F&B,
In many industries with vast numbers of workers, it is common to have multiple recognised unions in a company. Each union has the same goal - to represent the interests of their members. This is all good.
The unions, with this goal in mind, work together and present Single Table Bargaining (STB) to the company. Again, all good. One union does not want to (and indeed MUST not) act to seek detriment to another union member. Everyone is pulling in the same direction.
Unfortunately, this is not what the PPU is about. The PPU is all about effecting the destruction of BALPA. Removing the body that allows pilots to act as one does not sound to me like a body acting in the interests of employees...
You may think that I have made a "bold" statement, but it is fact.
- It is in their mission statement.
- It is emphasised on the front page of their website.
- At Virgin, there is a split membership. Virgin agreed to STB, BALPA agreed to STB, PPU flatly refused.
- At Virgin, the PPU are running industrial action (that hasn't done anything) to force the removal of the BALPA members representation. I believe there were plenty of "not turning up to agreed meetings with ACAS" by the PPU, but may be wrong.
The PPU have been condemned by other major unions for their anti-union position. Never before has a "union" worked to de-recognise another union. That is not how "looking after employees" goes.
There are other issues too. Having two unions with decent infrastructure, expertise, backing and so on could be argued as a good thing (competition?) but also a bad thing (conflicting). But does the PPU have any infrastructure at all, or is it just one pilot, a couple of key helpers, and a retired bloke who helps out? Maybe the clue is in the the use of their term "the board", which doesn't sound like a help-group to me.
In short, beware. The PPU has a stated goal and proven track record that is all about the destruction of the one organisation that is there to help us. All of us (except Ryanair, of course, who can't seem to help themselves).
PS I'm not a BALPA apologist. I didn't like what BALPA was doing in my company, so I got involved with BALPA to try to effect change. I didn't decide to go about destroying BALPA because that, in my opinion, would be detrimental to employees.