gr8tballsoffire
I was a senior APEX rep (now part of UNITE) and in seven years I never took any money (nor did any other rep in our branch) from the union.I took on the role, because I wanted to represent the views of my colleagues and to support them at disciplinaries to the best of my ability.
Just a small but significant correction, hope you don't mind.
APEX became part of GMB in 1989 and has no connection with UNITE (other than working productively alongside it in several other staff groups) but otherwise you're absolutely correct, GMB reps work entirely voluntarily, rightly so, in my view.