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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be cross with colleagues who have decided to go to work on strike day?

102 replies

natation · 30/11/2011 14:35

I am a UK civil servant who has witnessed rapid deterioration of working conditions, whose department has been many times in the news recently for failing to fulfil its security obligations (mainly down to the 25% target to sack staff). It appears the south east branches have shown pretty solid support for the public sector strike, except where we are. I find it unexplainable why every single union member decided to work this morning!!! AIBU to be really cross with them? I feel quite betrayed.

OP posts:
rocksandhardplaces · 30/11/2011 15:14

I don't agree with this strike but I too agree that if you are in a union, and expect the union to support you with reference to on-the-job disputes and workplace bullying etc you respect the decision of the majority and strike when the vote has been passed. You are either in or you are out, I think.

On the other hand, I have done a lot of work from home this morning and last night so I suppose I haven't really participated as I should in the strike.. but I wouldn't pass the picket line when I have paid up as a member, as I think this contravenes the principles of being in a union.

Kayano · 30/11/2011 15:14

Don't think it was my fault either working in technical support tbh. The strikers seem to have so many different views and keep spouting seemingly random stuff

Royal wedding
Public sector vs bankers etc

I've just switched off now

natation · 30/11/2011 15:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

slipperandpjsmum · 30/11/2011 15:17

YANBU

If you are a Union member and the majority vote to take industrial action you should strike. Unions are about the collective coming together and thats where the power to bring about change comes from.

No one I know who is striking can afford it but they wouldn't let their collegues down by working today.

Kayano · 30/11/2011 15:20

Why would you strike if you voted against it and don't believe in it?

To protect yourself from bullying?
To follow along like a sheep?

If they don't believe in it and voted against it who are you to say they should strike? Majority rules? My arse.

BeaOnSeasonToBeJollyFaLaLaLaLa · 30/11/2011 15:21

I am on strike today but I do not look down on the few colleagues who have gone in work.

Some are not in a Union
Some do not pay into the Pension Fund

I personally do not know anyone who is in a striking union and has gone into work.

smallwhitecat · 30/11/2011 15:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

slug · 30/11/2011 15:25

I'm a public sector worker who is in work on the strike day. I thought long and hard about coming into work today. However, I work in education. I support an IT system that allows teaching and learning to go on despite the strike. Many of the people on strike today from my organisation have taken advantage of this to ensure their students don't miss out. If I wasn't here today and the system went down, it would be even worse for our students. Ultimately our argument is with the govt, not the students, so, reluctantly, I decided that I would work today.

What amuses me is that my inbox is rammed with emails from striking colleagues who are using this opportunity to catch up on work. They've assumed, rightly, that despite being in the same union, I will be in, allowing them to feel less guilty at depriving their students.

ilovesooty · 30/11/2011 15:25

I personally do not know anyone who is in a striking union and has gone into work

I do, unfortunately, and I'm disgusted with them. I think I'm entitled to that opinion: if I were to abuse them for their actions that would be a different matter.

CestTout · 30/11/2011 15:26

I am a public sector worker, 25 years old and am at work.

I can see the POV of the strikers but in the forefront of my mind is that I have a job, that at present is reasonably secure.

The organisation I work for went through redundanices earlier this year and we lost 80 employees (about 10% of the work force). We now have met targets which should avoid redundancies next year as the board decided to cut as much as possible to hopefully avoid rolling redundancies every year.

rocksandhardplaces · 30/11/2011 15:27

I don't look down on any colleagues who are not in a union but those who say "I am in a union but I didn't vote for it so I'm not striking" I do feel a bit Hmm about. Unions are only any good if they operate as a collective. If you don't want to follow majority rules, don't join a union and fight your own battles at work on your own terms. This is a valid option for all employees, I don't think there is anything wrong with not wanting to be in a union. However, if you make that choice and you are willing to call on the union if you face trouble at work, respect the majority vote. It's selfish to do otherwise. If you don't agree, get out of the union. Problem solved.

BeaOnSeason.. our union rep has gone into work today.

CestTout · 30/11/2011 15:27

Slug - same situation! I am monitoring our online system, loads of students working from home and equally lots of teachers catching up on work from home!

Yankeecandlequeen · 30/11/2011 15:27

I don't think it has anything to do with you not anyone else if they work/strike. Their decision & you have no right to judge them.

And yes, my DH striked. And if I was in work (now on a career break) I'd have gone in to work.

wannaBe · 30/11/2011 15:27

but it's not a majority, is it? It's only a majority of those who turned out to vote - what is that, about 30%? Which means that the actual majority either don't care or don't agree.

These strikes where 80% of 30% of all members vote and then try to sell it as the majority being in favour are a complete farce and shouldn't be legal.

Sevenfold · 30/11/2011 15:28

yanbu if they belong to a union that is striking

FioFio · 30/11/2011 15:28

I don't mind who strikes and who doesn't as we live ina democracy and we have the right to strike and to hear our voices heard, but that goes both ways. I also think in times of recession people may be mindful about losing their jobs and may feel they have to go into work, even if they believe the strike is right.

ajandjjmum · 30/11/2011 15:29

I can understand people being well pissed off that their pension arrangements are changing - but they're unsustainable. The majority of us in the private sector are not bankers - DH and I have seen our salaries more than halve (the joys of self-employment!), and any contribution to our pension fund has stopped. I'm pissed off about it but there's no option.

rocksandhardplaces · 30/11/2011 15:31

"but it's not a majority, is it? It's only a majority of those who turned out to vote - what is that, about 30%? Which means that the actual majority either don't care or don't agree. "

The people who didn't turn out to vote need to acquiesce with those who did. They had their ballot papers. They could have voted no. As they didn't, they were allowing others to choose their unions' action.

If you don't vote in a general election or vote for someone who doesn't get in, you don't get to ignore new rules set by the government because it wasn't your choice.

rocksandhardplaces · 30/11/2011 15:32

Aj, but that's not the point of this thread. I don't agree with this strike really and I didn't vote for it but I believe in principle that if you are a member of an organisation that chooses democratically to strike, you go with the majority decision of those who bothered to vote.

smallwhitecat · 30/11/2011 15:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

slug · 30/11/2011 15:34

"but it's not a majority, is it? It's only a majority of those who turned out to vote - what is that, about 30%? Which means that the actual majority either don't care or don't agree. "

30% of those who were balloted voted for strike action. 235 of those who were balloted voted for the Conservatives.

CestTout - Are you a learning technologist?? Do I know you It's a small profession.

AntiqueAnteater · 30/11/2011 15:35

Just remember that it is Police workers, health workers, Border workers

police arent allowed to strike, but still have to bear the cuts and pay freezes

slug · 30/11/2011 15:35

Oops 23%

worley · 30/11/2011 15:35

Yes we were made to take a day off for the royal wedding. We were firstly told they would treat it as any other working day and our patient lists would stay the same. But then the managers decided to cancel lists and we were then told our department would close for the day. Nothing to do with the face we would have been paid more for working on a bank holiday and would have cost them more money. Such is my job that I cannot work without the back up of other professions if something was to go wrong and therefore as they werent working, we couldnt. Anyway, ok I can see that the royal wedding is a different subject I just have a bee in my bonnet today with people maoning about the strikes and not really having a complete understanding of the situation if it doesnt actually affect them finacially.

niceguy2 · 30/11/2011 15:36

The ballot for strikes were related to pension cuts.

So to be cross with your colleagues who have decided to go to work because you don't like the fact that there has been a "rapid deterioration of working conditions" means you are in effect being cross with them for not striking for something they didn't vote for.

In short YABU.

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