Workers solidarity

[Techno Natch]

I wanted to create a thread where we can discuss our struggles in work and to share ideas on how we can self organise. It's quite clear the unions are now largely ineffective and are in the pockets of big business. It's also clear that our battles won't be won via Unions or the ballot box so we should take the battle into our own hands.

We can fight this though by organising in our workplace. I'll start by sharing this useful article from Libcom which can give you ideas on how to organise in your workplace https://libcom.org/organise/workplace/articles/organising-at-work-guide

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

Yeah, this is quite interesting. It's a subject I've thought about a bit over the last year. What are people's experiences with unions on the whole? I found myself in a redundancy situation at work last year and joined Unite, which is the first time I'd become a union member. I have to say that during that difficult time I found their support invaluable and I ended up applying for, and getting a new job in the organisation, in a role I find rather more fulfilling. Without their assistance I rather doubt I'd have done that. Having said that, they seem pretty toothless when it comes to challenging a company's plans - they only ever seem to extract minor concessions when it comes to restructures/redundancies, changes to pensions and other employment T&Cs. I'm considering jacking in my membership now, because, much though I'm very supportive of the idea, union membership really isn't cheap and, on a reasonably tight budget, it's quite a lot of money to pay for what often seems like something of an ineffectual talking shop.

 

[Ian_Wrexham]

I was a member of the worst union in Britain for a few years, USDAW. I pretty much joined cos I got talked into it when signing up, didn't think too much and didn't engage at all, and so it was essentially something i gave a chunk of my wages to every month and got fuck all out of.

I think there's a tendency to think that joining a union is a good in and of itself (and tbf they do provide some benefits - like representation, and legal support). There's a tendency to rely on shop stewards/reps without acknowledging the dynamics that force them towards compromise unless countered by workers organising amongst themselves.

I think it's important to realise that organising through trade unions is only one option for collectively organising at work (albeit one that affords legal protections).

 

[Techno Natch]

Unions are utter scum

 

[Techno Natch]

Just to elaborate on that. I think that unions are okay when used in the way that you specify PP. Which sector are you in by the way?

Beyond that I find them to be toothless and out of touch. My sector of community support has been badly neglected by the unions. On top of that the fat cat bosses are so far out of touch they might as well be our enemy. When a member of our network asked for lower membership fee for junior or low paid workers he was told that £10 "wasn't that much." (Our member is also on considerably more but recognises the strain on lower paid staff)

That union boss was on £400k a year. How can he relate to the struggle of his low paid staff? It's in his best interests to buddy up to the people with power and money. His struggle can't be the same as ours because he isn't one of us.

That's why workers now have to organise amongst ourselves. When we do that we gain true autonomy without having to worry about breaking agreements our supposed unions have brokered with the government.

 

[Johnnyt]

Unions are utter scum

thats not true at all

 

[Techno Natch]

thats not true at all

I might have been exaggerating under the influence of alcohol.

 

[lordofthepies]

I'm in Unite. I haven't had much need for them personally other than collective negotiation of our pay rises every year. It's good to know they'll represent me if I need them in future, I guess.

It's a bit of an odd situation, as my work strongly encourage staff to be members of the union. I do wonder if they might be a bit too cosy but I think it's probably just cos my employers are generally pretty decent.

 

[Kopper]

Marx was right, when he talked about the means of production. If you unions were to take the membership fee and buy a stake in some of these multi-nationals, they'd be a more effective advocate for their members. But they won't. They, like the worker's they represent don't want the responsibility that comes with ownership. They would rather use collective bargaining, even though workers, on the whole, have become disposable. Either through automation or shipping jobs overseas.