Aibu to say I wish low paid workers all over uk would rediscover the power of union membership?

[Graphista]

Several threads and obvious current affairs issues have prompted this thread.

1 zero hours contracts

2 Employers demanding sick noted from Drs when it's not legally required and not necessary for the employee to visit the dr

3 Employers making workers register as self employed to dodge regulations and taxes

4 employers and consumers pushing for people to be working 24/7/365 in industries where this is not necessary

5 workers no longer paid extra for overtime, Sunday's, bank holidays

6 workers facing massively restrictive conditions eg leave bans for months at a time

7 discriminatory practices on the rise

8 bullying & punitive practices: eg zero hours workers if they turn down a shift not being offered shifts

workers who've displeased a boss being given the shitty tasks as punishment.

Workers being denied leave if asking soon after displeasing a boss

Workers being denied time off to go to medical and maternity appointments

Leave being cancelled last minute for no good reason

9 basically workers being treated as machines rather than people!

These are all the kind of issues that unions should and can deal with.

People seemed to have become resistant to union membership and unions have had a bad press for the last ooooh 40+ years can't imagine why the whole time we've basically had right wing governments who don't like unions

And to have forgotten that actually we've got a lot to be grateful to unions for. They're the organisations that fought to end child labour, to get equal opportunities enshrined in law, for employees health & safety (literally saving lives), maternity rights, parental rights, sexual harassment at work made illegal, shorter working days & test periods legislated for...

Yes sometimes strike action was taken but that's generally a last resort.

Employers are LOVING that you're not in a union, because especially with legal aid removed for employment disputes as a lone voice if your employer decides to treat you like shit there's very little you can do.

This govt are LOVING that you're not in a union because it makes it a damn sight harder to hold them to account for not protecting you and your rights too.

The current apathy in this country is shocking and it's not helping anyone. And if we accept the current poor treatment it's only going to get worse and then employment conditions for our children and grandchildren will be even worse. Do you really want that?

I've just had a very brief look through the unite website. To be honest the members benefits seem to be a damned good reason to join. For my circumstances I think I'd qualify for the low pay part and with benefits such as money towards funeral expenses, weekly payments for incapacity, paternity and maternity payments and death/disablement and loss of limb payments it's cheaper than life insurance.
I'm seriously considering joining and would have done years ago had I known the benefits that come with membership, as well as having representation in work if things go wrong. I can't understand why the unions themselves aren't advertising more, or why this isn't common knowledge? Joining the union, even if I never have a work based problem, could help so many people like me that can't afford those benefits but also don't get them with their job.
My sticking point however is how my company will react, I know I'll be the only union member, and I'd be seriously concerned they'd not like me joining a union at all. I have no idea if they, or indeed any other employer I've had 'recognises' a union because I've honestly always thought unions aren't for people in jobs like mine (supervisory level hotel) and it's never been so much as mentioned before.

Usdaw are crap though.
In the pockets of the employers and do fuck all for the workers. Worst union in the country imho.

Sucked up to my dads tesco managers and left the workers with constant shift changes, crappy disciplines because tge mansgers didn't like them and even didn't turn up to 6 disciplinary meetings that led to 3 people being sacked.

Tiscold I couldn't agree more. When in dispute with Tesco I was told by USDAW that i should accept what i was being told by managers. Fortunately I ignored them and did my own research, eventually excluding them altogether as i had evidence our private consultations were getting back to management.

Dealing with the OP, i agree to an extent, however my feeling is that unions (massive exception of USDAW) are in the business of looking after their members, no one else. Their leaders get all high and mighty on question time etc. extolling the evils of the mis-named bedroom tax etc, but their actions are more in line with holding the country to ransom with strikes to force inflation busting payrises on already generously paid staff.

Unions can play an effective role in countering policy that chases profit at the expense of workers, but can only be effective if:

1. The members are in control. Unlike the blunt ineffective management of USDAW that accepts the unacceptable.
2. Are fair minded. Shutting down a transport network over a 4% pay rise when the country is getting sod all is not responsible. Fight the good fight and show solidarity with other unions rather than line its own members pockets with silver.

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience, yes my dad also says he always felt usdaw were relaying info between the sides.

Apparently, and he only heard this on the grapevine , all the reps after the sackings of the 3 guys and the written warnings for the others, miraculously all got promoted to supervisors of departments....

@Buswankeress Your employer won't know unless you choose to tell them. My subs come out of my bank account by direct debit and my employer need not know unless I have to make use of union representation.

Another nice perk of being a Unite member is discounted Labour membership, if that floats your boat.

Totally agree too. And not just low paid workers. Everyone can benefit from union advice. And come 30 March the first thing the government will do will be to start dismantling the employment rights we have.

Anyone can join a union, you don't need to work for the public sector.

Not saying unions don't have their problems like any other organisation but generally speaking it's a bloody useful thing to be a member of

as several pps have said not just employment disputes as such but support when you have difficulties relating to employment generally eg my parents have always been union people and when mum was sick a few years back before retiring and needed significant time off work her Union were able to provide support so that she wasn't worried about the time off she was having and were able to help her get subsidised equipment she needed and helped her negotiate her phased return to work in a way that non union members didn't manage.