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I’ve been a trade unionist all my working life. The idea of working anywhere, for anyone, and not being in a trade union would never cross my mind. So when I repeatedly tell people that they should join a union — and they don’t — it leaves me totally confused.
It does cost money to join a union, but then not joining a union could cost you tour job, or your career. Over the past thirty years I’ve had to call on union assistance four times and they have never let me down. Wanting to pay some of that back is the reason why I became a union rep five years ago, trained as a caseworker and more recently as a Health and Safety rep.
In the past five years I have helped over two dozen people with problems ranging from redundancy to harassment. In some cases it has been one chat or a phone call, in others investigations that have gone on for almost an entire year. And in every case I’ve wondered what would happen to that person if they hadn’t had the good sense and foresight to join a union.
In some cases, I do know. With the blessing of the union I have also assisted non-members as a rep on the staff consultative committee at my place of employment, but obviously what I can do for these staff is severely limited in scope compared to how I can represent and be pro-active for members. I’m…
