Have you been/are you a member of a Trades Union?

I’ve been a member of a relevant union in every job I’ve had. I’m the workplace rep in my current job, and I regularly remind people in whole organisation meetings of the value of union membership. Some choose not to join, or just don’t bother - until it is too late.

Just this week a colleague came to see me with a complicated issue about a partial redundancy, and asked if he could join the union to get help sorting it out. I had to tell him that union membership is like insurance - you can’t join to deal with a problem after the problem has occurred. I’d encourage anyone in employment to join a union for the protection alone.

always been a TU member (45 years) and proud to be still.

a pert-timer? no! a part-timer.

As a pert-timer in FE I was persuaded to join the FE Union (NATFE), but when the management informed me at a minute's notice, that I was no longer needed, the Union officers weren't interested. All they wanted was my membership fee.
Years later, when I'd been working full time in a different College, still a member of the Union, the College decided on redundancies. As no volunteers came forward, they made them compulsory and, about 18 months before I reached retirement age, I was compulsorily redundant, with no support from the Union - a very left-wing organisation who were more interested in supporting striking dockers than their own members. When, in retirement, I became a CAB adviser and learnt more about employment law, I realised that I'd had better grounds for appeal than I'd previously believed, but it should have been my Union's job to advise me about that. I'm not against Trades Unions - far from it - but there are some that are (or were) useless.

I was a member of one of the teacher’s unions. It was a complete waste of money. When there were problems in our school they were useless.

Grandad1943. Tolpuddle Festival takes place every year towards end of July (sadly cancelled this year for obvious reasons). It is massive now and the Sunday is a FREE day for anyone to attend. That march to the village still takes place, but the time the front banner are arriving, the rear ones have hardly started!!!
Some great speakers attend this - and it still shows the strength and fraternity of the TU movement.

As a manager I dealt with staffing issues alongside union reps over a period of many years however due to the rudeness of several union reps I withdrew my membership from that same union. I didn’t want to be associated with someone of that calibre and never would he have been asked to represent me. I preferred an honest up front discussion to achieve satisfactory outcomes on both sides. Negotiators have to be professional in all respects to achieve agreements from those who have the power to change for the best.

Eloethan, thanks. I had been trying to remember the name of the union I was in, which was NALGO.

My husband was a senior local government officer, who used to have to negotiate with the unions, especially when they went on strike.
The used to come to the meetings seeing him as the enemy, until they realised he was a union man himself, only trying to do his best for them.

He was highly regarded by the unions. I know this because there were some tradesmen working in our school, who were also shop stewards. They asked me if I was related to Mr MaryDoll, as they had so much respect for him after recent negotiations.
He got them a better deal than what they were asking for.

Yes for 40 years and as rep for most of them. Young staff coming in don’t realise how much they benefit from the union negotiations of the past. IMO

For a couple of years in my first job, when I was in NALGO.

There didn't seem much point being in a union thereafter as for a few years when the children were young I did quite a lot of temping work and, later, worked in solicitors' offices where it was not the norm to be in a union. On reflection, just on the basis of my belief in the union movement, I really should have joined a union anyway.

I was a member of unison at one point.
Our particular reps were all friends together, and spent time out of work with our bosses, so the chance of being taken seriously with an issue were pretty low.

In regards to Tolpuddle Martyrs; thank you all for bringing this to my attention. It is nice to know their efforts were recognized here in Canada.

I'm trying to remember the author of a novel I read in my youth regarding coal miners' strikes in the UK. They did have an affect on my outlook even at a young age. It could have been Victoria Holt/Phillipa Carr since i did read plenty of her novels in my 20's.

I’ve been a union member since going into my particular work sector 20 years ago. Have also been a rep. I’ve needed their assistance twice - once needing the regional office to get involved with the dispute. They have been very helpful.

Your Tolpuddle memories brought back childhood memories of Durham Big Meeting,lot's of marching Bands, Banners and a wonderful atmosphere.
Last year I went to a Funeral for an ex Union Leader and I shall never forget his coffin being carried out whilst "Part of the Union", by the Strawbs was being played.He had been a much loved man and a great character in his lifetime

In regard to the Tolpuddle Martyrs, I once attended the rally that is held by the trade unions each year to mark the deportation of those souls.

It was the mid-nineteen eighties and I had just completed a month-long Industrial safely course carried out by the great Transport & General Workers Union (T&GWU) while being fully paid by the transport company that I worked for at that time.

Full of enthusiasm at coming out of the course with all the qualifications I never dreamt I could obtain, I and my wife and then young family went to the rally in great thanks for what the T&GWU had done for me which was to completely change my life and that of my family.

So, full of enthusiasm I volunteered along with a mate of mine to carry one of the very large T&G Branch Banners which consisted of two large polls with the banner being six feet across and eight feet high when unfurled. Problem was it happened to be a somewhat breezy afternoon and banner when being carried in the wind acted very much like ships sail and we were marching into that wind.

By the time we had marched through the village and onto the rally field we were absolutely knackered to say the least from trying to hold onto that thing. However, it was a wonderful day with all the unions having their stalls on the field. in the evening there was music lots of chat and speeches from the likes of Tony Benn, and with the wine flowing like water it became a great very friendly family atmosphere that our now grown-up girls often talk about and relate to their children.

Great memories of far different times from those we all live in now.

Franbern I was taught about the Tolpuddle Martyrs for my Scottish Higher history syllabus.

Anyone who knows the story of the Tolpuddle Martys (strangely enough not included in many a British History syllabus) will have some undertanding ded as to the sacrifice and dedication of so many people to get Trades Unions leglly recognised and up and running. Also the struggles of Annie Besant and the Matchstick girls
So at all my jobs I was a member of a TU. Proudly so, not because it usually benefited me, but to continue this wonderful tradition.
When I returned to work at the age 61 yrs in the NHS,I was a member of Unison, and, was delighted when I discovered that my line manager in this job was Chair of the Unison branch.

I was a member of two unions, firstly a public sector union, then later the EIS teaching union.

It was always difficult to get young teachers to understand the protection a union afforded them, if for example they were unfairly accused of something. They just didn't get the implications and the need for legal support.
We had an excellent union rep in our school, who was pretty much on the ball, dealing with an HT, who thought he could bend the rules to get what he wanted.

It also annoyed me that they were quite happy to take all the benefits, like pay rises, without contributing anything. ?

Been a Union Rep in my time for two different unions for professionals. Have to say I found the attitude, the non-cooperation from some other unions a pain in the backside though. Unison was the worse. We were supposed to be working for a common cause, towards an agreed goal, but they seemed to be singing off an entirely different hymn sheet.

Problem was while many people are happy to join their union, not many want the job of rep. so it often falls to those with their own agenda and problems. There’s a difference between being a ‘strong rep’ and those who used it as an excuse to wield power. Little Hitlers.

The answer is for more people to be willing to do their bit.

I ducked around between the NUT and NUSWT depending on which forceful member of staff was union rep at the time.

I have been in a Union since starting my first job, and am still a retired member.

Like others, I resent those who piggyback on the work and subscriptions of others, and fail to understand those who think they can join when they need help. It’s like thinking you can wait until your house catches fire before taking out insurance, and then expecting to be able to claim.

I was a rep in my last workplace, and was surprised at how many people were blatant about this, and showed no shame at all.

wellbeck
i assumed it was for collective bargaining etc
Not necessarily so. In my trade, printing, it was also to protect our trades.

I have to be honest and say that the best company I worked for was an open house. The first job after my apprenticeship.

Yes. I was always in a union

varian

There is a good case for belonging to a trades union, but many are put off because they think it will mean supporting the Labour Party. It does not, as the Association of Liberal Democrat Trades Unionists demonstrate.

www.libdemvoice.org/the-case-for-trades-unions-59321.html

I would agree varian, with all that has happened and come to light in the Labour Party in the last six months the trade union funding and affiliation to that party could very well cease.

Where that funding would then be placed would be up for debate within the TUC. Should those with Liberal Democratic views be able to make a strong enough argument then that funding, in theory, could go to the Liberal Democratic Party?

The above is the reason many feel that Keir Starmer's address to the TUC conference in the next few days could be the most important speech made in regards to trade union funding and affiliation to the Parliamentary Labour Party for over one hundred years.

In the above, the very future of the Labour Party could well be at stake.

Another retired member of Unison here. My DH was a rep and spent a lot of time negotiating pension rights and representing members at tribunals.