Or you could (like a growing number of us in the industry) eschew the bullying and class-war nonsense (let alone the very high union dues) of the main unions and just don't join.
SkinnyDave:1592661 said:I'm glad someone brought this up.
I am due to start as a Trainee Train Driver next month and was wondering if it is worthwhile joining up straight away?
I will be honest every pound will be a prisoner in my first year hence me asking this. However longer term I will be part of a union.
Shaggy:1592551 said:Or you could (like a growing number of us in the industry) eschew the bullying and class-war nonsense (let alone the very high union dues) of the main unions and just don't join.
If you feel you must join a union then I'd recommend ACTU - http://www.atcu.org.uk/index.html - although be prepared to be mocked, bullied and intimidated by other staff who hate the fact that the main unions' oligopoly has been challenged.
ACTU do offer legal protection, and representation. TUC membership can't be that important (I mean, RMT is not a member either), and when the ACTU membership passes a certain point, it could be messy.
Have you ever considered staying out of the Unions until (or If) you ever get into trouble then join one at the last minute just before the management get a chance to bother you ?
I'm glad someone brought this up.
I am due to start as a Trainee Train Driver next month and was wondering if it is worthwhile joining up straight away?
I will be honest every pound will be a prisoner in my first year hence me asking this. However longer term I will be part of a union.
I'm not in a union and have no plans to join one.
Have you ever considered staying out of the Unions until (or If) you ever get into trouble then join one at the last minute just before the management get a chance to bother you ?
What job are you in out of interest? Are you on the railway? If so do you still accept union negotiated pay rises which your union colleagues have effectively funded for you with their subscriptions?
If your union allowed me to opt out of the collective bargaining process (rather than negotiate 'on my behalf' when I've never asked or paid them to do) then I would be delighted to individually negotiate with my line manager.
The absolute worst type of person.
Those who choose not to be a TU member at least have a principle, a foolish one but a principle nonetheless.
Those who do as you mention are leeches and thankfully are prevented from doing so by union rules.
But why are you out of a union? Are you a driver? I'm just interested why you have chosen not to join?
Or a sensible principle derived from refusing to be part of an outfit which (tacitly if not outright) encourages in-work bullying, singling out of non correct union members and enjoys the hypocrisy of calling for a workers' revolution whilst at the same time pay their leaders six-figure packages.
On a more agreeable level, you're either a union member or not. The last thing I'd do is go crawling to one of the main unions for assistance after refusing to go along with their nonsense in the first place.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Fair question. Two reasons mainly.
1. A colleague of mine (Guard) left the RMT for various reasons to join ATCU. The response of men who for years had been his friends and colleagues was downright disgusting. He would walk into the mess room, whilst his colleagues would either get up and walk out, or be simply downright rude to him (he would say good morning and they would continue talking amongst themselves or tell him to f*** off). I do not want to be part of any organisation who encourages or even merely accepts this type of appalling schoolboy-like bullying.
2. I refuse to be part of an organisation which calls for a workers' revolution and calls constantly for class warfare etc. No problem with anyone doing so, but I don't want my subs encouraging this. Let alone when they pay their leaders such extravagant salary packages.
I understand and appreciate the good work the unions can do in representing workers in times of difficulty. Indeed I think for operational staff not to have any form of representation insurance (which for most is what unions are to them) is slightly odd. However I've chosen not to buy that insurance from the main members of the railway union oligopoly.
If your union allowed me to opt out of the collective bargaining process (rather than negotiate 'on my behalf' when I've never asked or paid them to do) then I would be delighted to individually negotiate with my line manager.
1. A colleague of mine (Guard) left the RMT for various reasons to join ATCU. The response of men who for years had been his friends and colleagues was downright disgusting. He would walk into the mess room, whilst his colleagues would either get up and walk out, or be simply downright rude to him (he would say good morning and they would continue talking amongst themselves or tell him to f*** off). I do not want to be part of any organisation who encourages or even merely accepts this type of appalling schoolboy-like bullying.
Says more about your "colleagues" than anything else I think. That sort of attitude has no place in todays soceity.
Shunters at GBRf are in Aslef the same as drivers. So it either a case of your in Aslef or your not in a union as the company won't recognize any other. If one of our colleagues is not in a union it may raise a few eyebrows but union members would never treat non union members with such distain.
A union is only as good as its members.