View Poll Results: Are you a member of a union?
YES
40
54.05%
NO
16
21.62%
I'D LIKE TO BE BUT CAN'T COS THERE ISN'T ONE WHERE I WORK
4
5.41%
I'D LIKE TO BE BUT THE COMPANY DOESN'T RECONISE ONE FOR WHITE COLLER WORKERS
1
1.35%
NO ITS AN 80'S THING!
13
17.57%
Voters: 74. You may not vote on this poll
Unions, are you a member?
21 January 2005, 12:35 AM
#1
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Unions, are you a member?
just wonder if any one out there is a member of a union.
GMB for me, but may not be for much longer if Morrisons has there way.
(currently work in a safeway wearhouse)
GMB for me, but may not be for much longer if Morrisons has there way.
(currently work in a safeway wearhouse)
Last edited by julian N/W wrx my93; 21 January 2005 at 07:43 PM. Reason: cos i can't spell wearhouse!
21 January 2005, 02:09 AM
#2
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Originally Posted by julian N/W wrx my93
...(currently work in a safeway wherehouse)
21 January 2005, 09:08 AM
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What the hell is a wherehouse? 
No union here but we only have a few hundred employees, office based mag publishers.
Unions are often only appropriate where there is a large or unskilled/manual workforce or where there is poor management/employee relations. In theory there should not be any need for unions if companies treated employees OK but this isn't always the case. On the flip side unions can get 'too big for their boots' and seek only to address the 'workers' rights and not the whole company (which includes the employess I might add!). Just need to have a right balance.
No union here but we only have a few hundred employees, office based mag publishers.
Unions are often only appropriate where there is a large or unskilled/manual workforce or where there is poor management/employee relations. In theory there should not be any need for unions if companies treated employees OK but this isn't always the case. On the flip side unions can get 'too big for their boots' and seek only to address the 'workers' rights and not the whole company (which includes the employess I might add!). Just need to have a right balance.
21 January 2005, 10:05 AM
#7
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Well I'm a member of the CWU as a postie, when I had my bad accident I got £12,500 for injuries at work just from the union, also I got quite a bit from the guys insurance company, plus I had one of the best solictors and barriters in the country at no cost to me, also a lot of my oprations were done in a private hospital as well, so I can honsetly say it has helped me, not that I agree on what they sometimes do.
Cheers
Colin
Cheers
Colin
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21 January 2005, 05:33 PM
#12
Originally Posted by Abdabz
Nope - Im one of 'Thatchers Children' - dont believe in them...
P
P
Prospect here. Good union, even if it's a ****ing stupid name - sounds like a bunch of financial advisers.
M
21 January 2005, 06:13 PM
#13
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I'm a member of a well known union.
They got the company to agree I was on the wrong pay scale and I got moved up a salary box which gives me around £8k a year extra. I also get health care out of the subs so works out very cheap.
They can be a pain for me as well as I'm management and all our workers are union members except for the odd one or two.
If you get the choice and the subs are realistic then you would be daft not too. I treat it like an insurance policy.
Cheers
Lee
They got the company to agree I was on the wrong pay scale and I got moved up a salary box which gives me around £8k a year extra. I also get health care out of the subs so works out very cheap.
They can be a pain for me as well as I'm management and all our workers are union members except for the odd one or two.
If you get the choice and the subs are realistic then you would be daft not too. I treat it like an insurance policy.
Cheers
Lee
21 January 2005, 08:02 PM
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Im a shop steward/safety rep/learning rep for the GMB within the company I work for and I know there has been some negative feed back on here but honestly who is going to speak up for the workers and fight to protect there rights/health and safety the unions do a lot of good work, which Im afraid sometimes goes unnoticed.
21 January 2005, 08:35 PM
#16
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Think they have their place but can be a right pain when given too much control. One of our manufacturing sites suffers greatly because of it.....basically staff become apathetic knowing that they can fall back on their strong union.
Definitely have a role, but shouldn't be given the right to dictate company direction etc.
Definitely have a role, but shouldn't be given the right to dictate company direction etc.
21 January 2005, 09:12 PM
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In the T&G.
Nowt wrong with workers sticking together and standing up for themselves,doesnt mean your a leftie loonie or strike happy memeber of the awkward squad.
Nowt wrong with workers sticking together and standing up for themselves,doesnt mean your a leftie loonie or strike happy memeber of the awkward squad.
21 January 2005, 09:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Nev
Definitely have a role, but shouldn't be given the right to dictate company direction etc.
21 January 2005, 09:58 PM
#22
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Like scoob99, I was until recently a member of the CWU. Must have paid thousands into thier coffers over the years, and never needed thier help once. Nice to hear they were there for you though scoob99.
Now a manager, so joined the CMA, which like the CWU, gets you loads of discounts plus up to £100,000+ compensation from crime related incidents
Got to be worth it for that alone in this day and age.
Unfortunatly, like has been said before, the CWU has too much power, and sometimes seems to forget that it works for the same company as the managers.
I am often astonished at the **** licking some of our upper management do to the unions, and everytime they do, it weakens our position, and makes our job 10* harder on the shop floor
When I'm at the top, and an office go on strike, I'll stroll up, p45's in hand, and give them the 2 options: back to work now or your p45's and a explanation to your missus when you get home with no job!
chris.
Now a manager, so joined the CMA, which like the CWU, gets you loads of discounts plus up to £100,000+ compensation from crime related incidents
Got to be worth it for that alone in this day and age.
Unfortunatly, like has been said before, the CWU has too much power, and sometimes seems to forget that it works for the same company as the managers.
I am often astonished at the **** licking some of our upper management do to the unions, and everytime they do, it weakens our position, and makes our job 10* harder on the shop floor
When I'm at the top, and an office go on strike, I'll stroll up, p45's in hand, and give them the 2 options: back to work now or your p45's and a explanation to your missus when you get home with no job!
chris.
21 January 2005, 10:41 PM
#23
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Originally Posted by cw42
When I'm at the top, and an office go on strike, I'll stroll up, p45's in hand, and give them the 2 options: back to work now or your p45's and a explanation to your missus when you get home with no job!
chris.
chris.
21 January 2005, 11:43 PM
#24
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Originally Posted by gussy
Im a shop steward/safety rep/learning rep for the GMB within the company I work for and I know there has been some negative feed back on here but honestly who is going to speak up for the workers and fight to protect there rights/health and safety the unions do a lot of good work, which Im afraid sometimes goes unnoticed.
Did you go to the meeting in london by any chance?
the GMB wouldn't pay for our lot (from warrington) to go, but seem to pay for most others.
22 January 2005, 01:19 AM
#25
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'If thats what happens then its weak management thats at fault'.
Not always easy to manage every minute part of a massive plc.
At the end of the day, people are employed to do a job as set out in their contract, not f**k about and swing the lead because they know that the union boys will sweep up after them.
Not always easy to manage every minute part of a massive plc.
At the end of the day, people are employed to do a job as set out in their contract, not f**k about and swing the lead because they know that the union boys will sweep up after them.
22 January 2005, 08:47 AM
#27
Originally Posted by Nev
Not always easy to manage every minute part of a massive plc.
And I'll agree: poor worker/management relationships are ALWAYS down to bad management - you can't stir the workforce up if they are happy.
M
22 January 2005, 09:37 AM
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I have been in a position where the unions should have intervened and stood up for their members and did they? Did they hell as like. On top of that I've seen year after year of pay deals whistled through by the negotiating team without any real challenge from the union and yet every man and his dog whinges about it for the next 3 years!
As Floyd said on page 1... Save your cash (and buy some more scoob mods instead!)
Ed
As Floyd said on page 1... Save your cash (and buy some more scoob mods instead!)
Ed