Angela Rayner suspended from Unite Union

lafergar

GrannyGravy13

I turned down a job I was offered in London (Fleet Street Newspaper) because I found out it was a closed shop and I would have to join the appropriate union.

Sounds good to me, missed opportunity.

Still, it turned out well in the end.

I don't agree with closed shop.
As a one-time rep very many years ago and a member of another Union later on, yes, it was annoying when employees refused to join but were happy to accept conditions of service and pay rises fought for by the Union.

However, I believe everyone should be able to choose whether or not to join.

As a local government employee, I was in Nalgo, then Unite. Being in unite led to our needs being ignored. I had one union rep explain that ‘you lot don’t deserve us fighting your corner. Look at all the new cars in your park’
I left as soon as we were offered to join the association representing our group. They were strong in their support of us because they understood our pressures and needs. I was relieved to leave the follow us comrade approach -

My reading is the underlying Birmingham problem is equal pay. Once again, the employer has itself stuck with paying men more than women. The comparisons I’ve read are eg teaching assistants paid less than bin men, I’m not certain how these jobs are equal pay issues. The bin men say ta’s don’t get killed, whereas bin men do in the course of their work. A TA friend was recently attached by a send pupil. She was unconscious as the 15 year old knocked her to the floor and bashed her head

I am currently in public sector work without being in an union, I would rather this was not the case but my experience with the particular union which represents our sector has been awful.

Interesting Galaxy - so was mine

Iam64

As a local government employee, I was in Nalgo, then Unite. Being in unite led to our needs being ignored. I had one union rep explain that ‘you lot don’t deserve us fighting your corner. Look at all the new cars in your park’
I left as soon as we were offered to join the association representing our group. They were strong in their support of us because they understood our pressures and needs. I was relieved to leave the follow us comrade approach -

My reading is the underlying Birmingham problem is equal pay. Once again, the employer has itself stuck with paying men more than women. The comparisons I’ve read are eg teaching assistants paid less than bin men, I’m not certain how these jobs are equal pay issues. The bin men say ta’s don’t get killed, whereas bin men do in the course of their work. A TA friend was recently attached by a send pupil. She was unconscious as the 15 year old knocked her to the floor and bashed her head

Yes, I was in NALGO too and a rep.
Later on the PCS but that became more militant before I retired.

Teachers and other staff have been attacked by a pupil in my DIL's school, Iam64, which is not a secondary school in a deprived area but a small village primsry school.

I am not surprised, Allira. I went to a celebration of a special anniversary recently at the village Primary school where I used to teach, and every working member of staff (teachers, TAs, support staff ) referred to the deterioration of behaviour of some children in every year, from Pre-school,(aged 2 ) through all classes to Year 6.
Defiance, disruption, disobedience and poor attendance.
Not a deprived area, good housing, most parents in work, a well-resourced modern school in pleasant open surroundings with a sound behaviour policy, excellent Ofsted results and well-qualified and experienced staff.

It makes it difficult for staff and also for other pupils.

eazybee

I am not surprised, Allira. I went to a celebration of a special anniversary recently at the village Primary school where I used to teach, and every working member of staff (teachers, TAs, support staff ) referred to the deterioration of behaviour of some children in every year, from Pre-school,(aged 2 ) through all classes to Year 6.
Defiance, disruption, disobedience and poor attendance.
Not a deprived area, good housing, most parents in work, a well-resourced modern school in pleasant open surroundings with a sound behaviour policy, excellent Ofsted results and well-qualified and experienced staff.

If special needs provision were properly met then there would be more schools for them and they wouldn’t have to undergo the misery of attending schools where they aren’t understood, leading to frustration and rage issues.

Oreo

eazybee

I am not surprised, Allira. I went to a celebration of a special anniversary recently at the village Primary school where I used to teach, and every working member of staff (teachers, TAs, support staff ) referred to the deterioration of behaviour of some children in every year, from Pre-school,(aged 2 ) through all classes to Year 6.
Defiance, disruption, disobedience and poor attendance.
Not a deprived area, good housing, most parents in work, a well-resourced modern school in pleasant open surroundings with a sound behaviour policy, excellent Ofsted results and well-qualified and experienced staff.

If special needs provision were properly met then there would be more schools for them and they wouldn’t have to undergo the misery of attending schools where they aren’t understood, leading to frustration and rage issues.

Yes!
It has taken a long time for the children in this family to be assessed and found places where their behavioural and educational needs can be met.

I doubt most people care one way or the other.

Visgir1

I'm still a paying member of Unite.

Not all of us support the Labour Party. When I first joined (as an NHS professional, they took over NALGO) they ask you if you wanted to contribute to the Labour Party, it was a No from me.
This Union supports Professional as well as "Blue Collar" workers across the UK, I don't remember Corbin being pushed.

I don't know how often the unions have to have a Political Funds Ballot, but I'm prepared to bet that when they next hold one there could be an even more substantial drop in union funds going to the Labour party.
I found an article showing those who contributed to various political parties in 2024, showing that Labour received significantly less from trade unions than it did in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 elections. www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg3j131327yo
As visgirl says, by no means all unions support the labour party, nor members within individual unions.