Comments on: Corbyn supporters should put their principles into practice – and join a union

By: Mark C

Mark C — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 16:06:43 +0000

This article seems pretty out of touch. Joining a Union isn’t an option for many people these days, particularly in the private sector where just a sniff of anyone attempting to unionise their workplace will result in the sack.

By: Martyn Wood-Bevan

Martyn Wood-Bevan — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 22:07:25 +0000

Member of Labour Party, Momentum & Unite – happy to be so…

By: Simon Deville

Simon Deville — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 13:21:41 +0000

This starts with a breathtakingly patronizing assumption that Corbyn supporters aren’t union members.

By: Elizabeth Chell

Elizabeth Chell — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 09:13:27 +0000

I couldn’t agree more!

By: Katythenightowl

Katythenightowl — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 23:04:04 +0000

I was a Union member for most of my working life – when working in factories – but I moved to Wales from England, and started working in the food industry, where I was then the only union member in my place of employment, despite frequently urging my fellow workers to join.
Because I stood up for my, and my fellow workers, rights I was sacked – and every person I had tried to help turned on me when I tried to fight it.
Now I’m disabled, and unable to work, but I can’t find a Union that’s even slightly interested in allowing me to join, let alone supporting me and my disability rights, and so I and, no doubt, many thousands of others like me, are left without representation in the Unions.
So why should we care about any Union that doesn’t care about us?
Just like the Conservatives, the Labour Party only seems to consider us ‘worthy’ if we are working – so how can we face a future with Labour in government, when they either can’t, or won’t, acknowledge us as fellow Union members?

By: Bruce Poole

Bruce Poole — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 21:31:16 +0000

Being in the TGWU was the best move I ever made. They looked after me when I joined a non-union firm, they supported me when I had to go to court, and they gave me brilliant advice whenever I needed it!

By: Alasdair Macdonald

Alasdair Macdonald — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 20:54:16 +0000

I was a career-long TU member during my working life and had extended periods as workplace representative and H&S representative, so, I agree with your urging of people to join TUs. We need strong trade unions.

However, the conduct of some individual trade union members often leaves much to be desired yet they usually receive unequivocal support from the union. Trade Union democracy is often pretty Tammany Hall and leaderships are often cliquish and exclusive. Many Trade Unions are strong supporters of nuclear weapons.

Mrs Thatcher made hay from the 1980s onwards by monstering the behaviour of ‘trade union barons’ and having a very supportive media, the anti union message was amplified and shouted out every day. Most of it was lies and exaggeration, but there was enough that struck chords with many members of the public (usually, at that time trade union members themselves) that she was able to ram through her punitive and debilitating legislation. The Labour Governments from 1997 were pretty cautious about restoring ‘rights’ partly because their focus groups were indicating public hostility and partly because ‘new’ Labour was pretty neocon in several sections.

So, if trade unions are to rehabilitate themselves and, we certainly need unions, then they are going to be more transparent, more democratic and considerably more moral. The membership needs to exert discipline on the ‘cowboys (and girls)’ in the membership.