When a Union is good?

Tim Robbins

This thread is aimed at people who have been giving out about Unions to challenge yourself to come up with examples of when an Union is good. It can also be used as an opportunity to show that you are not completly against Unions.

I remember when I was in South Africa, the Unions there organised an all day strike for the miners. The reasons were not just because of cr*p wages but because of the unsafe conditions which meant quite a lot of them were dieing needlessly.

This strike completly caught my attention and made me unaware of a very pertinent human rights issue that I feel quite strongly about to this day.

Sadly, I don't think he strike achieved that much. It just shows you though we have extremly high expectations here compared to some under developed countries.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

aoboa

It's aimed at the people who are giving out

I'll give you one you all know:
The Dunnes Stores Strike in 1984.

Inquitus

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Agree 100%. All Unions do now is obstruct progress. The Union itself is an entity and one of its aims is to protect itself, by ensuring it's member numbers stay healthy and maintaining it's Union dues levels.

This means a Union by definition is going to oppose any reforms that may cut jobs and therefore Union membership numbers, even if those reforms would benefit the country at large.

Jaysoose

Not trying to hijack the thread but ....pathetic....

A PARALYMPIC champion has been forced to move his first-ever charity art exhibition because a trade union has told its library members not to participate in any events outside normal working hours.
Tom Leahy, from Ballyhooly, in Co Cork, is a multiple Irish Paralympic medallist, and will open his first-ever art exhibition tonight. All the proceeds will go to charity.
The opening was to be held in Cork County Council's Fermoy library but the local Special Needs Support Group was told this week that the event could not go ahead as planned at the chosen venue.
The exhibition, which will be opened by Ireland South MEP Brian Crowley (FF), takes place at 8pm, more than two hours after the library's scheduled closing time.
The Irish Independent understands that library staff felt they had no alternative given their union's (IMPACT's) ruling on out-of-hours events, as part of the campaign against public sector pay cuts.
The opening will take place at St Colman's College, but the week-long exhibition will be in the library.
Mr Leahy said of his work: "Sometimes I feel closer to the countryside around me than to people, more a part of the fields around me than to human beings and this more than anything is reflected in my work."

Tim Robbins

I think Unions have a role to play to stop some bullying of workers. I remember once I was being told I had to work in another location for a period of time (150KM from where I lived) and I had no choice in this even though this was something that wasn't in my contract.

I felt the employer was being unfair. I gave him 6 months notice I would not be able to do this travelling before he needed someone to do it. He didn't plan accordingly and just tried to bully me into going.

When I told him I'd revert to him once I caught up with the shop steward he backed down and never pressurised me again. The Union did nothing but it was just the mention of the word that freaked him out.

It was actually a class feeling.

MagicSean

Tim Robbins wrote: »

I think Unions have a role to play to stop some bullying of workers. I remember once I was being told I had to work in another location for a period of time (150KM from where I lived) and I had no choice in this even though this was something that wasn't in my contract.

I felt the employer was being unfair. I gave him 6 months notice I would not be able to do this travelling before he needed someone to do it. He didn't plan accordingly and just tried to bully me into going.

When I told him I'd revert to him once I caught up with the shop steward he backed down and never pressurised me again. The Union did nothing but it was just the mention of the word that freaked him out.

It was actually a class feeling.

Yes that is the main purpose of the unions, to support their members in any way they can. It just so happens at the moment that involves their pay being cut. They do have other benefits. Unfortunately people on this forum can generally only look at the present. There was a guy on another thread who reckoned that the country would go on grand if nurses and firemen and gardaí all striked because he hadn't used their services recently. Its the same with the unions. If they packed up and left we'd be in serious trouble in a few years. Lets not forget why the unions started in the first place and the contribution they have made to employment rights since then.

murphaph

1913

douglashyde

Just on Unions,

I am in University. I am also a member of the Student Union as I am unable to opt out.

I've witnessed first hand some corruption and stealing within the Student Union. I think that some other system should replace them.

But staying on topic; what good do they do? .... I really am blank.

They cost a fortune, slow progress, decrease company effiency and in Ireland's case can stop recovery.

MagicSean

douglashyde wrote: »

Just on Unions,

I am in University. I am also a member of the Student Union as I am unable to opt out.

I've witnessed first hand some corruption and stealing within the Student Union. I think that some other system should replace them.

But staying on topic; what good do they do? .... I really am blank.

They cost a fortune, slow progress, decrease company effiency and in Ireland's case can stop recovery.

Student Unions aren't real unions. They're what I like to call "a joke"

mickoneill30

To me (not a member of any union) I can see only one benefit. Not all employers are good. There are times where an employee is victimised or bullied and the employee has no recourse except to go to his union. I've never worked for a company like that but I know friends that have been helped by being in a union (one guy had a mental boss and HR didn't want to know about it). Fortunately most companies know that treating your staff well means better results.

However striking because you want more money from an employer who clearly doesn't have that money (and I'm not just talking about the current problems) to me undermines any good work the unions might be doing.