Living in a Democracy

1
Living in a Democracy

• Trade Unions

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What are trade unions?

• Trade unions are organisations that represent
  people at work. Their purpose is to protect and
  improve people's pay and conditions of
  employment. They also campaign for laws and
  policies which will benefit working people.
• Trade unions exist because an individual worker
  has very little power to influence decisions that
  are made about his or her job. By joining
  together with other workers, there is more chance
  of having a voice and influence.

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What types of trade union are there?

• Craft Unions are the oldest type of union. 
  Workers with common skills often joined together
  to form unions.  Examples are the Musicians Union
  and the National Union of Journalists.
• National Union of Journalists
• Musicians Union

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What types of trade union are there?

• Industrial Unions are formed by unions of a
  particular industry, such as coalminers, railway
  workers or gas workers Examples are National
  Union of Mineworkers and the Union of
  Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians
• The National Union of Mineworkers
• UCATT

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What types of trade union are there?

• General Unions are made up of workers with a wide
  range of skills from different occupations. 
• Examples are UNISON and UNITE a merger of T G
  and AMICUS in 2007.
• UNISON Scotland
• T G
• UNITE

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Reasons for joining a trade unionHelping you
with problems at work

• You get advice when you have a problem at work.
  For example, if you were asked to do a job you
  were not properly trained for, the union could
  stand up for you.

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Reasons for joining a trade unionRepresenting
you in discussions

• Trade unions represent you and other members in
  discussions with employers. Discussions can be
  about any aspect of your work or your workplace.

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Reasons for joining a trade union Improving
your working conditions

• The union helps to improve your wages and working
  conditions by negotiating with employers. When
  employers and unions get together to discuss a
  wage claim it is called collective bargaining.

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Reasons for joining a trade unionEnforcing
rights at work

• The union makes sure your rights are enforced at
  work. All employees have rights concerning things
  like health and safety.

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Reasons for joining a trade union Providing you
with legal help

• A trade union will provide support for you in a
  dispute with your employer. You can be
  represented by your union in any meeting with
  your employer or at an Industrial Tribunal. You
  can also get help with legal advice and costs.

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Reasons for joining a trade union Fighting for
equality

• Your union will fight discrimination and promote
  equal rights at work for women, ethnic minorities
  and the disabled.

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Reasons for joining a trade union Providing you
with services

• The union provides services for you such as
  welfare benefits, legal help, financial advice
  and services, cheaper insurance, discounts, etc.

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Why people join trade unionsSurvey Results

• The table below shows the results of a survey
  which looked at the reasons why people joined
  trade unions and why they remained members.

REASON New Members Members
Support with a problem at work 81.5 65.9
Improved pay and conditions 42.0 39.6
Most people at work are members 15.4 32.5
I believe in trade unions 18.2 37.5
Industrial benefits/services 7.4 9.1
Financial services 3.5 2.5
Other 6.8 5.3
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Reasons for not joining a trade union

• If you are a well-paid worker, you may not see
  the need to join a union.
• If you are a low-paid worker, you may not be able
  to afford the union subscriptions.
• If you work for an employer who does not
  recognise unions, you may not be able to join
  one.

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Reasons for not joining a trade union

• If you are self-employed, running your own
  business, you have no reason to join a union.
• If you are working for a small family business,
  you may not feel the need to join a union.
• You may be working in an industry which has no
  organised unions.

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Reasons for not joining a trade union

• You may not support the idea of trade unions at
  all and may disagree with their methods. You may
  be against taking strike action. You have the
  right not to join as well to join a trade union.
• You may be aware that non-members get the same
  benefits of pay rises and better working
  conditions as members, without having to pay
  membership fees.

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Trade Union Membership 1995-2004
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Trade Union MembershipAge and Gender 2004
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Trade Union MembershipEthnicity
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Membership of selected Trade Unions 2004
Union M/Ship Male Female
UNISON 1,301,000 343,983 957,017
AMICUS 1,179,850 918,305 261,545
TGWU 820,118 649,065 171,053
GMB 600,106 358,781 241,325
General Union of Loom Overlookers 256 N/A N/A
Card Setting Machine Tenters Society 88 N/A N/A
Sheffield Wool Shear Workers Union 11 N/A N/A
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Trade Union Action

• Overtime Ban
• Many employers depend on their workers doing
  extra work every week. If the workers refuse to
  work longer than the basic hours then the
  employer might lose profits.

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Trade Union ActionOvertime Ban

• Dec 15 2003 Land Rover overtime ban called
  Workers at Land Rover are to ban overtime as
  part of industrial action in a dispute over pay,
  it was announced today.Union members will also
  withdraw flexible working time arrangements in
  the New Year unless the row is resolved. But
  union leaders pulled back from calling workers at
  the company's plant in Solihull out on strike
  even though they voted in favour of stoppages.
• Amicus national officer, Duncan
  Simpson, said "The fact that the trade unions
  have not implemented an all-out strike
  demonstrates our willingness to talk to resolve
  the issue. We would now call upon the company to
  make a similar positive response."
• Unions are pressing for an increase in
  an offer of 6.5 over two years and said they
  want parity with employees at Jaguar. Both firms
  are owned by Ford.
• The overtime ban will start next Monday
  and union leaders will meet in the New Year to
  consider their next move.

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Trade Union Action

• Work-to-rule
• The workers stick to each petty rule thus
  slowing down production. For example, bin men
  could lift one bin bag at a time rather than
  picking up several.

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Trade Union ActionWork-to-rule

• Monday, 2 September, 2002
• Firefighters work to rule
• Crews at some Scottish fire stations have
  begun answering emergency calls only in their
  dispute over pay, according to union officials.
  The action began as last-ditch pay talks aimed at
  averting industrial action by firefighters across
  the UK broke down.
• Tam Tierney, Scottish secretary of the
  Fire Brigades Union, said the action started in
  the Strathclyde area on Monday morning.
• Mr Tierney said he believed the
  unofficial action had also spread to a number of
  English cities.
• Duties such as routine inspections and
  equipment checks were likely to be affected.
• Firefighters have been offered a 4 pay
  rise and the chance of an independent inquiry to
  examine wages and conditions in the service.
• The union has demanded a 40 increase
  to take a qualified firefighter's salary from
  21,500 to 30,000.
• A spokesman for Grampian Fire Brigade
  said 78 operational staff, as well as union
  members among the support staff, had begun
  working to rule.

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Trade Union Action

• Go Slow
• Workers deliberately slow down their work rate.
  The driver of a bin lorry could travel to and
  from the depot at 20 mph rather than 30 mph.

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Trade Union ActionGo Slow

• Friday, 16 September 2005
• Fuel protesters complete go-slow
• A convoy of 60 fuel price protesters'
  vehicles has completed its crawl along the M4 in
  south Wales as petrol retailers engage in a price
  war. Protesters agreed to drive at 50mph after
  their leader was arrested then "de-arrested" for
  allegedly refusing to move from the second lane,
  police said.
• Following the two-way go-slow between
  Carmarthenshire and Newport, organisers decided
  not to blockade oil refineries. Convoy leader
  Mike Greene, of the Welsh Hauliers and Public
  Less Tax on Fuel Campaign, said protesters had
  decided against a refinery blockade on Friday
  because they believed they had got their message
  across.
• BP said later that reductions would be
  likely at its 400 company-owned stations over the
  weekend, though it could not specify how big they
  would be. The convoy concluded its return journey
  to Cross Hands, near Llanelli, at around 1830
  BST, with vehicles travelling at about 30mph, Mr
  Greene said.
• He said 50 to 60 vehicles were involved
  in the protest, but police said the number was
  changing all the time.
• Police had also used the Public Order
  Act on Friday morning to instruct drivers not to
  drop their speed below 40mph and to drive only on
  the inside lane, warning those flouting the
  conditions would be prosecuted.

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Trade Union Action

• Strike
• A trade union can call its members out on an
  official strike. They may choose to call a
  one-day strike to show the employers how serious
  they are. Workers do not get paid by their
  employer while out on strike, but usually the
  trade union gives them some strike pay.

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Trade Union ActionStrike

• Thursday, 13 October 2005
• Bus drivers agree new pay package
• Strike action by First bus drivers in
  central and east Scotland has ended after staff
  accepted an improved pay deal, union bosses have
  said. Up to 800 drivers staged a series of one
  and two-day walkouts last month.
• Last week, drivers in the central
  region agreed to accept the package of 8 an
  hour, backdated to 3 October this year, rising to
  8.25 on 11 December.
• Drivers in Edinburgh and the Lothians
  threw out the offer, but have now voted to accept
  a repackaged deal. This would see them get an
  hourly rate of 8 from the end of October, going
  up to 8.25 in November. They are currently paid
  7.40 an hour.
• Two thirds of those balloted backed
  the offer, which had been recommended by the
  union.
• A TG spokesman said "This dispute is
  now over and bus services will return to normal.
• "The final offer does represent a
  significant improvement and was the best we felt
  was available in the circumstances."
• First operations director Juliette
  Turner said the company was pleased that drivers
  had voted in favour of the proposal.
• "On behalf of First, I would like to
  apologise to our customers for the industrial
  action over recent weeks," she added.

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Trade Union Action

• Official and Unofficial Strikes
• By law, official strikes can only go ahead after
  a secret ballot of the members and if the
  employer is given several weeks notice. If the
  trade union fails to do this the employer can sue
  the union.
• Unofficial strikes, without union backing, are
  illegal. Workers face the sack if they strike in
  this way. It is also illegal to take strike
  action to help workers in other workplaces. For
  example, teachers cannot hold a sympathy strike
  in support of nurses.

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Trade Union ActionUnofficial Strike

• Thursday, 18 August 2005
• Don't victimise strikers, BA told
• A union has warned British Airways not
  to victimise staff who took part in an unofficial
  strike last week. The Transport General
  Workers' Union (TG) warned it would support
  "legal industrial action" in a row over job cuts
  at catering firm Gate Gourmet.
• BA is investigating whether ground
  staff were bullied into taking part in the
  unofficial strike in support of 670 workers
  sacked by the caterer.
• BA also said it will not pay staff who
  walked out as they had broken the law.
• BBC labour affairs correspondent
  Stephen Cape says workers who are found to have
  breached the airline's policies could now face a
  warning or dismissal.
• The airline has also launched a
  confidential hotline for staff to report any
  concerns.

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Trade Union Action

• Picket Lines
• Striking workers can stand outside their
  workplace with banners and leaflets and try to
  persuade other non-striking workers to support
  them. However, their numbers are strictly
  controlled as is the way they must behave.

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Trade Union ActionPicket Lines

• Wednesday, 19 February, 2003
• Council staff in angry demonstrations
• Councillors had to brave the pickets as
  they arrived for their meeting. Striking council
  staff have taken part in angry demonstrations
  outside the civic centre in Southampton.
• Two thousand members of the public
  sector union, Unison, went on strike on
  Wednesday, to protest against council plans to
  cut 120 jobs in the city.
• Picketing the city centre council
  offices, they made their anger clear to
  councillors arriving for a crucial budget
  meeting.
• The basic problem we have is that the
  government have taken the decision to divert
  resources from councils in the South.
  Councillor Stephen Barnes-Andrews The Labour
  council says the budget is under strain because
  of central government's decision to cut their
  grant by 7m.
• No graves were dug, libraries and
  housing offices were closed, while social
  services were severely disrupted.

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Trade UnionsThe Work of a Shop Steward

• A shop steward is one of the most important
  people in a trade union.
• A shop steward is sometimes called a union
  representative.
• A shop steward is elected by the members at their
  work-place to represent them in the day-to-day
  running of the union.

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Trade UnionsThe Work of a Shop Steward

• Representing Members problems at work
• When union members have a problem at work, it is
  the shop steward they turn to.
• The shop steward can then raise the matter with
  management, or consult other union officials with
  more knowledge of the problem.
• The shop steward can accompany a member when
  being interviewed by management.
• If a worker faces a disciplinary hearing, or
  wishes to take out a grievance against the
  management, the shop steward will give advice and
  may attend the hearing.
• The most common problems that shop stewards are
  asked about are pay, working conditions, health
  and safety, overtime, holiday entitlements.

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Trade UnionsThe Work of a Shop Steward

• Recruiting New Members
• Shop stewards are responsible for encouraging
  non-members to join a union.
• Shop stewards will put up posters outlining the
  benefits of union membership and distribute
  leaflets.
• When new workers are employed, the shop steward
  may meet them and try to persuade them to join
  the union.
• The shop steward will provide information packs
  to new members and arrange for subscriptions to
  be collected or paid by direct debit through the
  members bank accounts.

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Trade UnionsThe Work of a Shop Steward

• Informing Members
• The shop steward acts as a link between union
  headquarters and the individual members.
• All mail from headquarters will go to the shop
  steward, who will make the information available
  to members.
• It is the responsibility of the shop steward to
  distribute official union magazines or
  newsletters and to display important information
  on union notice boards for members to read.
• The shop steward will attend union branch
  meetings and pass on information at workplace
  meetings.

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Trade UnionsThe Work of a Shop Steward

• Supporting Shop Stewards
• Many employers realise the importance of a good
  shop steward.
• Shop stewards can help solve small problems
  before they become major ones.
• Many employers give shop stewards time off work
  to do their shop steward duties, such as
  attending union meetings.
• Employers may also allow them paid time off work
  to attend courses run by the union to improve
  their skills.

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Trade UnionsParticipation in a Trade Union

• Paying Union Fees
• Some workers pay by direct debit through their
  bank. Many workers still pay their fees to the
  shop steward on pay day.

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Trade UnionsParticipation in a Trade Union

• Attending Meetings
• Members can go along to meetings called by
  the shop steward and to branch meetings where
  many decisions are made.

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Trade UnionsParticipation in a Trade Union

• Electing officials
• Union members can vote to elect shop stewards
  and other union officials. These are often postal
  elections, although many members often do not
  bother to post the letter with their vote.

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Trade UnionsParticipation in a Trade Union

• Standing for election
• Members can stand for the post of shop steward
  or health and safety representative.
• They could go along to regional meetings and
  become an elected official there.

Doru Athinodoru, GMB steward/safety
representative.
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Trade UnionsParticipation in a Trade Union

• Supporting decisions
• When a union has arrived at a decision, each
  member is expected to support that decision even
  if they voted against it. If all members act
  together the union will be stronger.

• This could include taking part in industrial
  action.