Originally Posted by
MIDLGW
Litebulbs,
are you saying that unions are there to protect employees that don't behave in a professional manner, deliberately tries to ruin the reputation of their employer, thieving, bullying and/or a variety of other behaviours?
I did not say that at all. However, employees do get dismissed unfairly, but as has been pointed out in a few comments after yours, the employer is under no obligation to accept a reinstatement order. They would have to compensate however.
This is when a union would act, by possibly balloting for industrial action, where the cost of the action would be disproportionate to the cost of the dismissal and a business decision would be made. There would be no guarantees that a business would back down however. Then the individual members would base whether they would be prepared to loose money in support of the action, based on the evidence of the case in question.
This is different to what has happened at BA and the industrial action that has taken place, in my opinion. The business decision is that the short term cost is worth the long term saving.