to think people should stop using this part of the forum as a substitute for being in a trade union

[GracielaSabrocita]

It's a common theme on AIBU?: my employer is doing something terrible. Sooner or later someone asks the OP if they are a member of a trade union, which they never are (or else they wouldn't be posting in the first place).

If you can't be bothered to join a union, please don't complain or ask us to sort your problems when your employer treats you like shit.

And those who don’t have a union to join do what exactly?

Wow! I am very pro TU but I would hate to think that only people in a TU will be able to understand and exercise their employment rights!

Yes you are being totally U.

HTH

what if there isn’t a union to join?

Incidentally- in my time I have seen TU reps urge members to accept a really poor deal because it gave short term benefits to the lowest paid (and now we all have worse terms and conditions), and they failed to help me at my most desperate. A group of us ended up clubbing together to get independent legal advice when our TU reps and legal team failed to help, despite most of us being seasoned picketers!

TUs can be great, sure, but everyone deserves their employment rights regardless to TU membership.

You don't have to answer those threads you know. I doubt people are personally asking you

YABU

I am a retail seasonal worker who can be sacked with no notice. I can't afford to pay a sub for USDAW, which is part of the reason I am not a member. Especially if I'm paying fees on the Tuxedo pocketmoney card I'm being paid via, in breach of my contract.

Legal action via a union would cost more money than I earn and my time is better spent looking for work. Also, pretty sure hours would be revoked if fellow seasonal workers got too uppity for our managers' liking.

USDAW allowed this situation to take place and from my meagre perspective, is altogether too cosy with senior management and clearly aware that Tesco could refuse to recognise them at any time.

This forum has allowed me the means to shine a light on this practice and inform others, who in turn have provided advice outside the scope of any union.

YABU

what if there isn’t a union to join?

Just to answer this question for those who want to know - you can join a union even if it isn't formally recognized by your workplace. Just call up the most relevant union for your industry and ask to join. You'll still get quite a lot of the protection that comes with being in a union - though not collective pay bargaining, obvs.

You can get your workplace unionized if you are really keen (though this does carry its risks).

For me AIBU should be just that or a WWYD at a push

Not asking for advice on a situation that is clearly unreasonable already

Or asking for present ideas ffs

Please free to tell me IABU for TAAT but Chat and Legal boards do exist too

Not everyone's employer recognises a union.

However, there is a lot of crap employment/HR advice on MN, specifically a conviction on the part of several posters that it's easy to make a successful claim for constructive dismissal if an employer behaves in an annoying or inconsiderate manner. So posters should be super careful in who to believe on here.

I've dealt with union reps in the past and to tell you the truth, their advice is as hit and miss as mumsnet funnily enough.

Something feeling unfair isn't the same as being in breach of actual employment law.

But it's good to have a moan here nonetheless.

ODFOD.

Just to answer this question for those who want to know - you can join a union even if it isn't formally recognized by your workplace

And that will help you how if your employer doesn't recognise it?? We don't all work in the public sector (I actually do work in the public sector, am a union member and for the most part they are rubbish, expected us to strike repeatedly and lose pay during periods where it had little impact on the employer and therefore failed to lead to the measly pay increase they had been asking for, leaving all the strikers out of pocket). Unions do have their place but they aren't the miraculous solution you think they are and where your workplace doesn't even recognise them, they are pointless.

Good union reps are excellent sources of advice and support (I'm speaking as an HR Director) but they're not the only show in town - good reason why closed shops aren't allowed anymore.

Wildbluebelles it will help because if enough of you join it the employer HAS to recognise it. I can’t rememebr the exact figures or percentages though.

where your workplace doesn't even recognise them, they are pointless

Not true. I was in this exact situation, btw - my workplace didn't recognize a union but I just joined one anyway because I could see that there was a lot of dodgy stuff going on. The union ended up recovering a lot of money for me when they tried to make us redundant illegally . I didn't work in the public sector.

If your employer is breaking the law, a union will be able to sort it for you, even if the union isn't recognized by your employer. Think of it as a cheap alternative to a solicitor.

Anyway, just posting here because sometimes people think they're not allowed to join a union, which isn't the case.

Generally if 51% of you join then your employer has to recognize it.

I'm a member of a union not recognised by my employer. I can go them for information and advice. I have the right to be accompanied to disciplinaries, etc- just because my employer won't recognise unions, it doesn't mean I can't choose for the person accompanying me to be from my union. There are a number of linked benefits to my membership (access to their credit union, learning opportunities, etc). My membership is definitely not pointless.

MN is a public forum, where people chat, discuss issues and ask for advice. You ABVU.

And those who don’t have a union to join do what exactly?

Anyone can join a union - GMB or Unison are fairly represntative of just aboutevery body.

Who made you forum god OP

Hi, I don't often post on here but i'm chiming in to say YABVU. The employment posts on here are interesting to many, and raise awareness for readers on what is and isn't acceptable in the workplace. There are 1000s of people out there getting shafted at work and / or putting up with unreasonable behaviour from colleagues every day, making their lives a misery, and this forum is really good for helping people see there are alternatives to accepting this. Just being aware of your rights and advice on what to say can help people be more assertive with their line manager and colleagues, to nip things in the bud and avoid escalating things.

YANBU to think people should stop using AIBU for employment problems. Because the advice they get is usually awful and peppered with people who don’t know what they are talking about.

Posting in Employment means it’s more likely to be seen and answered by experts, and although obviously online advice from randoms can’t be guaranteed as being accurate, it can give people a useful steer if they ask people with a high likelihood of actually knowing what they are talking about.

Surely a few knowledgeable posts is better than the “traffic” people are after when they ignore specialist topic areas in favour of AIBU?