15th May 2010, 07:56 AM
On the technical question of union recognition. An employer is obliged to recognise a trade union when a majority of employees request the union is recognised. There are exceptional circumstances where an employer might recognise (or even request) a trade union without being urged by the employees, but in nearly 30 years as an archaeologist and over 35 years as a trade unionist I have only heard of this happening once. So it is unlikely that Jack's 19-1 scenario could happen....
On the question of whether union negotiated benefits apply to non-union members. Yes they do. If they didn't then both the union and the employer could be open to charges of running a 'closed shop' which is proscribed under section 137(a) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (c. 52). But in reverse if an employer recognises a trade union for negotiation purposes including redundancy arrangements, disciplinary codes etc etc, non-union members could find themselves covered by agreements in which they have no personal say.
Do trade unions bother to represent single members in workplaces where the majority of workers don't belong to a union? Yes they do. There are several famous cases where unions have carried on representing single-figure memberships after trade unionists have been sacked or membership of that union proscribed, notably in the construction industries and local and national government.
The unstated historical philosophy of the trade union movement is that we stand on the shoulders of giants. Many of what we consider the basic rights, freedoms and benefits in UK society have been won as a result of trade union action and often great personal sacrifice by trade unionists and trade unionist families. Of course this does not accord with the version of history paraded by the concerted efforts of Murdoch media and the Daily Mail and the so-called legacy of the Thatcher years; where it is claimed the trade union movement has only ever stood for selfish personal self-enrichment at a significant cost to the scared trembling much put-upon masses....
.....but I guess that was before we discovered what bankers and the Lib-Dems were up to!!
On the question of whether union negotiated benefits apply to non-union members. Yes they do. If they didn't then both the union and the employer could be open to charges of running a 'closed shop' which is proscribed under section 137(a) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (c. 52). But in reverse if an employer recognises a trade union for negotiation purposes including redundancy arrangements, disciplinary codes etc etc, non-union members could find themselves covered by agreements in which they have no personal say.
Do trade unions bother to represent single members in workplaces where the majority of workers don't belong to a union? Yes they do. There are several famous cases where unions have carried on representing single-figure memberships after trade unionists have been sacked or membership of that union proscribed, notably in the construction industries and local and national government.
The unstated historical philosophy of the trade union movement is that we stand on the shoulders of giants. Many of what we consider the basic rights, freedoms and benefits in UK society have been won as a result of trade union action and often great personal sacrifice by trade unionists and trade unionist families. Of course this does not accord with the version of history paraded by the concerted efforts of Murdoch media and the Daily Mail and the so-called legacy of the Thatcher years; where it is claimed the trade union movement has only ever stood for selfish personal self-enrichment at a significant cost to the scared trembling much put-upon masses....
.....but I guess that was before we discovered what bankers and the Lib-Dems were up to!!
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...