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Ever been a scab or even thought about it?


Strathman

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One of the perils of being unemployed, I crossed a picket line that wasn't even there once.

Arriving early at a new contract, a university, I crossed the empty road and made my way into the building just as a car drew up and a woman got out and shouted "You b*****d, you've just crossed a picket line" it was 7.30 in the morning and there were no other people on the road.

I was annoyed but as everyone else turned up for work felt a bit relieved, they were all Union members but it wasn't their Union and the strike was unofficial so their Union didn't back it.

:lol:

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I'm only in my Union for the legal protection/cover side of things. If I voted against a strike but a strike was called I'd go in to work as usual.

So you'll accept the benefits of union membership but not actually help them gain any benefits in future?

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I work in HR and we have by and large an excellent relationship with our unions. Although not that much contentious stuff comes up since it's all national Ts and Cs. There are one or two of the local union reps who would argue black was white, but most of them are pretty sound.

Quite a few of the departmental heads where I work say that HR have almost replaced the Unions as the workers best pal.

We have one guy who has had 3 months sickness in the past 5 months, a further 10 days holiday, and 4 unacccounted days off.

His sum total of attendance since May has been 19 days attendance, on 3 of which he turned up over an hour late.

He called in sick last Thursday and hasn't been seen since.

HR wont let us get rid of him.

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So you'll accept the benefits of union membership but not actually help them gain any benefits in future?

Yes. If could pay for some sort of legal cover insurance incase anyone ever accuses me of being a nonce, without having to be a member of a Union, I'd happly do that.

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Yes. If could pay for some sort of legal cover insurance incase anyone ever accuses me of being a nonce, without having to be a member of a Union, I'd happly do that.

Fine, just establishing your rampant hypocrisy. In my day you would have been tarred and feathered.

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Fine, just establishing your rampant hypocrisy. In my day you would have been tarred and feathered.

I'm not bothered what people would think of my decision. I seriously doubt any of my colleagues would really care though.

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My old man was a shop steward for years on the buses in Fife. He got sick fed up of lazy shysters coming to him expecting Union backing to cover their backs when they'd fucked up or just couldn't be arsed doing their jobs. He fell out with his Union bosses twice (TGWU) when they told him to advise members to vote for a strike over what he considered totally bullshit reasons. He resigned as a shop steward but years later, when he really needed the union's help, they shafted him. Forty one years of paying subs and the fuckers never even turned up for a disciplinary hearing.

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Any of these stories about picket lines and scabs being abused recent? A very high percentage of my work go in on strike day, some in the union but most not, and I don't think there is even a picket outside my work. Used to get a union guy handing out info sheets on the way in, you don't get that any more. You don't get any facility time at all (when you used to get the odd half hour you couldn't actually talk about strike tactics). They've made us sign up to direct debit rather than have subs come off our wages.

I'm going to be in the odd position of being on strike when about 80% of the guys I manage are going to go into work. I hate to say it but the trade union laws coupled with selfishness, people being so near the breadline they can't drop a days pay and the country being so fucked that nobody can afford to get sacked the days of the unions seem well and truly over in the United Kingdom. Only reason to be in one is for employment law/disciplinary type stuff, there is no solidarity, collective power or bargaining position for the vast majority of workers I don't think.

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Any of these stories about picket lines and scabs being abused recent? A very high percentage of my work go in on strike day, some in the union but most not, and I don't think there is even a picket outside my work. Used to get a union guy handing out info sheets on the way in, you don't get that any more. You don't get any facility time at all (when you used to get the odd half hour you couldn't actually talk about strike tactics). They've made us sign up to direct debit rather than have subs come off our wages.

I'm going to be in the odd position of being on strike when about 80% of the guys I manage are going to go into work. I hate to say it but the trade union laws coupled with selfishness, people being so near the breadline they can't drop a days pay and the country being so fucked that nobody can afford to get sacked the days of the unions seem well and truly over in the United Kingdom. Only reason to be in one is for employment law/disciplinary type stuff, there is no solidarity, collective power or bargaining position for the vast majority of workers I don't think.

Agreed, unions will go the same way in the UK as they have in the US. Which is a shame. There is no doubt that they have in the past abused their power, acted against the interests of those they represent, and caused economic harm to the country. But, as has been discussed in this thread, they have been instrumental in attaining work benefits that we all take for granted now. I think a rounded view is, they aren't perfect, but they have done a lot of good for workers and they will be in a much more vulnerable position with no labour movement whatsoever (look at the holiday entitlement in the US for example).

I can't see them integrating themselves into companies as has been successfully achieved in Germany, for example. There is not enough willpower on either side to achieve this.

I'm very much a sign of the times, I'm not a member of a union and have no intention to join one - they aren't really recognised in my industry.

There was apparently picket lines during my time at University, I was disappointed I never got the chance to cross one as I quite like the idea of getting personally abused for going to the library.

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I don't believe in joining unions. This is partly down to workers at the job centre going on strike over a change in pension conditions whilst I was applying for every job under the sun. Made me furious at the time.

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I don't believe in joining unions. This is partly down to workers at the job centre going on strike over a change in pension conditions whilst I was applying for every job under the sun. Made me furious at the time.

So we will just have a race to the bottom and when everyone has an equally shit time then we can start campaigning?

Do you think it is right to take a job and pay into a pension scheme on the basis of certain terms and conditions and those agreed conditions can be altered by one party?

How much of an erosion of your rights, terms and conditions and pay are you willing to sacrifice whilst walking in at 9am every day with a smile on your face because hey, at least you have a job?

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I don't believe in joining unions. This is partly down to workers at the job centre going on strike over a change in pension conditions whilst I was applying for every job under the sun. Made me furious at the time.

Why were you furious?

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How much of an erosion of your rights, terms and conditions and pay are you willing to sacrifice whilst walking in at 9am every day with a smile on your face because hey, at least you have a job?

There's nothing worse than the "be thankful we have a job" types.

They are poison to any form of workplace action against unfair contractual changes.

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There are still guys I know who scabbed in 1984 (miners strike) who still get shunned in the pub.

I must admit, until 2010 I wasn't overly keen on the workings of our union. Not the top end but at local level. All the staunch guys moved into management and became bigger toss-pots than those who moved straight into management jobs from elsewhere. Now I'm onto my 4th depot in 4 years, I'm glad I stuck with the union. I have fallen out with the Labour Party big style, I want to end my subs going to the political fund. But that's another story for another day.

As someone said earlier, be in the union, even if just for assistance to legal matters.

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As someone said earlier, be in the union, even if just for assistance to legal matters

^^^ This...

Without going into too much detail, a workmate of ours (a few years ago) ended up in a very difficult situation which led to a court case.

He and his family went through what can only be described as a nightmare scenario, but the 'management' made it quite clear he had to fend for himself (even although he was working for them).

Thankfully his union supported him all the way through a very in-depth inquest and he was absolved of any blame.

There are some who work beside us who dont sign up for the union and it is their choice. However many of them blindly think that either things won't go wrong or 'the work' will support them in their hour of need...

Aye Right...

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^^^ This...

Without going into too much detail, a workmate of ours (a few years ago) ended up in a very difficult situation which led to a court case.

He and his family went through what can only be described as a nightmare scenario, but the 'management' made it quite clear he had to fend for himself (even although he was working for them).

Thankfully his union supported him all the way through a very in-depth inquest and he was absolved of any blame.

There are some who work beside us who dont sign up for the union and it is their choice. However many of them blindly think that either things won't go wrong or 'the work' will support them in their hour of need...

Aye Right...

The problem with the union is .... Union people. They are all utter wankers.

I find it difficult to deal with the relatity of union membership compared with the concept of it, which i am completely in favour of.

It's a bit like the old politician saying. People who volunteer to be Union reps should be disbarred from ever being such.

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