Meanwhile, we still wait to hear officially from the Union exactly what the Special Delegates Conference is about. How long has it been? 6 weeks?
Considering the Union promised us that communications would improve, they're doing a pi$$poor job of it so far.
Working Together is getting beyond a joke. I understand the need to try and have cordial relations with management to an extent, but we've helped them out with the pensions, many of us are doing extra tasks we aren't being paid for which is keeping the business going and what do we get in return? A Union who have made no effort to speak to their members about what they would like to see from a pay deal, a union having cosy confidential meetings with management, thus conveniantly meaning we are being kept in the dark, and a management who are giving the Union such a runaround that it's now April and we are still no closer to having a pay offer.
If the Union were or are negotiating hard, that's fine, but, as usual, they're not communicating anything to the members. Do they ever learn?
At what stage do we as a collective decide that enough is enough and think sod Prospect, let's go for a different Union. One that truly represents its members, one that isn't scared to stand up to management and one that communicates with its members, instead of keeping them in the dark about the issues that really affect them.
I've been a Union rep but I gave it up. I became so disillusioned with the sheer ineptitude of the way it was run and the fact that it's so dominated by the 'big' unit(s) I decided enough was enough. However, I still pay my dues as I believe completely in the Unions as they were originally created. Unfortunately, ours seem to have forgotten who they're representing and this years pay deal is make or break for me with regards to whether or not I continue paying my Union dues. And I know that I'm in the majority, at my unit at least.