Strikes how do unions work?

[alasangne]

I've never been in a union there isn't one for my profession. How do they work? Are all the royal mail post people automatically put in a union when they join? And if they don't want to strike do they have to or the union fires them?

Other union members from supporting sectors joining in on your dispute, by either joining you protesting or striking themselves.... (secondary action)

Is that allowed? He's a politician. I thought it was seperate.

Secondary strike action means Union A (say, bus drivers) members go on strike solely to support members of Union B (say train drivers), who have called a strike because of an issue with Union B's employer (eg train drivers wanting higher pay or different conditions).
The rules over how and when and why a union can ask its members to strike have been changed so that secondary striking is illegal as stated.

Oh I see so kind of like they have to organise their own strike about their own thing?

Yes, absolutely.

@ICouldHaveCheckedFirst Cross posted and thank you:)

Union members are not obliged to tell anyone they're striking. As a union rep, I won't disclose who my members are, and certainly not if they intend to strike.

of course your length of service has strike days deducted from it.
you were not working that day, so you were not in service. same as with pay.

"You don't get paid on strike. A surprising number of people seem not to know this."

In the UK currently I've heard this is the case. I live in another European country and I get an allowance from the strike fund when I go on strike. It comes out of the dues we pay.

employers will not normally grant annual leave or any kind of planned leave on a strike day.
for obvious reasons.

R4 was reporting that 100s of postal workers have crossed picket lines, can't afford not to work.

I'd imagine this will be the govts tactic for other disputes too.

And any sickness absence on strike day cannot be self-certified

@Gwenhwyfar

I think 'closed shop' (forcing people to join the union) is illegal now.

Unless you are a doctor, in which case your only chance to practice in the UK is to join to British Medical Association and pass the exams and training they set.

"Unless you are a doctor, in which case your only chance to practice in the UK is to join to British Medical Association and pass the exams and training they set."

Isn't it a professional association rather than a trade union?
They certainly don't seem to do anything to defend junior doctors, for example.

Nurses have to be in a union so they get insurance against a patient suing. Shockingly the NHS doesn't cover this!

Doctors do not have to join the BMA

I suspect you might be thinking of the GMC - doctors have to be registered with it, sometimes referred to as being a member (it is the compulsory regulatory body, not a union)

Not saying they are effective at supporting their more junior members.

Saying they are a closed shop.

I'm on strike now and we get union strike pay, it's less than half my salary but I couldn't manage without it as we're out for a long time- 2 weeks

That's shocking

This. I didn't tell management I was striking nor did I put in place any plans to have my work covered or give any handover. That's kinda the point...

No you don’t - but my union was offering £70 a day to people who wanted to strike.

Doctors aren't covered either, and will probably buy professional insurance (the two big providers are MPS and MDU - think there's at least one other).

And I assume AHPs have to buy insurance too. All depending on whether there is a union version available to them

You get pissed off with someone who accepts a pay rise negotiated by a union?
What do you expect them to do?
They have the right to not join the union. Many people have good reasons why they don't want to join. They won't have access to the other support that the union provides but they can't decline the pay rise.

Yeah but those who gripe on about not joining really need to stop and think that if those who fight for their rights / extra pay etc are doing so to benefit all then they should stop and think that maybe they should back them up and join too as they are reaping the rewards as well. Yes its a right not to join but letting others fight for your gain without supporting them-is a bit shit really, but yes true they cant really decline the pay rise, personally i would feel a bit guilty not supporting those willing to make a stand though.

I don't think it's been mentioned but it isn't free to be in a union, you pay subs.
I know lots of postie's who aren't striking at my local depot. They can't afford to. One is so scared of repercussions and being confronted by the picket line in what has been described as a very aggressive manner, she has been met by a manager out of town with a van to go and do deliveries.
I've had things delivered today in other areas that I've sent. Lots are still working.