What are your views on unions & strikes?

When I was about 12 I saw a film called The Angry Silence which made me very opposed to strikes.

Obviously I've grown up and appreciate that sometimes a strike is necessary.

However I hope this isn't going to turn into a long running battle. The whole civilised world is having massive problems at the moment. It really isn't all Brexit or Boris's fault. Not a supporter of either before I get accused!

Blossoming

I am a trade unionist and a firm believer in the right to strike.

For everyone?

I am a trade unionist and a firm believer in the right to strike.

Sorry - that first sentence should read 'Not all industrial action is to benefit those on the breadline.'

All industrial action is not to benefit those on the breadline. If only those on the breadline were allowed to strike, there would be a race to the bottom (affecting everyone), and only those on minimum wage would be in unions.

They exist to protect all members, whatever their wages or salary, from exploitation and to fight against job losses as well as diminishing pay and conditions.

In large companies and organisations they make bargaining between workers and the level of management that decides pay awards more sensible. If everyone had to negotiate their own pay deal it would make life more difficult (and that applies to all grades of staff in large organisations - obviously individual negotiations are more common in small companies).

They liaise with government about employment legislation, and provide workers with legal representation when necessary.

Unless we have a system under which everyone earns the same, there will always be some who earn more than others. Are those who say this strike shouldn't happen because train drivers are relatively well paid saying that everyone should earn the same? If so, how would they persuade people to do jobs that others don't want to do, or to work in dangerous conditions, or to spend years training to gain skills that others don't have?

LJP1

40,000 railway workers to cost taxes (us) half a billion and the union is to pay each worker £70 per day to make up for lost wages.

How much will each one cost us? (£125) I think! Will that help those on the breadline?

No but as Mick Lynch points out this government is supporting companies who want more hours for less money, and if that happens to members of one of the biggest unions, what will happen to the rest of the workforce?
It's a mistake to think that the poorest paid don't benefit from the efforts of unions.

40,000 railway workers to cost taxes (us) half a billion and the union is to pay each worker £70 per day to make up for lost wages.

How much will each one cost us? (£125) I think! Will that help those on the breadline?

Bijou
I remember NATSOPA joining my union ( then) National Union of Printers Bookbinders and Paper Workers.
I was a bookbinder and hand and machine sewing books.

I was union rep in my school for manybyears . No strike is taken lightly . The workers will be losing hundreds in wages . I cannot stand that attitude that tries to make out unions are bad guys ! Unions are there to protect workers and make the workplaces safe . Yes they do fight for their workers that is their job !

We owe so many of the things we take for granted to trade unions and people who’ve been prepared to strike.

Agree

My grandfather was a friend of Keir Hardy and helped him form the NATSOPA the printers union and my father helped form the clerical branch.

Maybe if everyone was in unions that were as well supported as the rail unions, there wouldn’t be so many people struggling on minimum wage. Collective bargaining works. The problem is, thanks to the conservatives we have been deunionised and most workers are at the mercy of their employers.

To continue... the drivers have been told that they won't get all of the backpay that they are owed. No wonder the strike is ongoing. To those thar have made it this far, I don't drive, and for me to get to work by taxi would be prohibitive. But I support the right to strike. No buses, no trains, and I will have to use annual leave.

Trains are striking next week. In West Yorkshire we have had a bus strike since 6th June, that is still ongoing. Arriva are putting out announcements in social media, demanding that the union suspend the strike, and come back to the table. Meeting last Wednesday did nothing. Union wanted a meeting on Friday, that Arriva refused. CEO of Arriva goes on holiday. The union and the drivers' reps are willing to talk, but the pay discussions started in September, to come into place on January 1st. Still not resolved.

Brownowl564

Kandinsky absolutely not, they earn nearly double that of a nurse and are just plain greedy and it’s more political.
Unions are necessary but this union has always been militant, it’s disgusting

See what I mean, 2420mags

Kandinsky absolutely not, they earn nearly double that of a nurse and are just plain greedy and it’s more political.
Unions are necessary but this union has always been militant, it’s disgusting

Great to see Bob Crowe quoted. The RMT seem to elect the most able and competent leaders. Unfortunately the government can't say the same. Mick Lynch takes on Grant Shaps Who would you have more faith in? www.youtube.com/watch?v=yka6t6GVsp4
And yes I support the strike. I think the government hopes you'll see it as being selfish and acquisitive but it is about drawing lines and maintaining standards

The trouble with that, MaggsMcG is that logical it means that only those on the very lowest pay and conditions should strike, and there would be a race to the bottom if employers decided to keep workers at just below the 'acceptable' level at which they could take action. Is that what you'd like to see?

Also, the fact that ticket offices are rarely open is because of staff cuts, which is what the RMT is fighting to avoid. The fact that other groups have had changes to their contracts shows that this is what will happen if people don't fight.

Unfortunately, the only way to make some employers take notice is to inconvenience a large number of people, so the action can't be ignored. In this case, it appears that there is government interference too, which complicates matters further.

They have my full support also.
I was in a union from when I started work at 16 till I retired at 64. And used them on a couple of occasions. I’ve also stood on a picket line for increased pay and conditions.
I’m sorry for people who are affected by the strike. But they have to do it and I can see why.

In theory I support any workers right to strike however on this occasion I think it's wrong. There are so many people worse off than the transport staff. Half the ticket offices aren't even open most of the time anyway. Contracts have been changed for lots of other jobs in recent years. Until all workers are on a decent standard of living any strikes for pay are unfair, especially when they disrupt the lives of working people. They should strike at weekends only. That's more likely to hit the people using the transport for pleasure.

Am really impressed by the support shown here and the number of ex union members. What a fantastic group. I do understand the problems strike action will cause, but am sure these days, striking is really seen as a last resort.

2420mags I don't have a perception of dentistry . I was just pointing out the difference between the public perception of two groups of workers moving to improve their standard of living. Both can hold the public to ransom (which is worse - missing appointments/having to make other arrangements to travel or living with toothache/having to pull your own teeth?) but one is seen to be working with market forces and the other to be greedy and selfish.

There are other examples I could have used, but that was the first to come to mind.

If you fight you won't always win, but if you don't fight you will always lose :
Bob Crowe

Full support here too.