On Wed, 5 Aug 2009 13:36:40 -0700 (PDT), MIG
wrote:

Unions campaign for laws to be a certain way. Why would they bother
if they didn't put faith in the law?

Laws can be changed. We have (legal) employment rights because unions
have campaigned for them. They can be taken away again when employers
campaign for strikes to be banned, health and safety, maternity leave,
holiday pay and sick pay to be abolished etc.


Rubbish. The most significant changes to Employment Law have come
from the EU, and British unions have had absolutely nothing to do with
them. In particular, the Paid Holiday Requirement, the Working Time
Regulations and various other health and safty legislation, all of it
originating from outside the UK and none of it having any input at all
from British unions.

Indeed, the British unions have connived with management in various
companies and workplaces to deny workers the benefit of this new
legislation, often for nothing in return other than the right to work
what are elsewhere considered dangerously excessive hours.

Over the years I have conducted many negotiations on behalf of my
employers with union leaders and their attitude has usually been all
about what's in it for them. And by "them", I don't mean the workers.

I have also been a member of a union and found it to be a waste of
time and money. I obtained far better deals by direct, personal
negotiation with top management.

There was a time when the unions had a major contribution to make to
many aspects of workplace welfare and social justice, peaking in the
1930s. Alas, those days have long gone and the unions are now just
parasites on the backs of the workers.