No amount of fighting at the risk of losing your own job and livelihood will change it.

Except for women and men (as an example) concerned about schools being used as spring boards for adult trans lobby groups to promote sex change as a positive to children, that advice could be professionally dangerous. Or for a nurse wanting a single sex changing room - as seen by the RCN's refusing to support a member suspended for challenging a man in the women's changing room.
Until unions insist that their members understand democracy and free speech (which won't be soon judging by the Unison leader's tone deaf ramblings about TWAW etc) your suggestion could be career ending for many people.

When you put it like that, I can see why people leave and join a Union where they don't have to spend thankless hours trying to change the whole culture of the union. Honestly, most people join a union to be represented in pay negotiations and to represent them should they have issues at work. They don't join to turn a tanker of gender ideology sail full steam ahead towards oblivion. I hope Unison goes bust.

Personal thanks from me for volunteering as a trade union rep and being focused on your members, daffie. It’s such an important aspect of the role. And under appreciated.

It’s ironic really isn’t it? The trade union movement is about workers supporting other workers, which - massive stereotype approaching - women tend to be more inclined to do. But the movement’s leadership is male dominated. Which I suppose could be linked to the perception of unions being all about industrial disputes.

Indeed. If every single one of Unison’s women members cancelled their membership for four months in protest, then the senior leadership would have to change their position.

However. How would such a campaign be co-ordinated?

How about you stop lecturing people about what they should be doing in your ideal world? Posters here have explained to you why this just isn’t feasible if you don’t want to be ostracised, hounded out of your job, shouted down for being unenlightened etc etc.

Your “just try harder and then you’ll get the change you want” rhetoric is as tiresome as it is unrealistic.

Money talks. If vast swathes of members of captured unions all moved at once to new unions it would be interesting to see how long the'moral high ground' of their old unions lasted.

If you’re the newbie and out numbered by the “comrades” that’s a very draining and dispiriting situation to be in, and not many people would want to volunteer to deal with that nonsense, on top of working full time.

Which is exactly why union members end up with branch exec committees which don’t reflect their branch members’ interests and concerns.

If someone did have the energy and motivation and time to try and do something about it in that situation, then the way to go about it would be to volunteer for a committee role focused on liaison with branch members so you could get more “normies” involved by finding out what their interests are.

But the reason unions have ended up being this distant from their members’ interests is because getting involved takes time, effort and motivation and most people have more than enough on their plate juggling work and family.

“If you feel your union doesn't represent your views then you need to step up and become active. Get involved with Union meetings, consider becoming a rep or an even an officer yourself if you feel really passionate.”

The pp is right about this. The trade unions are adopting their TRSOH positions of TWAW because of who volunteers, who gets involved, who gets elected. Most union members are members because they want support if something goes wrong. They aren’t members because they want to volunteer to take on a lot of trade union activity in their spare time.

The result of that is that individuals who see trade union activism as a route to a political career, or a way of pursuing their personal hobbyhorses have free rein to use the trade union for that purpose.

Women tend to have less spare time because of the second shift so that’s a barrier to women getting involved, meaning there are fewer women activists than male activists, and it’s no fun being out numbered.

There are women trade unionists trying to do something about this but they are in a lonely position. The more GC women who get involved, the less lonely it will be.

So, before cancelling your membership, please do try getting involved in your local branch and find out what scope there is to have influence. You’ll need to tread carefully/ be discreet whilst you’re figuring out how it all works.

I've been in one too - I was careful to say "almost" as I know at times there won't be one. And hardly surprising when we can see that reps (I am one) are viewed as political agitators by some! What I do most off is listening to people at the end of their tether with workload or stress.

Or, to put it another way, I was the only person in the room who wasn't a member of Militant.

Participation was low and that's the way they liked it. Not confined to that particular group of course, as we see in many unions.

£230 per annum from January 2025 to be a union member paying for nice HQ and to have people focused on politics or matters that aren’t not directly related to supporting our roles and needs

@Mittens67 your post just shows RCN has lost the plot

Which I think is a perfect example for anyone wondering why the things that are important to them are not put forward as campaigns.

If it's important then get busy. The only reason the things you disagree with are represented is because someone felt passionately enough about them to ask their Union to create a motion.

The only reason those executives are there is because an engaged member nominated them and then the membership that actually cared enough to turn up voted them in. Of the 600 strong membership, 10 turned up at the AGM, so 10 voted and therein lies the answer to why doesn't my Union represent my views?

If it really matters then why not start a movement? And if you don't have the drive to start a movement, at least start a conversation with your elected officials who are there to represent your interests.

Or do nothing. Choice is yours.

I worked in my early career in a large school with reps for three different unions.

Mine was dedicated to supporting members, though the union was only moderately effective.
Another was ineffective but well meaning.
The third was definitely springboarding.

(My union and the third later combined, much to my surprise, as they started from very different principles.)

I had an email from my union RCN this week (I am a retired member) asking me for my ideas for Pride and LGBTQ+ activities. Why is a nursing union wasting time and money on this? I have been a member for about 30 years. Never had this asked before.
A quick google of the sender’s name name showed their LinkedIn profile. 5 years of nursing but all they list as their accomplishments and focus in the job are entirely lgbtq related and then they were off to do a masters in gender, sexuality and culture before back to a desk job to push their own agenda.
My reply said that I would like to see pride return to representing ordinary people who happened to be same sex attracted rather than the fetish shitshow it has become, I want RCN to represent all it’s members not just those who believe in gender ideology, and nurses to be able to change their clothes at work without a male present.
Having read up on this person’s cv I rather think my response will be deleted as wrong think.

@Daffiesmeanspring each school does not have a union rep within it. I know because I am in one of those schools. No one wants the grief of dealing with the union directly. If anyone needs support they get a rep from another school but I am going to link Edapt on our WhatsApp group as an alternative

Are you speaking from experience of union reps in the school classroom - because I am? When I say 'career' I mean an occupation which becomes a primary commitment; and when that is trade union activism, then, yes, it becomes their 'career', and quite a few end up seeking election either as councillors or MPs or with F/T paid, union roles.

And yes continual agitation and politicking is what many do.

Sorry but that's ridiculous. Almost every primary and secondary school will have at least one, if not more, union reps. They are not seeking political careers! They are trying to support the rights of people in their workplace. This may be seen as "agitating" by some.

My father was a trade union shop steward in the 1970s. He saw his role as a mediator between the men on the factory floor and the management.....but there were plenty of other shop stewards who were far more angry and intent on revolution. It would be they who demanded strikes and who would intimidate other men into going out on strike.

Those around during the 1970s will remember the continual strikes and work to rule that crippled everything from public transport, rubbish collection, the digging of graves, the baking of bread. My father's company eventually gave up and moved their production to Spain instead, leaving lots of men long term unemployed in an area with few skilled engineering jobs, or having to re-locate ( as my family did) to other parts of the country.

Well, that’s a consideration, and I’m now out of secondary teaching. But I didn’t rate my union highly then, and if it were now, I’d make the move.