Unions and the AEU


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When I started my apprenticeship at the ROF it was mandatory that I joined the AEU. It was a 'closed shop'. I had to go to a Union meeting at the Navigation Inn on canal St and was issued with a blue (apprentices) card and required to pay a political levy of 2 pence a week. I made objections but had no choice. Actually there was a choice about the levy but my future in the factory would have been very miserable and I would have been regarded as an outsider. At 21 years old my blue union card was changed for a green card signifying that I was a skilled man. Still got it somewhere and I was registered as a 'H & V Borer'. (often thought it meant I could bore people horizontally or vertically).

Something that mystified me in my teens was the fact that the union leaders and shop stewards were communists. Bearing in mind that our relationships with communists states was dodgy to say the least and that we manufactured weapons and had signed the OSA - it made no sense to me at all.

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God help us if the "Greens" ever got any clout in government, the working man would never be able or allowed to run a car. This loony labour council hates the ordinary motorist enough, but the Greens

I joined another union in my late 20's and it was one of the best things I did. With a wife due to give birth to our second child I had to go into hospital with a detached retina. The day after admiss

When I started my apprenticeship at the ROF it was mandatory that I joined the AEU. It was a 'closed shop'. I had to go to a Union meeting at the Navigation Inn on canal St and was issued with a blue

Despite the probability that none of us would have what we have now if our ancestors had not fought organised themselves and bargained so that they were less exploited than previous generations of workers.

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I did the same but was always thankful for the efforts of my forefathers and was always not surprised to see how rich b****rds continued to get richer whatever happened.

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It is still disgraceful how some employers take the P$$S these days out of the workforce.

Zero hour contracts, who ever allowed them to get away with this idea ? Some better companies won't adopt this idea, Tesco being one of those who don't, but Aldi do operate zero hour contracts.

We all sometimes joke about elfnsafety but accidents in the workplace are still occuring at an alarming rate, building sites being among the worst places. Some employers don't give a toss about worker safety.

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They'd have a different attitude if they had to pay for their workers medical expenses if they got injured catfan.

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The unions these days are a joke ,they will send you literature for insurance etc,and make even more money to waste but will allow agencies to replace a proper work force,and stupidly.sit back and allow

Zero hour contracts,not to mention no pay rises ,unless you are a politician or union official.

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You try applying for a job if you are over fofty if you get a reply you will be lucky,what a load

Of nonsense there are people here begging for work,yes they do require a few hours off with their family

What's wrong with that.

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I joined another union in my late 20's and it was one of the best things I did. With a wife due to give birth to our second child I had to go into hospital with a detached retina. The day after admission I was made redundant. What the union and local members did for us was fantastic. I continued to pay into the insurance fund for another 40 years. They paid me sick pay about 3 times and I made a profit when it came to cash in time, when i retired.

My daughter has had brilliant service and support from the NHS union too. So, in principal I am all in favour of unions.

Mind you, I never agreed with the 'closed shop'. In my teenage years it just seemed like one dictatorship vs another dictatorship with us sheep in the middle.

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When I started at Boulby in North Yorks, ICI was 51% owner of the project and part of the contract of employment was we all were members of our relavent unions.

At BG I was a member of the GW union, and had to transfer to the EEPTU.

I worked in the coal industry in Australia, and it was a total closed shop, which worked pretty good, they didn't demand you had to be in one particular union, I joined the ETU, some of our electricians belonged to the mechanics union. I couldn't have done my job safely if I hadn't been represented by a union.

One incident came to mind, the methane detection gear failed on a high production face, it was mandatory for it to be installed and working. It also hadn't failed to safety as it was supposed to either, so I stopped production from starting on that shift. The Under Manager tried his best to get me to allow production to start, even with threats of sending me out the pit, I dug my heels in and threatened him, that if he did, I'd phone the Manager, Elec Engineer and the District Mines Inspector. He backed down, but had I not been represented by a union, I could well have been sacked and blacklisted.

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Unions did sometimes benefit because years ago bosses and union men were seperate,and there were good and bad in both,but in today's target profit driven society,there is absolutely no difference,certainly not in unison the union I know about ,and they favour foreign workers ,Labour backed P Correct nonsense.

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You can always join a union be accepted and take part in its activities.

It is slightly harder to join the ranks of the rich be accepted and take part in their activities.

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# 16 + 17 That is all good and a credit to you and all like minded individuals that fight their own battles. I think it is worth acknowledging that the freedoms you have in order to exercise your independence were hard won by determined organisations (not individuals) over the last 250yrs. Without these individuals would have the rights of the peasant/vassal and be beholden to some lord (rich b***ard) somewhere and/or be subject to all kinds of bullying that stronger individuals feel they can impose for whatever purpose suits them. Organisation begins with family and extends to others who share common values and beliefs these are good things. We need to look after one another because if we do not do so then someone somewhere will heartlessly exploit the situation to their advantage.

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#16 &17 and all others that attack trade unions & the Labour party.

I would suggest you go & read up on your English(British) history say from 1760 to about 1929.

1929 was the year when we became a democracy (votes for ALL at the same age).

People were "Transported" to Australia or imprisoned forming a trade union.

In the good old days(sic) this country was run like a rich man's club & only 10% of the adult male population had a vote(not secret)& the rest were just there to keep them there, step out of line and punishment could be severe.

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Suggested reading:

The Village Labourer,The Town Labourer & the Skilled Labourer By J.L. & Barbara Hammond.

These three books only cover the years 1760 - 1832.

Or The Miners (four volumes)a history of the N.U.M. By R.Page Arnot

These books will give a good insight of the fight to get the rights you have now.

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Don't forget the Tories when in power have give the "the lower orders" (us) very little without a fight.

If the Tories had been returned to power in 1945 there would be no N.H.S. & lots of the social benefits we have today.

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I agree with all of the above and voted Labour most of my life,,but Labour and unions these last few

years have no interest in the British working man and have undone most of the above and to think that the modern day Labour party and union have the same principles as before is just not true and Europe and beyond is in their thoughts,undoing a lot of what was achieved in the past,hence the working man

no longer prepared to vote for them,most politicians are corrupt and are out for themselves.

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Problem is who do you vote for then?

I think a Labour party of any shade of red is better than the Tories.

After this Government I would not trust the Lib-Dems(not that I did in the first place)

UKIP seem to me to be another branch of the Conservative Party.

I have voted in every election( of all kinds) since 1970 & voted Labour on all occasions.

I was a member of the Labour party 1977 - 2005.

I may consider voting Green next year if they put a candidate up for Loughborough in next mays general elaction.

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Reading history books from a time when their was a clear divide amongst the classes,does not relate to 2014,your fellow workers these days are just as likely to stab you in the back,and as for the Tories rich man's party always have been and always will be ,but they have the sense to learn from ukip the only party that is listening to the British electorate,the difference being ordinary folk

will not vote for corrupt Tories,time will tell if ukip can deliver but I think the British public are ready to give them a go,because the rest are a waste of space.

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