Is there any point in belonging to a Union?

[MrsDylanBlue]

Just wondering if there is any point in paying £15 a month to belong.

Whenever I have needed to use them they have been supportive yet ineffective, we never seem to win any fights...

Public sector worker - front facing, only reason I really belong is in case someone makes an allegation against me

Yes. The more active members a union has, the more effective they are. The fewer members they have the less likely they are to be able to collectively bargain to protect your terms and conditions, never mind the individual representation they offer if you're ever in trouble. You only need to have them represent you in one dispute in your entire working life and your subs will have been well spent compared to if you had to hire and pay for legal representation.

Get involved and go to meetings etc, unions are all about the members, the more involved the members are the more they will achieve. Look what RMT can achieve for their workers! It's because their members take an active role in the union.

Yes, just taken my employer to tribunal and I could never have afforded the legal fees. Luckilyy union covered them.

I’m a teacher in the NUT and they’ve helped me with pay and conditions issues more than once. And yes, of course you need to be a member for if you ever need legal representation- depressing to think of but essential if you’re on the front line.

Yes and as PP have said a lot depends on the numbers in that branch and how that branch is run.
I used to be a rep and sometimes I could only be supportive depending on what the complaint was e.g. when the company has acted within the law and there isnt anything that can be done. Also seen many successes but a lot are hidden as so many cases going on that a member wouldn't know about.

Think of it as an insurance policy, you might never need to use them but if you do.....

Also check out the membership benefits on their website, you might be surprised at what you are entitled to which can justify the membership fee

£15 does seem quite a lot of money but hopefully linked to pay scale. Yes you should pay it - rather like insurance - without that Union you could be zero-hours and Statutory Sick, Maternity, Pension and Holidays.

The cost of being a member per year is less than what you would pay for one solicitors
letter if a problem ever got that far (and as a rep I’ve seen it get that far many a time). Those with support of the union have access to trained people both locally and regionally who can support you through really tough times. Additionally there is the wider collective issues that need strength through membership - think pensions, leave, working conditions etc.

Get involved, go to executive meetings and find out more. I actually find out a hell of a lot about my organisation and what’s going on from being in the union. Knowledge is always power and I generally know more than my superiors.

Yes, but make sure the union has weight, negotiation history and your rep has good standing. In my profession there are two, one is more specialist and essentially an old boys club who only seem to talk about the benefits as going away on jollies where a lot of them seem to cheat on their wives, and that in certain negotiations have come out with a worse deal than the original offer, the other is a broader union with a good national reputation, excellent relationships in both public and private sector and our local rep is just fabulous, so much integrity and so hard working. Definitely worth it.

Bit like insuring your house against fire.
Money gone that does nothing for you.
Till you desparately need it.

Ooh we also get discounted insurances, a free will writing service and discounts on quite a few other things

Neither DH or I have ever been in a union and never had an occasion wished we had joined.

DH’s company bans union membership.

@Kursk he can join a union if he likes; his employer can just opt not to recognise it (unless enough of his colleagues also join...)

School worker. I've woken the genie twice in the past year, won two battles I'd have otherwise been told to swivel on and lost once.

I originally joined for the insurance against allegations benefits but it's been useful.

Are they allowed to ban union membership?

Cross post!

My OH isn’t allowed to join a Union as he is Military- which also means we get loads of discounts.

I joined for same reasons as Battleaxe

I've always been in a union and they are being fantastic as I've recently been in an accident. As I'm suing, my Union are covering 100% of my legal fees so I don't pay anything upon settlement. It's not even work related so Yes! Definitely worth it.

Massively useful: our union has negotiated better terms and conditions plus pay increases. I’ve never needed the individual side but know colleagues who have and it was invaluable. First thing I’d do as soon as I started a job was to join the union.

Well, I had same opinion as you. I once used a well known Public Sector Union to fight my corner and they were bloody useless! Too many Union reps were too friendly with the Management I had the dispute with.
However, having seen how they helped my DH fight an Equality Case, I think I might join one of the smaller ones. I shall opt out of having my Union dues paid to a certain Political Party, whom I don't support.

That was my experience Susanne when I was being bullied. they have their own agendas. All for the workers to their faces and then slagging staff off to management and sucking up to them behind their backs.

The empliyment rights we have now were achieved through union campaigning before they were enshrined in law.

Weekends, holidays, sick days, maternity pay, lunch and tea breaks etc. All fought for here and elsewhere. As was the right to be in a trade union at all.

Worth remembering despite the setbacks of recent years. Not simply about future disputes but things some of us take for granted now.

I’m massively pro-union, I used to be a rep and on various committees where I met DH.

He works full time for a public services union now and part of his role is defending members at disciplinary or helping with grievances etc.

For anyone who thinks that they would never need a union, I’d love to share some of the stories of people he’s had to help. Carers maliciously accused of assault, hospital admin staff bullied by their manager, disabled librarians being “managed” out of their jobs. These aren’t people who have underperformed or done anything wrong- they just turned up to work one day and their lives turned upside down.

Dh is a union rep for USDAW they are having redundancies at his place of work right now he has been attending an awful lot of meetings negotiating fair pay and conditions and doing a lot of work behind the scenes , I was in UNISON as a NHS employee tbh I didn't realise just how much goes on that most employees don't get involved with .

I whistle blew on a guy who was sexually harassing me and others in the office (he and I worked with teenage girls). He was paid off.

I appealed being managed by someone inappropriate union supported me but I got nowhere. 18 months later it was realised a massive mistake had been made.

Moved our centre of work and brought in daily parking charges. Union lost.

Maybe I will take the bull by the horns and become a Rep