Job and Union

A_Sober_Paddy

Was in work the other day, my area manager popped in for a visit, grand...So we got talking and something about trade unions came up, and during the conversation they said, "Ah sure you wouldn't have that problem as you cant be in the union" and just kind of laughed it off...

I asked my colleagues about unions within the company and the general consensus, was if the company find out your in a union, your shown the door...

Now I thought it was my right to join and the right of anyone who works in Ireland

Eoin

Correct:

Dismissal for trade union activity or membership is automatically unfair and an employee dismissed in such circumstances does not require any particular length of service in the job in order to enforce his/her rights.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/industrial_relations_and_trade_unions/trade_unions.html

No Pants

Can't stop anyone from joining a union, but they can make it difficult for a union to get in the door and can also get rid of people in other ways without mentioning the union.

A_Sober_Paddy

No Pants wrote: »

Can't stop anyone from joining a union, but they can make it difficult for a union to get in the door and can also get rid of people in other ways without mentioning the union.

So if I were to join a union, do i need to make my employer aware of my membership?

Mrs OBumble

No. Not unless you want your subscriptions automatically deducted from your pay.

No Pants

If you're the only person in your workplace in the union, it's going to be of limited benefit to you. The collective bargaining power is lost.

A_Sober_Paddy

No Pants wrote: »

If you're the only person in your workplace in the union, it's going to be of limited benefit to you. The collective bargaining power is lost.

Well at the moment in work, they are treating a member of staff poorly and I'm not entirely happy with that and a couple of things, so was thinking if they start on me, having a union behind would help or am I wrong?

P_1

The problem with being the only union member is that the company can simply refuse to engage with the union, now if a good chunk of the workforce were members then the company could find it harder to refuse to engage with it

wexfordman2

I would say irrespective of the employers feeling on unions and irrespective of the number of members there are still benefits, such as being able to get proper legal advice, especially when you feel uncomfortable about the way your employer is behaving towards a few other employees.

I was never in a union until 4 years ago when my employer started outsourcing and making people redundant. Although the employer, a large blue chip company does not recognise unions, there were advantages in them being present as a backup. The fact that the employer knew there was a union that was advising employees in strongly believe that it helped improve the overall transition to outsourcing and the redundancy package for others.

Going through both a takeover and an outsourcing run again, and a lot of our work is being given out to external companies with all the full time engineers just being tasked to do low skilled menial tasks, so thinking the union might actually become of use again.

With regards collective bargaining, I've never been party to it, I don't beleive in off the shelf renumeration, I prefer to get rewarded based in my own performance not that of others.

Mrs OBumble

wexfordman2 wrote: »

I would say irrespective of the employers feeling on unions and irrespective of the number of members there are still benefits, such as being able to get proper legal advice, especially when you feel uncomfortable about the way your employer is behaving towards a few other employees.

+1

At very least, union memberhsip can be thought of as cost-effect employment-lawyer insurance. It also gives you access to lawyers with expertise in the industry.