Not in union, colleagues striking, correct etiquette?
Discussion
As title says really
In the near future my colleagues may be striking.... as I'm not in the union and i have never been in this position before, I was just wondering what to do?
I don't want to cross the picket as that would make me a rather unpopular person but I also don't want to lose a days money either.
So any advice would be greatly appreciated.
In the near future my colleagues may be striking.... as I'm not in the union and i have never been in this position before, I was just wondering what to do?
I don't want to cross the picket as that would make me a rather unpopular person but I also don't want to lose a days money either.
So any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The correct thing to do is to go to work; if the strikers think that not working is going to improve your employer's circumstances such that they can afford to improve pay and conditions then they are sadly deluded. It's their right to strike, it's your right to show to your boss that you are willing to stand up to them. It won't do your standing with management any harm. 
Strikers who call their colleagues scabs are scum, and if they were to do that I wouldn't want to be working with them in the first place.
There is a reason you aren't in the union, so why make excuses about not working if you don't agree why they are striking?
Personally I have zero time for unions and will quite gladly walk across a picket line. the whole concept is something from the dark ages
There is a reason you aren't in the union, so why make excuses about not working if you don't agree why they are striking?
Personally I have zero time for unions and will quite gladly walk across a picket line. the whole concept is something from the dark ages
My brother is a Planning Officer for a local council and they went through a period of having strikes a few times last year against the 'cuts' (basically they were making one or two people in non-jobs redundant plus not replacing people that retired)
His opinion was that said the strikers were a bunch of idiots that should just be grateful to have a job in these economically difficult times, he knew the council wasted money hand over fist and could see why they were making cuts, so he just went into work as usual on strike days walking right through the strikers.
He only had one minor comment the whole time off a colleague who was striking, to which he replied "I'm just grateful to have a job and you should be too".
No one said anything else and he didn't come back to any sort of 'atmosphere' in the office, he said it was all fine.
However... his department boss (Director of Planning) did this:
The consensus amongst the staff was he should have either gone on strike and shown all those under his management that he was on their side and fighting for them, or he should have gone into work as usual and shown the Chief Executive and senior management of the council that he was without question a manager that was on the side of the Council.
He chickened out, did neither, and is still quietly 'rubbished' to this day.
By the way, this is in no way a slur on the gentlemen's mother above, everyones situation is different.
His opinion was that said the strikers were a bunch of idiots that should just be grateful to have a job in these economically difficult times, he knew the council wasted money hand over fist and could see why they were making cuts, so he just went into work as usual on strike days walking right through the strikers.
He only had one minor comment the whole time off a colleague who was striking, to which he replied "I'm just grateful to have a job and you should be too".
No one said anything else and he didn't come back to any sort of 'atmosphere' in the office, he said it was all fine.
However... his department boss (Director of Planning) did this:
0a said:
My mother always used to take holiday to remove the issue.
and just took a days holiday when strikes happened and was absolutely slated from both sides for being too weak or indecisive to make a stand either way, and therefore showed himself to be hardly management material.The consensus amongst the staff was he should have either gone on strike and shown all those under his management that he was on their side and fighting for them, or he should have gone into work as usual and shown the Chief Executive and senior management of the council that he was without question a manager that was on the side of the Council.
He chickened out, did neither, and is still quietly 'rubbished' to this day.
By the way, this is in no way a slur on the gentlemen's mother above, everyones situation is different.
NinjaPower said:
and just took a days holiday when strikes happened and was absolutely slated from both sides for being too weak or indecisive to make a stand either way, and therefore showed himself to be hardly management material.
The consensus amongst the staff was he should have either gone on strike and shown all those under his management that he was on their side and fighting for them, or he should have gone into work as usual and shown the Chief Executive and senior management of the council that he was without question a manager that was on the side of the Council.
He chickened out, did neither, and is still quietly 'rubbished' to this day.
By the way, this is in no way a slur on the gentlemen's mother above, everyones situation is different.
What a sad little place to work.The consensus amongst the staff was he should have either gone on strike and shown all those under his management that he was on their side and fighting for them, or he should have gone into work as usual and shown the Chief Executive and senior management of the council that he was without question a manager that was on the side of the Council.
He chickened out, did neither, and is still quietly 'rubbished' to this day.
By the way, this is in no way a slur on the gentlemen's mother above, everyones situation is different.
Kudos said:
Strikers who call their colleagues scabs are scum, and if they were to do that I wouldn't want to be working with them in the first place.
There is a reason you aren't in the union, so why make excuses about not working if you don't agree why they are striking?
Personally I have zero time for unions and will quite gladly walk across a picket line. the whole concept is something from the dark ages
a little like sending kids up chimneys to clean them eh?There is a reason you aren't in the union, so why make excuses about not working if you don't agree why they are striking?
Personally I have zero time for unions and will quite gladly walk across a picket line. the whole concept is something from the dark ages
if everyone was like you that's how we'd end up again
the OP should be in the union and out on strike with his workmates - I bet he'll enjoy taking the benefits of the strike if its successful
dingg said:
a little like sending kids up chimneys to clean them eh?
if everyone was like you that's how we'd end up again
the OP should be in the union and out on strike with his workmates - I bet he'll enjoy taking the benefits of the strike if its successful
There is no way I can reply to this without starting an argument. if everyone was like you that's how we'd end up again
the OP should be in the union and out on strike with his workmates - I bet he'll enjoy taking the benefits of the strike if its successful
So here goes.
While it was important for workers in the mills and foundries of the early 20th century to improve their working conditions and pay, the current world is a very different place. The unions of this country have failed to realise that in the economic circumstances we find ourselves in that they cannot continue to push for above average wage rises and improved conditions. It's happened before (in the 70s) and that didn't go especially well in the end for unionised workforces.
dingg said:
the OP should be in the union and out on strike with his workmates - I bet he'll enjoy taking the benefits of the strike if its successful
Or be on benefits when they all lose their jobs. The only people who gain from unions are the union bosses with big salaries paid for by the working members
iphonedyou said:
NinjaPower said:
and just took a days holiday when strikes happened and was absolutely slated from both sides for being too weak or indecisive to make a stand either way, and therefore showed himself to be hardly management material.
The consensus amongst the staff was he should have either gone on strike and shown all those under his management that he was on their side and fighting for them, or he should have gone into work as usual and shown the Chief Executive and senior management of the council that he was without question a manager that was on the side of the Council.
He chickened out, did neither, and is still quietly 'rubbished' to this day.
By the way, this is in no way a slur on the gentlemen's mother above, everyones situation is different.
What a sad little place to work.The consensus amongst the staff was he should have either gone on strike and shown all those under his management that he was on their side and fighting for them, or he should have gone into work as usual and shown the Chief Executive and senior management of the council that he was without question a manager that was on the side of the Council.
He chickened out, did neither, and is still quietly 'rubbished' to this day.
By the way, this is in no way a slur on the gentlemen's mother above, everyones situation is different.
Kudos said:
Or be on benefits when they all lose their jobs.
The only people who gain from unions are the union bosses with big salaries paid for by the working members
Wrong The only people who gain from unions are the union bosses with big salaries paid for by the working members
eg look at n sea divers 3 or 4 years ago secured a 43% pay rise after a few days of strike action,
although I can see your point over the big bosses some of whom are no more than parasites of their members IMO BUT unions are a must to balance both sides of the employer/employee relationship
Edited by dingg on Sunday 17th June 22:07
having met a union rep who to me summed up the ethos of a pig from Animal Farm, I despise unions (before never really having much of a view), do want you want and forget about them.
You are your own person and any pressure from them to dictate your actions kind of shows up the weaknesses being in a union in the first place. Most people I have met in a union are feeble minded or work shy.
You are your own person and any pressure from them to dictate your actions kind of shows up the weaknesses being in a union in the first place. Most people I have met in a union are feeble minded or work shy.
dingg said:
Wrong
eg look at n sea divers 3 or 4 years ago secured a 43% pay rise after a few days of strike action,
although I can see your point over the big bosses some of whom are no more than parasites of their members IMO BUT unions are a must to balance both sides of the employer/employee relationship
They were self employed and on £46,000 a year before the pay rise. Not exactly living hand to mouth. And before you mention the risk, it's less dangerous than being a truck driver or construction worker, and much better paid for many fewer hours overall. eg look at n sea divers 3 or 4 years ago secured a 43% pay rise after a few days of strike action,
although I can see your point over the big bosses some of whom are no more than parasites of their members IMO BUT unions are a must to balance both sides of the employer/employee relationship
Edited by dingg on Sunday 17th June 22:07
The only reason they got their money was that their employer makes plenty of money and it was cheaper for them to meet the demands rather than lose production.
Unions are not needed in most workplaces these days - the work done by trade unions in previous decades to get statutory protection for workers has largely rendered them irrelevant.
There are 2 sides to a Union IMO. The political side that bargains for better conditions and the side that offers legal assistance. I doubt a Union could exist without being a bit of both. Its an absolute nonsense to say that Unions are not needed for the legal assistance/guidance aspect of things.
Most forums I am a member of have Job sections and you don't have to look very far to find exmaples of employers apparently screwing over staff by not adhering to the law or their own policies - you can probably find a number of examples in PHs own (small) job sub forum.
Most forums I am a member of have Job sections and you don't have to look very far to find exmaples of employers apparently screwing over staff by not adhering to the law or their own policies - you can probably find a number of examples in PHs own (small) job sub forum.
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