All good and well in the good old USA, but not strictly legal in Europe.
The following is a dissemination of the Employments Relations Act 2004 and the Employemnt Act 2008. Taken from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. (A UK Governernment body).
Trade union membership, activities and related matters
Right to belong to a trade union
Some individuals may wish to belong to a trade union and they enjoy certain protections where they do so.
All employees have the right:-
not to be dismissed, or selected for redundancy, for being a member of an independent trade union (2) or for proposing to become a member; and
not to be dismissed, or selected for redundancy, for failing to accept an offer made by their employer with the sole or main purpose of inducing them not to be or become a trade union member.
In addition, all employees and other workers have the right:
not to be subjected to a detriment by their employer to prevent or deter them from belonging to an independent trade union or from seeking to become a member, or to penalise them for so doing;
not to be made an offer by their employer where the sole or main purpose of the offer is to induce them not to be, or seek to become, a member; and
not to be subjected to a detriment for failing to accept such an offer.
Right to take part in trade union activities
Individuals have protection relating to their trade union activities.
All employees have the following rights relating to their trade union activities:
not to be dismissed, or chosen for redundancy, for taking part, or proposing to take part, in the activities of an independent trade union at an appropriate time;
not to be dismissed, or chosen for redundancy, because they failed to accept an offer made by their employer with the sole or main purpose of inducing them not to take part in the activities of an independent trade union at an appropriate time.
In addition, all employees and other workers have the right:
not to be subjected to a detriment by their employer to prevent or deter them from taking part in trade union activities at an appropriate time, or to penalise them for doing so;
not to be made an offer by their employer where the sole or main purpose of the employer is to induce them not to take part in an independent trade union’s activities at an appropriate time; and
not to be subjected to a detriment for failing to accept such an offer.
What are union activities?
The kinds of union activity in which an employee may take part are not set out in law. However, union activities involving an employee acting on behalf of the union, for instance as a shop steward representing a union that is recognised for collective bargaining purposes, would be covered, as would activities connected with the election or appointment of union officials.
Right to make use of union services
All employees have the following rights relating to the use they make of their union’s services:
not to be dismissed, or chosen for redundancy, for making use, or proposing to make use, of the services of an independent trade union at an appropriate time; and
not to be dismissed, or chosen for redundancy, because they failed to accept an offer made by their employer with the sole or main purpose of inducing them not to use the services of an independent trade union at an appropriate time.
In addition, all employees and other workers have the right:
not to be subjected to a detriment by their employer to prevent or deter them from using their union’s services at an appropriate time or to penalise them for doing so;
not to be made an offer by their employer where the sole or main purpose is to induce them not to make use of an independent trade union’s services at an appropriate time; and
not to be subjected to a detriment by their employer for failing to accept such an offer
Sounds like this Captain needs union representation!
Last edited by Dan Winterland; 19th Jun 2009 at 03:11.