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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be in a union but not out on strike tomorrow?

248 replies

ILovePud · 12/10/2014 15:21

I'm an NHS clinician and my union has called a strike tomorrow. Strikes have not usually been well supported in my work place and I already had a clinic booked tomorrow. We all had to notify our management last week whether we would be striking and I said no. I felt uncomfortable with the idea of having to contact specific patients and cancel their appointments in a way that I wouldn't have done if it was a case of just omitting to book that clinic. I've become increasingly uncomfortable with this decision over the weekend as I've had some contact with colleagues and it seems that many of them will be striking and that there will be a picket line. I'll have to go in now and feel like I'm in a lose lose situation where I'm either letting down patients or letting down my colleagues. My colleagues are lovely people and none of them are going to have a go at me though there may be some more subtle guilt tripping. The strike's been called over the 1% pay rise offer rather than wider issues and whilst I think this is a crap offer compared with some of the other service issues in the local NHS at the moment this seems like small potatoes, for me at least. My reasons for being a union member have always been more about having access to support in the event of potential employment problems rather than collective bargaining, though obviously if they pay offer gets upped I'll feel the benefit of this along with everyone else and I do feel a bit bad about that. Am I being unreasonable to not be striking?

OP posts:
amicissimma · 13/10/2014 18:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sanfairyanne · 13/10/2014 18:37

and did the op bother to vote?

it really annoys me when people dont even vote then wont go out on strike

gordyslovesheep · 13/10/2014 18:40

no ALL members were able to vote - you are assuming those who didn't vote where no voters - of those who did it was a yes - so you strike

amicissimma · 13/10/2014 19:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gordyslovesheep · 13/10/2014 19:09

no 68% of people who vote voted to strike - the 'sentient adult' also had the option to vote - and vote no - if they didn't of more people voted yes then you strike - and most sentient adults grasp that concept

KatieKaye · 13/10/2014 19:10

Hopefully a sentient adult who joins a union member recognises that in joining the union they undertook an obligation to abide by democratic decisions made by the members. It is not appropriate to join a union and then refuse to accept democratic decisions.

PossumPoo · 13/10/2014 19:24

What about those that have to join like a pp up thread who doesn't agree with striking?

sanfairyanne · 13/10/2014 19:33

you 'need' indemnity insurance
it is cheapest to get it via a union but not essential
i think the person upthread didnt get to vote as they are not currently working? i guess anyway. like i cant vote on issues that dont affect me.

KatieKaye · 13/10/2014 19:47

Nobody has to join a union. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth, as "closed shop" arrangements were banned under the Employment Act 1990.

the poster who claimed she had to join a union to get indemnity insurance as a midwife should be aware of this option (it was a long and well-publicised campaign for those in the profession): www.independentmidwives.org.uk/?node=11615 which means she does not have to be a union member to get indemnity insurance.

Nomama · 13/10/2014 19:50

Thanks Katie. I had been pondering that post since I read it.. the closed shop thing crossed my mind but I know nothing about midwives and their insurances.

Patrickstarisabadbellend · 13/10/2014 19:54

My uncle crossed the picket lines back in the 80s and he was called a scab.

People still don't speak to him because of it Confused

ilovesooty · 13/10/2014 20:29

I had been pondering that post since I read it.. the closed shop thing crossed my mind but I know nothing about midwives and their insurances

Me too.

And no one "has" to be in a union. If you think you need protection you can get help with employment issues through taking out legal protection with your home insurance if you're averse to striking. Any other decision is an excuse to take out union membership, treat it like buying an insurance policy, and having no intention of feeling any responsibility towards your fellow union members.

ilovesooty · 13/10/2014 20:30

And as stated above, specialist indemnity insurance isn't confined to unions.

littleblackno · 13/10/2014 20:35

I haven't read the whole thread, I think striking is a personal decision but I understand why people think it's unreasonable not to support it if you are part of the union.
However your employers are vvu for asking you to strike. I was under the impression they aren't allowed to ask - or they can ask but you don't have to tell them.

littleblackno · 13/10/2014 20:37

Not asking you to strike but asking if you are going to.
Sorry - I'm very tired!

needyoumorethanwantyou · 13/10/2014 21:27

I'm a Nurse but not a member of a Union that was striking today. I still felt uncomfortable crossing the picket line because I 100% support the action and the reasons for it.

I work in a very 'niche' section of MH nursing with a very long (months) waiting list. My small team met last week to plan for today's strike.

Planned strike was from 7am to 11am so if OP does work in a clinic (as she says) that wouldn't start till 9am so that's just two hours that would need to be rescheduled.

Not at all impossible to do so with service users not knowing (and as I've said, I work in a clinic with a waiting list of months and with VERY vulnerable service users).

My clinic had some staff on strike from 7-11 today but we planned a service with no major disruptions and we ALL have service user need as a priority.

OP could have arranged different plans to cover her absence but she didn't. She wanted MN to think she just could not strike as was so desperately needed and couldn't let people down.

Choose not to strike if you don't want to or don't want to lose half a days pay but please, please don't claim it's because you're indispensable because many more genuinely indispensable people would have been striking today.

Dayshiftdoris · 15/10/2014 19:42

Everyone of you missed the retrospective cover - no other insurances can cover me for the midwifery practice I have DONE (or atleast as cheaply as a union) - if you move unions then you are covered from THAT point.

It's not compulsory but you would ill-advised not to have it - especially as a single parent who is now a full time carer on benefits.

I didn't drop off the earth when I stopped working - I have 15years of pension in that mess too thank you and I am currently trying to study to change careers but within the NHS.

sanfairyanne · 15/10/2014 20:36

or at least as cheaply as a union

union members - stronger together - you benefit from strength in unity

BetterTogether75 · 15/10/2014 20:44

YABVU.

KatieKaye · 15/10/2014 21:06

None of us missed the retrospective element because it wasn't relevant to the point you were making which concerned current union membership. You said "I have to be in a union."
Only you don't. As you know.
You chose to be in a union to benefit from the cheaper. Indemnity insurance they have negotiated for their members. And yet it the same post you complain about paying your union dues. Presumably this plus the insurance is still cheaper than the non-union option?
You don't have to be in a union. You have made a decision to stay in the union to take advantage of the financial benefit and yet you still complain about it? Really, you should just leave.

BreadForBrains · 15/10/2014 21:34

Has anyone linked to my favourite Billy Bragg song yet, There Is Power In A Union?!
Oh, OP, yabvvvu. Support it and what it stands for, or get out.

HappyYoni · 15/10/2014 22:42

Love that song Bread! Makes me a bit teary.
Did I mention the big march in London this Saturday? Most unions are organising transport for their members, I think we should have a mumsnet contingent!

Thefishewife · 16/10/2014 06:53

Work to rule I think that's a unhappy medium

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