Are you or were you in a Union?

TAGWU for a couple of years when I was working generally, then 20 years in BECTU when I was in the theatre.
 
I was working at Sellafield and we had a union card show, this was before your union was taken straight from your wages. The weekend prior to the show I nipped to the local convenor's (Jackie Robinson) house to get my card made up before going back to work (something we did this regularly when working away). On arriving his daughter answered the door and thanked me for coming to visit, she ushered me into the front room and Jackie was laid to rest in his coffin, he had only died the week before. I sat paying my respects and wondering how I could get out of the situation I found myself when there was a knock on the door, it was another welder I worked with at the time and comes on here.
 
Just out of my 4 year apprenticeship redundnecies came up with 2 to go in a Dept of 10.

There were two volunteers, 1 with a year to go to retirement and another with 3 years to retirement, both happy to take the package and leave and the Company was happy for that to happen. Tbh both of them were being carried anyway and everyone knew it.

But the Union stepped in and insisted that the policy of 1st in last out applied, no matter what. So it was me and a guy with 2 young kids that got the push.

The Convenor was very lucky he didn't get a really good hiding.

We would walk out on a Friday if the weather was nice and then again on the following Tuesday when the Company said they weren't going to pay us for the Friday. Then still get paid.
The factory got shut and business moved to Indonesia

I did work experience at Eaton axles in Aycliffe. The bonus quota was filled by lunchtime every day so everyone sat around doing fk all for the rest of the day every day.
The factory got shut and moved to Poland

Those were the days when the Unions ruined themselves.
 
Yes I was in a Union from 1997 to 2017. To me it was an insurance policy, I beleive I was well liked by my employer, but I had seen them poorly treat some people particularly when the employer was struggling and had made people redundant over night. I wanted to make sure I was not one of the ones to be poorly treated and to have Union legal services and advice available. I had seen this happen to family members and the Union had helped them retain their job and get a fair deal at work. The end of the day is that most employees are a cost and unfortunately "our staff are our biggest asset" is not always followed through in reality especially by managers with conflicting interests and indifferent abilities. The Union fees were about £300 a year at the end, but I got 25% back as I could claim tax back on them.
 
I was in a union all my working life EEPTU from 1974 to 80s then Unison 1986 untill retirement. Had times as shop steward in both.
 
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