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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be stressed out about pressure to strike

432 replies

peppapighastakenovermylife · 11/03/2011 11:15

Without saying too much, my 'organisation' has announced strike action.

I really do not want to do it but feel awful at not. I wouldnt actually have to cross a picket line or anything (can simply work at home) but feel like I 'should' strike.

The strike is over our pensions. I understand the impact but feel that I can't worry about something now that will happen in probably 35 - 40 years time. I feel pretty lucky to even be able to afford to pay anything into a pension, let alone a company one. The returns are still better than other private pensions. However I understand why some are striking.

It is potentially two days strike. I cannot afford to lose that money. I am the main wage earner and just come off SMP. If I strike food will either be going on the credit card with no clear means of paying it off soon. There are more pressing issues such as redundancy, fuel costs, reductions in tax credits and so on looming. I feel like I need to worry about now rather than way in the future and do not have the 'luxury' that many well paid members of staff might have of not really noticing the loss of a days pay.

Would you strike? Have you gone on strike in the past? I am too 'young' (I wish Grin) to have really been in this situation before Sad

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 12/03/2011 12:12

surely its just a different wing of the union

I'd prefer to consider it a group who have no idea what being a union member means. Or scabs, to put it in short.

onlion · 12/03/2011 12:19

Vitriol aside, you make an interesting point. I think many people who are in Unions dont really understand what they are about and their role in the union once they have joined.

baildonwen · 12/03/2011 12:22

huddspur, they don't expel members who don't strike because they need their money to finance the unions operations. If unions got rid of all members who didn't go on strike then they'd have to scale back and it would make them less effective.

Original poster
peppapighastakenovermylife · 12/03/2011 12:24

Wow this kicked off! Right a few points.

  1. I am only 28. I have had no experience of unions or really needing to fight for anything before.
  1. I genuinely did not understand the ways of the union. I saw it that we paid each month and then there was support we could call on if we needed it. A bit like insurance - that most people were unlikely to need the union over the course of their careers but if they did they had probably paid thousands towards it anyway. I now know this is not primarily what the union is for.
  1. I now accept if I am part of the union I need to strike. I hope it is only one day. Two, ok fine. If it goes on for longer I simply cannot do that. So I will have to leave.
  1. After all of this is over I will need to think whether I want to be part of it or not.
  1. Many of my colleagues are not union members. I reckon membership here is at about 40%.
  1. There will be no picket line to cross as I wasnt in that day anyway - working at home. So essentially I will still work at home but not get paid Confused

So thank you...I do now understand the unions, will follow them on this occasion but need to think of the long term position.

I also still dont see how it works in our area - everyone will still do the same amount of work just that they will not get paid for it. Surely the employer wins here....

Mimile - thank you. Am on the absolute edge with everything to be honest.

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 12/03/2011 12:25

I think many people who are in Unions dont really understand what they are about and their role in the union once they have joined.

Good point: I couldn't agree more. It's not entirely their fault either: younger people for instance simply haven't grown up with that awareness. I was brought up in a socialist family and to this day I'm aware that my father would have been terribly ashamed to have a daughter who thought it was ok to cross a picket line or not show union solidarity.

onlion · 12/03/2011 12:25

By the way....what is your take on compulsory unions?

ilovesooty · 12/03/2011 12:33

I don't belive someone should be forced to join a union.

Original poster
peppapighastakenovermylife · 12/03/2011 12:33

My biggest worry though is that cuts are being made. If we win the pension battle will their just be more redundancies Sad?

I am already on the redundancy list. I just see that by supporting this I am almost signing my job (and therefore my pension!) away Sad

However I will now support it based on this.

OP posts:
onlion · 12/03/2011 12:35

My professional body has automatic memebership to the union with registration with them. Thats as good as compulsory as registration is.

onlion · 12/03/2011 12:36

Are you in higher education peppa? (apolgies if you have mentioned above0

onlion · 12/03/2011 12:42

Oh shivvers, just saw that re 2 days

thats my whole week's income, that would be a blow

pinkteddy · 12/03/2011 13:36

'I genuinely did not understand the ways of the union. I saw it that we paid each month and then there was support we could call on if we needed it. A bit like insurance.'

I think that is definitely true as well. I was a UNISON member for all of my ten years service in the NHS and wasn't balloted for strike action once so it can work that way. I'm amazed your union has balloted its members so quickly on strike action. Hutton's report only published the other day and as far as I'm aware the government haven't published an official response yet?

Original poster
peppapighastakenovermylife · 12/03/2011 13:39

pinkteddy - It is not a mainstream public services pension, this has been rumbling for ages in our area.

onlion - yes

OP posts:
onlion · 12/03/2011 13:43

yes me too.

iwerta · 12/03/2011 13:45

Some of the views on this thread are exactly why I never been in a union.

tinierclanger · 12/03/2011 13:48

Peppa I understand your position and I think you need to speak to the union re hardship fund. Hopefully reading this thread has made it clearer to people that union membership is about solidarity - it's not ok to pick and choose. I could do with not striking in this dispute too, I will miss the money and am pressured at work but I knew when I joined the union that I had to accept its decisions,otherwise it's worthless.

The pensions issue is a really big deal as it opens the door for a gradual erosion of your pension and other benefits.

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 12/03/2011 13:52

Hav not read the whole thread, so may already have been suggested, but when a friend of mine was in this position he requested annual leave for that day, which was agreed, and so was therefore not seen to eb at work, but did no lose day's pay.

tundra · 12/03/2011 13:52

If you need the money then go into work, the people on this thread who are talking about showing solidarity no matter what aren't going to face the financial difficulty that not going to work would cause.

tinierclanger · 12/03/2011 13:56

Tundra it's not that simple. It will not be pleasant for her to cross a picket line. Better to ask for help from the union.

tundra · 12/03/2011 14:00

"It will not be pleasant for her to cross a picket line"

Why, what are they going to do?

upahill · 12/03/2011 14:06

Blimey Peppa the way that you mentioned that you were young and didn't know about these things I thought you were, well young!!

You are 28 ffs, not someone just finished their A levels!

tinierclanger · 12/03/2011 14:12

Probably very little but its just not a nice position to be in.

upahill · 12/03/2011 14:17

When a union member refused to strike about 3 or 4 years ago and crossed a picket line at my previous work place life was made very uncomfortable for them.

It wasn't pleasant to see and I left to go to another job about two months after the strike but the scab had a rough ride for many months before quitting.

BuzzLiteBeer · 12/03/2011 14:27

TUNDRA plenty of us have done it. We were nearly crippled by a week long strike at DH's work, took us months to sort our finances out afterwards, but we would not have dreamed of not striking. I would rather have starved.

Some people actually have principles over and above our own immediate needs.

upahill · 12/03/2011 14:30

Here Here Buzz!