Angela Rayner suspended from Unite Union

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.

I doubt most people care one way or the other.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Interesting Galaxy - so was mine

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.

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

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.

Did not mean we should, MaizieD. Was being a wee bit cynical about why some people enter 'public service' as politicians.

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.

Oreo

Before they moved to Wapping.

The days when The Times was on strike for a year because the unions didn't like new rechnology, other papers were continually disrupted by printers strikes, and British papers in black and white looked archaic compared to ones from other countries. Wapping might have been controversial, but it led to the creation of the country's first all colour paper( Today) and other papers followed suit.

Empty posturing by Unite.

MaizieD

Why would we have to match them? They are bribes, after all. As are huge donations from businesses. And payments that give preferential access to ministers.

Parties should be able to charge membership fees of a reasonable amount (capped, perhaps, to prevent bribes disguised as membership fees) but after that the state could pay enough to cover their expenses, e.g. admin costs and election costs.

That would be much much better.

Before they moved to Wapping.

Whitewavemark2

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.

Blimey that must have been a few years ago😄

Many many moons ago 😹

Oops...going to the tip, helping those who can't get there. My own sister has been visiting a the tip regularly. She said there are no queues. I resent my city being portrayed as a smelly dump, as was suggested to me whilst on holiday recently.

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.

Blimey that must have been a few years ago😄

I live in Birmingham. We do not however come under Birmingham City Council. I travel around various parts of the city and have not seen any rubbish piled up anywhere. The news reports have picked out the worst places to film where people have used the strike to throw old mattresses and furniture out onto the street. Most people are being as responsible as they can,

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.

I wonder how much Sharon Graham gets for representing her members. Like all union leaders, it will be considerably above 100k a year, plus she can claim everything on expenses, have a chauffeur driven car and her pension paid for by the union. Like a lot of politicians, these jumped up union reps are only in it for themselves and love going on television.
I am in a union and most of the time it's dominated by hard left relics who fight among themselves and in the 28 years I've been a member, it hasn't really achieved much.

Why would we have to match them? They are bribes, after all. As are huge donations from businesses. And payments that give preferential access to ministers.

Parties should be able to charge membership fees of a reasonable amount (capped, perhaps, to prevent bribes disguised as membership fees) but after that the state could pay enough to cover their expenses, e.g. admin costs and election costs.