To not support strike action

[Happyhappyveggie]

I’m in a university trade union and we have been called to take strike action over our pension.

The action is 14 days over 4 weeks, starting at 2 days a week and then escalating over that month to a full week.

I simply can’t do it. It will put my children and family security in trouble but now I am thinking should i leave the Union rather than strike break.

I am finding it all very stressful and upsetting actually as I support the need to protect pensions but it feels like my immediate circumstances are more important- as in keeping a roof over my kids heads.

Aibu? Can you be in a trade union and not support action? I find morally I am struggling with it.

Please talk to your Branch about your worries.
There are lots of people worried about how they will manage over those weeks but it's so important to show solidarity with your fellow members.

UCU have a hardship fund and your Branch may have a separate one.

We are going to put together some ideas for people who are concerned about the financial side of things - which to be honest will be lots of us.

The pension dispute is so important for us and for the next generations.

I’m going to leave the union.

I feel in an impossible situation as I can’t survive losing an entire months salary without being in a precarious situation. I can’t not pay my rent.

I’m not ok it’s what is happening and I have never missed a strike day before but it’s put me in an impossible situation and I have to put my kids first.

Oh, and thanks to those that called me a scab. I’m already upset but it all and feel shit so thanks for making me feel even worse

i love how the fact i hear about going on strike from MN instead of my union sigh .....

OP i have sympathy for you. When we have gone on strike before it is usually 2 days in 4 weeks....... None of us were expecting 14 days.

Can you strike the days you can afford to ? Can you work from home the other days? I can afford all 14 days, but i understand not everyone can.

In my university, not everyone is in the same union. no one has ever called another a scab.....

*If you don't stand with your coworkers during a strike you are telling your employer:

"Lower my pay! I am perfectly okay with it."

Your bosses won't thank you for not having a backbone. They may even distrust you after this*

No I was telling my employer that I wasn’t prepared to let down the child I worked for. If that meant they disliked me or distrusted me then that’s their call.

If going on strike will place you in financial hardship then talk to your union, they will have a fund for strike pay for people in your situation.

You can still choose to break the strike, you're not loosing anything by looking at your options, you are showing that you want to support your union and colleagues.

I think breaking the strike without investigating your options is pretty bad.

Bullying? Intimidating? Coercion? Aggresive? Abuse of power?

For saying if you dont support the union you shouldnt be in it?

Lol

No. For calling people scabs etc. As well you know.

I think breaking the strike without investigating your options is pretty bad.

I agree. Unless there's stuff you haven't told us, OP, you haven't looked into hardship funds, talked to your branch about other kinds of help etc. I'm sorry you feel upset, but quite honestly I think it's pretty shabby of you. If the union wins, no doubt you'll happily pocket a pension that will be much, much better than the one you would get without union action.

Unions only have any credence at all because of collective action. You had your say in the ballot, and now you go with the result. Or choose to leave the union.

Araiwa....you really are low coming on here and calling 'scab'. If you can't manage not to be so offensive then I suggest you stfu

If you want to strike, do, if you don't, don't. Nobody has the right to abuse, threaten or intimidate a fellow worker because they don't see a work dispute in the same way you do.

It's rather ironic really, when you see strikers hurling abuse at "fucking scabs" and so on. A major reason trade unions were created was to prevent workers from being abused, coerced and threatened.

Nobody is forced to work, and nobody should feel forced not to work.

The strength of the union is in its members. I'm relieved to hear that you plan to leave if you can't support the action.

The whole point of this rapidly escalating strike is to avoid the pissy, useless, day here and day there strikes of recent years, and cause some actual disruption.

It'll be over two months, OP, so won't hit all in one pay check at least.

Show some solidarity.

Public servants shouldn't strike over economic issues quite frankly. Do you even want to be in the union? Besides making you strike do they actually do anything for you? Is there an alternative union you could join? Could you find a more reasonable way to voice your concerns? For example requesting a meeting with your supervisor/board of trustees/whatever? Maybe you could look for alternative employment/an alternative pension scheme/save for retirement yourself if you feel that your employer is not adequately safeguarding your pension.

I am a UCU member and I am dreading the prospect of escalating strikes. I really hope a solution is found before it gets to that point. It all seems so non-sensical and counter-productive.

Eggs is that post serious?

EggsonHeads - university staff are not public servants.

Some if these posts are fucking depressing. No wonder Thatcher was able to be as successful as she was in removing the ability for unions to protect their members and encouraging people to think only of their own short term immediate needs.

Some if these posts are fucking depressing

I agree. Name calling and saying things such as crossing a picket line is the lowest of the low, is fucking depressing.

I didn't of course mean that.

I've no time for people who cross picket lines and undermine others who go out on strike I'm afraid.

At least the OP plans to leave the union but I rather regret the fact that strike breakers can no longer have their membership cancelled.

I've no time for people who cross picket lines and undermine others who go out on strike I'm afraid.

That's fine. I have no time for people who think it's ok to call people scabs or the lowest of the low tbh.

My uni has about 600 UCU members. The most who have ever taken strike action is 95. No vitriol, retribution, name-calling that I'm aware of, just a respect for others' choices.

It might have helped if UCU didn't ballot before decisions were made by a body that they have equal representation on. And also might have helped if they'd tabled a proposal of their own in one of the 18 or so meetings before they finally did.

If they choose to use their membership like pawns then they have to accept that some (possibly most) won't support them

As I have said, I will leave UCU over this. I have never crossed a picket line in my life and I dont want to.

But I am in a really precarious financial position at the moment and it would literally break me to lose so much money- there isn’t much of a hardship fund at my uni.

Its all very well to say show some solidarity when I wouldn’t be able to feed my children.

Keeping a roof over your and your kids’ Heads is the most important thing OP. I can’t believe someone suggested a mortgage or rent holiday. Any decent person would understand your reasons for not striking and would be able to tell what a hard decision it is for you.

Good luck.

OP can you explain why you would rather leave the union than receive strike pay? UCU has a fund for exactly your kind of situation.

I also regret the fact that non union members and those who break the strike can't be denied any of the financial benefits which others are prepared to strike and suffer for.