I would say, and would argue strongly that ALL unions "have their members as their priority" - that's kind of what they are for. And you could just as easily argue that TOCs refusing to pay a living wage or an adequate pay increase are "scoring political points"
They don't need indemnify although it is one reason TOC strikes go on as long as they do, even before pseudo nationalisation.
I know of Unite members who have lost their jobs after Unite industrial action on public transport (specifically buses) has prevented them from getting to work, if you ask me that's not having their members as their priority. Off topic for this thread though so I won't discuss it any further.
I think an employer sacking you for not being able to get to work is more the issue here. If unions didn't inconvenience someone when they struck, nothing would ever happen.
The fact that inflation was twice that not long ago (probably when the negotiations started) and the fact that just because inflation has dropped doesn’t mean everyday living costs have reduced, it’s a mediocre offer at best.
Not entirely sure why this is relevant, to be honest, other than to do down trade unions as a whole.
In theory. However my union was more interested in political points than the views of it's members, so I quit the union.
Obviously I don't know your personal circumstances, but my union spends almost all of its time defending its members (and I know this because I've been a shop steward as well) and that includes pay increases. So the theory, for the most part, is the reality. I remember some members quitting because the union supported "remain", and that really was - as far as we were concerned - about defending all members - but the option to leave (in both cases) was there.
Despite the attitude of a certain CEO of a TOC when I tackled him on this issue (specifically that a fare increase could have been limited to RPI if the TOC didn't declare a dividend) dividends should be a reward for good performance, not an entitlement.
I'm not sure what you mean by "down" trade unions? If you are trying to dismiss the fact that Unions are in decline, then that's your prerogative but the reality is undeniable.
They're not asking for an above-inflation rise, as you well know. Something that vaguely keeps up with the double-digit rise in prices would be acceptable.
No they won't, they're locked into contracts, the prices they charge will be determined by those contracts and is completely unrelated to negotiations with their employees. They'll have to absorb the cost. If those contracts are index-linked (and a 27 year one surely would be) then it should be fairly easy to absorb them.
Hardly given that the other two unions involved, and who represent the vast majority of steelworkers, have criticised Unite's stance, which could jeopardise the whole future of the plant. Sharon Graham is becoming over-confident and will become unstuck if she doesn't rein it in.
RMT press release
Strike from 05:59 Sat 27 Jan to 05:58 Thurs 1 Feb
Hitachi Rail maintenance engineers to take strike action
RMT members at maintenance depots run by Hitachi rail will strike over 5 days next week in row over pay.www.rmt.org.uk
The press release is dated today, 19th January. It's only eight days until 27th. How do you reckon that's two weeks notice?
Because the notice was given one week before the press release?
The legal requirement is that notice be given to the employer not that it be made publicly.
It is nothing to do with informing the public nor is it a matter for the union, informing the public is the business of the affected employer. A Union may decide to make a public statement as part of its wider campaign (as ASLEF and the RMT tend to do) but it isn't up to the union to make public statement unless it wishes to do so. If you rocked up a railway station to be told there's no service due to strikes that is a failure of the train company not the union.
It's certainly not a binary 14 days or zero thing; there is a big middle ground between 14 days and on-the-day!
Unite also issued an announcement for the same days alongside the RMT's;
