I see that Unite union is thinking of withdrawing support from the Labour party. If it happens, I'd be much more ready to support Labour.

The Unions are everything thats wrong with this country.

Len has already backtracked on this one, probably had to much champagne over lunch.To action this would be a step to far, individual members opt into the political levy and it is not his to withdraw.

The Unions are why kids aren't sent up chimney's to clean them for 1p a day. The media never publish the good things about Unions only the bad.

I hear of loads of shop-workers who work an hour or two extra a day unpaid (to clean and tidy up after business closes), they moan about it continually - I ask if they are a member of Union and they say no, at that point my sympathy for them stops.

McDonald's are renowned for taking on new full-time staff, but in reality they only get 12 hours a week of work - why? because they don't have Unions and so do whatever they like with their workforce like many other employers.

Firemen are the classic case, where its emphasised that the ratepayers will have to pay their pay increases - rarely is it pointed out that this will cost less than 3p a year extra on your rates, instead the media make it sound like its going to bankrupt the country brought on by the totally unreasonable Union - no mention that they have had pay freezes or previous agreements broken. A fireman is highly skilled/qualified in almost all aspects of any job you can think off, its a physical job, its unsociable hours but they are treated like a litter-picker - its the reason they need a Union.

Labour stopped being a labour party many years ago, its no wonder the Unions are looking for a socialist party.

The thing I don't like about unions is the way they portray high numbers in favour of strike action, when many members don't bother to vote. I think not bothering to vote should equate to voting "no".

The forthcoming rail strike, the RMT have claimed a high number voting to strike, but in reality it was only those who bothered to return their ballot papers. The union has 16,000 members, but only 7680 voted to strike.

This is a very strange strike story:

Tube drivers go on strike in defence of colleague caught 'drunk at the wheel' twice

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...gue-caught-drunk-at-the-wheel-twice.html

Exactly. They are corrupt, morally bankrupt body who are all about self interest.

If you dont like working an extra hour, find another job.

Just read the Telegraph article. Unbelievable ! How come this driver was allowed to work again after being found drunk the first time behind the wheel controls? Any other employer responsible for the safety of tens of thousands of people a day would have given him a size 9 up the arse pronto AND prosectuted him.

Do these knuckle-dragging union leaders still think they are in the days of Red Robbo et al ?? (Some may recall BMC in the '70's) Gimme strength !

The whole story would be nice - as usual.

The breath test the driver failed is a lot more sensitive than the one for road driving (10 times more sensitive), many diabetics could fail it on a regular basis without consuming alcohol, the driver is a diabetic.

well said digging deeper, trade unions have always been a force for good all over the world. The unions have stayed with labour because " the labour party was born from the bowels of the trade union movement " It could well be time for change but big decisions probably shouldn't be made in times when emotions are running high.

Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but never jam today.

Complete claptrap! The unions had nothing to do with children up chimneys for starters. Chimney sweep act 1875.The unions and the TUC sold the workers out in 1925,at least read up on it. The miners got shafted by the same self interest group. The dockers started the Blue Union to get away from the same.Unions are a tier of management workers could do without.American unions were run by the Mafia. You had to be in one to work all they wanted was your subs.
I don't deny good men are also a part of the system but they are a minority.I have held a few jobs in three unions and as far as I am concerned they are as strait as an S bend.

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Do you mean that you have been employed by three unions? or been a member of three unions? I ask because it seems that you kept going back for more, whatever the case. As for Union leaders being all for themselves I do know that Tony Woodley didn't accept a pay rise for the duration of his tenure as General Secretary of the T.G.W.U. (Now that was a real Trade Union)

Paid lunch breaks of twenty minutes, times can be changed with notice. In my case a paid ten minute tea break in the morning and one in the afternoon done away with. Compulsory overtime to pay back layoff with pay. Workplace pensions over £70 COD deduction from state pension each week.I got chucked off the safety officers job because I refused to be a nodding dog.Trust them at your peril.The procedure of five still exists I could name names of people sacked for being ill.Equal pay for women, I did watch the Ford Dagenham workers, cant remember the union backing them up.

Exactly Dusty.. and including the employees of certain garages who work 3pm to midnight on their own without a break. The assistants at a certain chain of stores on 8 hr contracts but have to work an abundance more of 6hr shifts in a week without a break and without a seat to sit on. Hardly any get an hours lunch break now, unless they work in offices and they are not paid anyway. Not many have weekends off, and many work 7 consecutive days of 12 hr shifts before their 3 days off, but have to be available to go into work when called.
All that is on the list above about 'What the Unions Did For Us' is rather out of date, as most points were conveniently got rid of by the last Labour Government and the Unions didn't blink an eye lid.
Whoever wrote/quotes that, obviously hasn't worked for a very long time.

Bennie I know Tony Woodley, Kenny Spain, John Farrell, and John Prescot all of them done better for themselves than the people they represented.If TW is your inspirational believe in unionism you are on a looser.I know TW from his days selling bacon and blue movies, and how he got the convenors job, little wonder I think the way I do.I was in the TG for over thirty years and joined the AEU to get away from the TG.Thirty six union fat cats are picking up more than
£100,000, and we are supposed to be grateful for a living wage, "get a grip"!.I come from the days of the closed shop, and unofficial strikes,by men trying to shake off the strait jacket imposed by the managements lacky, The Unions.

I stated in present tense - The Unions are why kids aren't sent up chimney's to clean them for 1p a day.

The reason they aren't is because of legislation (which was found necessary), the reason the legislation is still in place is because of Unions. We have governments that have effectively removed many worker rights, ACAS has gone to all intents and purpose so its extremely difficult to appeal against an employer know, the Tories are committed to introducing hire and fire.

Hire and fire doesn't work for most jobs, ask any expert, stability, experience, loyalty and expertise matters - it is the Government who are supposed to create stability, instead they are creating chaos.

I haven't got anything good to say about TW and a number other Union people, but that is far from all of them.

Unions do millions of things a year, the media choose to highlight the small percentage of bad things. The British Public are being manipulated by the media.

Strike has become a dirty word (through media manipulation) - yet it is enshrined by law, is that not a contradiction? Scargill wasn't "clean" but my god he was right about what the Government was trying to do, unfortunately other industries didn't see it coming to them.

How many good MP's are there, how many MP's are criminals, yet the house of commons is let off by the media far lighter than Unions. IMHO a criminal should not be allowed to be an MP, their is a big difference in running a country and representing people.

The Union did nothing to fight for my wifes job when she was "persuaded" to leave for being off ill. They seem more interested in flag waving at LGBT events.

I was annoyed at my Union providing financial assistance to villages in foreign countries.

I was also annoyed at them having a specific LGBT group within the Union, that is far from equality it is the opposite.

On the other hand, they did thousands of good things, but the muck sticks doesn't it!

I became anti union because of things I saw and experienced during my working life. I have always considered myself a socialist and have demonstrated at labour party rallies because the lack of support for the miners at the time was a disgrace.I was famous for a day when I told TW to FO when he was canvassing for the job as leader of the TG.We had a ballot on whether the union or the company should hire and fire, the union lost the vote, strange that we trusted the company more than our union.(Vauxhall)

Vauxhall have been a pretty fair employer partly through a history of people coming up through the ranks (may not be the case any longer).

Other employers employ jumped up kids to manage stores that haven't got a clue how to treat people or even let people get on with their job. They send "managers" on courses explaining how they can be CEO if they work hard and get good figures, I've seen a number of these types collapsing on a regular basis through the strain, they think they will be CEO in 20 years time, I think they will be in a morgue - the trail of destroyed trust and loyalty left behind is unreal.

TW is hardly a revered figure in the majority of the TU world, he is part of a group of Unionists that are equivalent to the political Etonians, far too keen to achieve one-upmanship as a success rather than good solid achievements. He is the type that did more damage to the Unions than Maggie did, but both pale into significance compared to how the media manipulate .... TW would have been a nothing without the media, he would have come and gone.

I found this of interest just incase anybody is naive enough to think we can trust any of them.
www.theguardian.com/politics2008/dec/18/unite-tony-woodley

The above Guardian link appears to be dead, however put it in manually and it works. Well worth the read.

Digging deeper, the point I made about Woodley was merely that he hadn't taken a pay rise!

Well he more than made up for it in 2008-2009 in more ways than one CLICKY

There are other non-union matters that I wasn't impressed with.

Unions shouldn't use bully-boy tactics, they should be fighting against that sort of thing.

dd,or chris k.? When banks get fined billions for being corrupt who does the money go to?

dd,or chris k.? When banks get fined billions for being corrupt where does the money go to?

UK fines usually go to charity, favourite over last few years have been armed forces charities. Of course with rich armed forces charities it saves government money on support so the gesture isn't quite as generous as it looks.

Am I missing a Union involvement?

re the banks
I wonder how much of the profits made from corruption actually end up as fines.
eg say 50 billion profit - 300 million fined

Fining banks is a pretty pointless exercise, while it hits the shareholders a bit, its the customers than end up paying most of the fine.

The top management and directors are getting the big money and are responsible for the actions of their company, they are the ones that should be held to criminal account.

In 1970, after doing 11 years in the RN, I did a capstan setter operators course so that I could carry on working after leaving the service. Couldn't get a job because I wasn't in a union, couldn't join the union because I didn't have a job. Closed shop see! Ended up as a bus conductor, a noble calling but not exactly what I had in mind. Saw lots of bent union stuff whilst working after that. The idea is good but the reality stinks.

Interesting couple of stories:

Andy Burnham rules out union funding in bid for Labour leadership
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/21/andy-burnham-no-union-funding-labour-leadership-bid

Yet:

UNIONS’ £20,000 FOR LABOUR HOPE ANDY BURNHAM
http://www.sunnation.co.uk/revealed-unions-20000-for-labour-hope-andy-burnham/

Biting the hand that feeds? Or just snubbing them now he's got the money?

For the sake of the Labour party lets hope this is his downfall.

I think Burnham is probably the tories favourite candidate for the Labour party. I fail to see why so many Unions have him as their favourite candidate.