Unions...

[Feasty]

Anyone a member of one? Anyone heard of Unite?

My company has recently been taken over by another and suddenly we're being bombarded by this union saying pay is lower than it should be and pensions are being cheated etc, etc. Ballot for strikes, do this, do that, join us only £10 a month etc, etc.

I've never been in a union and rarely had any use for them. I don't really believe my company or any union tells the whole truth anyway, they just twist it to suit their own needs. However surely if the union manages to get its members a pay rise, it will be passed to non members by the company automatically anyway?

My main questions are - unions - what's the deal? and are they worth joining?
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[map]

By coincidence I joined Unite the other week.

My company is about to make 70 people redundant and the missus thought it a good move. This in case they get funny and rather than pay redundancy they try and get people dismissed under disciplinary actions.

However, I know in the past with wage negotiations and the like the company has just walked all over the union and it's just accepted what the management offered.

That may be just the representatives here though.

You are right that any pay settlement should be across the whole workforce.
When one company takes over another there's normally some thinning out of the joint workforce. Also true if your companies sold to a venture capital type company (will get rid of people to reduce overheads and make the books look good when selling on). A union might help here if you want to stay or get the better redundancy package.
Whether you join or not is your decision.

That said, when/if there's any disciplinary procedures might be nice to know there's someone to talk to. The rule of thumb is they won't handle a case if you're not already a member.


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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[Feasty]

Yeah, however am I also right in thinking they won't do things like handle new cases until you've been a member for x amout of months...blah...blah..blah?
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[map]

[Villers]

I was with unite, but we have two unions at work - one for the industrials and one for the professionals. I jumped ship last year when we were having strike negotiations mainly because I was starting to get embarrassed about being with them.

Throughout the action, the professional union were speaking with the company and trying to sort it out, in the meantime Unite were drawing cartoons and sending them about. Not a good image.

Furthermore they rejected the pay offer. They then waited around and threatened strike action, during a time my company was being bought out by a consortium. Normal practice is to receive a loyalty bonus during this time but with Unite on the border of strike they weren't set to receive it. They then recommended the pay deal and to take the bonus. Six months later they come back with 'we were bribed'. They are good to watch but not good for me to be in!

If they are the only option you have you will be better off than on your own for sure, although it may just be to stop the management from taking the piss completely.
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[MattHirst]

I'm with Amicus (part of Unite isn't it?) and through all our redundancy situations, pay negotiations (sp?) and all the other shizzle, they have been fairly good. Maybe thats just our 2 inhouse reps that are good though.

And £10 a month? I joined about a week after starting my apprenticeship (in 2005) and i asked my rep how much it costs (because the form asked what my subs were), he didn't know so he just said put 50p down, i did and i have only been charged 50p a week ever since
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It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, then it's bloody hilarious!!!

[ZRX61]

Union dues are a stupidity tax....

[cyberglass]

I was with unite when the company was hit by the reccesion and couldnt afford a big pay rise all unite wanted to do was strike even though the company offered us the best they could.

Eventually hampson engineering bosses said fuck it lets cut our losses and downsize so started making mass redundancys and what did unite do... FUCK ALL they just sat on there hands and wished us all the best as we left the factory for the last time.

Then they had the cheak to phone me and ask why my union payments had stopped and were duely told to go fuck themselfs.
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DL650 Vstrom 2004
DRZ400S 2003
Yamaha R1 2005