To not want to strike ?

[Idontwanttostrike]

Nurses strike tomorrow and I'm not doing it. I know I'm being selfish but I don't want to lose money before Christmas plus still have to pay childcare to stand in the cold. My job is actually ok but I know others are suffering.
Feeling guilty now , anyone in same boat ?

Totally! Indemnity insurance is compulsory and it's the cheapest way to get it. I wasn't in a union for years and only joined when it became compulsory to have thus insurance.

I spent 20 years in ITU and know loads of nurses who make very good money - setting up limited companies, going into higher tax threshold etc by doing agency and playing the system. The job has decent AL (I get 7 weeks a year!) employer pension, loads of funded training/study days/courses, good Mat leave (thanks to the EU - I voted remain!!) career progression if you want it. If you live in a poor area as I do it's actually one of the better paid most secure jobs in my area.

The strike is about pay not conditions on wards - if it was about staffing levels I might support it. Those problems go way beyond pay rises sorting them IMO.

If you are in the union you should abide by the vote. Collective action is meaningless if people just do their own thing and sod their colleagues.

Suggesting that people who are not going on strike have no right to be in a union is ridiculous.

Hence why there is a vote. A union, be definite is a collective. You agree to uphold the collective when you join. Don’t want the support of the collective - don’t join.

No, her colleagues will make the sacrifice so she gets some more towards it all next month and OP seems quite happy for them to do it for her benefit too.

I don't think it is. Union - the clue is in the name.

Anyone who simply uses the union for indemnity cover has an attitude without moral integrity in my opinion. Unfortunately in my view it's now illegal to withdraw union membership from non strikers who sabotage a vote for collective action.

My moral integrity is most insulted!

I don't agree with the reasons for striking so I'm not doing it.

Good, leave the union too, self serving pricks

Leave your union then. No one forces you to join one, you agree to the collective (UNION) when you join.

If the union allows the option then it’s not compulsory. If the terms were different it and they rejected pp / others then it wouldn’t be possible.

It’s up to the union to decide if they want the fees and the conditions they put on that.

No I won't be leaving the Union - I need the indemnity insurance! Plus it's the RCN, which is more of a nursing organisation than a Union really. Deliberately didn't join Unison because of that.

Plus, IMO ( and I'm allowed to have one) nursing as a job has some great benefits as outlined by my previous post. LOTS of my colleagues are playing the system and earning big with the agency hours particularly where I used to work in London - £40 an hour anyone?

As I said what unions have the power to insist on in terms of conditions has been diluted since Thatcher.

I still think that people who are members purely for the benefits and don't give anything back are self serving and totally without integrity.

If you're so minted, why can't you pay for your own indemnity cover if you don't like collective action?

It's coming across as cheap and lacking in understanding of what a union actually is.

There are 3 people in my team striking who do agency every weekend to make ends meet.
We’ve been very transparent in discussions and everyone said please don’t lose pay if it will cause more problems. All of them have decided to join the strike and feel they can’t allow other people to be disadvantaged for their benefit.

This will be remembered by others - they’ll be having lunches/ treats for a long time.

No won't be doing that. My

Over £200 a year goes into their coffers to do with what they will (possibly maintaining their fancy London HQ!) I'm sure they're not complaining. Plus they were worse than useless when a colleague of mine needed work related legal advice desperately- were not interested in helping him, so the other benefits are useless.

I know all about collective action - I studied to degree level in government and politics prior to becoming a nurse. Voted Labour all my life. don't agree this strike is justified however. Make the aims something else eg striking to get minimum legal staffing levels maybe.

I'm not minted by the way @MrsTerryPratchett - if only! But I consider my pay ok for the job I do.

I know all about collective action

You just have no respect for it.

100%.