To cancel union membership?

[Billsbillsbillsbillsss]

I’ve recently joined, maybe in the last six months or so.

I pay nearly £25 a month. Yet to see any benefits. Over the time I’ve joined they have had £100+ without any benefits coming back to me. £25 isn’t a lot but with bills rising higher I could do without paying for something that doesn’t seem to benefit me.

I work for one of the local councils and they are making cuts, as are most councils up and down the country. Also TTC and aware representation might be important when pregnant or on maternity leave.

Do I really need to be a member?

YABU - yes, basically insurance
YANBU - no, £25 adds up fast and is better off saved

I think you’d be a bit mad to cancel it if you think your job might be on the line!

Personally I’d keep with the union; to me it’s like having insurance. I had some very useful advice when I faced discrimination after coming back from maternity leave. Also if I ever face allegations of misconduct I’d have their support and in a toxic workplace that can happen quite quickly.

I view it as like insurance. If you needed employment or legal advice it’s expensive but would be free as part of union. You also benefit from collective bargaining of unions (annual pay award) so my thinking is if I’m benefiting I should contribute.

Would you cancel your house insurance or pet insurance because you don’t see any benefits? Union membership is basically employment insurance.

have you checked out the discounts available to you as a union member? When I was in Local Government I got some excellent car insurance rates through my union membership, and there was plenty of other stuff too - personal injury cover, free legal advice (outside of employment issues). Check it out.

But, yes, look on it primarily as insurance against being badly treated at work.

The presence of unions in workplaces has forced employers to offer maternity rights, minimum wage, two-day weekends and a limit on working hours, as well as many other rights we all take for granted.

If you work for a local authority then your bargaining unit will negotiate your payrise every year.

Unions are much stronger if they have more members. And if you think you’re going to be made redundant, you’ll be offered free legal advice so someone can look over your agreement to check it’s fair.

Its insurance but also the less people that are in unions, the weaker they are, which means the more likely your working rights will get diluted, so its important to join unions for that reason alone.

Have you looked into what other benefits your union offers you? Don't know how different it is in the UK but my union offers cheap insurances (and free travel insurance), cheap holidays in union owned timeshares and holiday cabins, discounts in various places, right now I'm getting 12 free swimming pool sessions

I rarely use my union rep but I've used Thompsons who provide legal advice to union members and it was FREE.

I see it as insurance. I've got into scrapes before and the union have usually been very helpful. I have also successfully proved I was being bullied by a manager. So it's worth it.

Love people who want all the benefits of a union without paying in.

I've been a union member all my working life and could argue that I've not PERSONALLY seen any benefits from the £thousands I've paid in subscriptions.

What my fees have paid for though is:

• Negotiating pay and improved T&Cs which I benefit from
• Representing other members who are being exploited or treated unfairly by their employer which I and the rest of society benefits from
• Paid into a fund to support people losing wages when striking for improved pay and conditions which they benefit from
• As well as some of the other benefits which people mentioned - reduced insurance, health cover, legal helpline which some members use and other don't

It's about being part of a collective and putting something in so that everyone gains as a whole. Complaining after you've paid in for 4 months is a bit selfish.

"Doesn't seem to benefit me". Oh, mate!

An example for you, which was something unions representing a lot of local government and similar public service staff successfully fought for: equality of pay across jobs with similar levels of skill and responsibilities but different pay scales - this had disproportionately affected women. This happened in THIS millennium and made a massive difference.

It would be madness to cancel.
Many years ago I had to take a case against my employer and my union paid 6 years of legal fees for me.
I would have been penniless and probably then homeless without their help.
Union fees are the best money you will ever spend to keep yourself safe.

Unions work on the principles of collective action and collective benefit, you may never see individual benefit (which is a good thing if it means you’ve never had a run in with your employer) but you will benefit from collective bargaining and union involvement in employment rights etc. I sit on a number of national strategy groups, unions are always present representing staff interests in discussions and decisions and their presence is invaluable.

What benefits were you expecting ?

Have you actually looked at the services and discounts offered?

I was a TU rep for years, I supported hundreds of people through a redundancy programme, dozens of people through bullying, grievances and disciplinary hearings etc
All unpaid but members paid their subs so were entitled to my support.
It's beyond irritating when you get people attempting to join the union solely to get support through a personal situation.

Unions negotiate your pay rise, redundancies, terms and conditions.
But fine, leave the union and you can benefit from the subs other people pay in - if you think that's fair.

I’ve been paying union fees and see them as insurance.

I joined when central govt threatened my profession with huge cuts. They never came but I ended up being made redundant anyway. The union checked all the paperwork etc to make sure it was all above board. When my redundancy pay didn’t arrive, payroll tried to fob me off saying they couldn’t sort it in the next pay run and I had bills to pay. Called my rep and they sorted it within 48 hours!!

It’s not just redundancy either - they sit around the table for pay and T&C negotiations. I’m in another organisation now and our pay rise was doubled due to negotiations last year which covered all my union fees and a bit more.

If you’re choosing between the basics and fees I wouldn’t continue but they provide good protection if you can afford it.