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Sandra Bradley writes: I’ve been a unionist all my life in each my residence and adopted nation, Australia (“Is Australia’s union motion dying?”). I’ve refused to cross picket strains, have been blacklisted for my union actions, and have been bullied into resigning employment due to them.
It isn’t with out worry or favour that an individual maintains loyalty to a union. I used to be at all times a union member whereas employed as a result of it wasn’t nearly wages. It was additionally in regards to the further advantages that unions allow, equivalent to sick go away, shift funds, and so forth.
I’m not a slave and by no means will likely be. My labour is mine to promote at a worth I deem appropriate. Unions allow me to find out that worth.
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John Savidis writes: Unions have been declining for years beneath Liberal-Nationwide governments, beginning with John Howard introducing WorkChoices and legal guidelines banning industrial protests except they had been throughout enterprise bargaining negotiations. The mainstream media hasn’t been honest or balanced when protecting industrial points through the years, i.e. the Patrick Stevedores waterfront unions dispute.
Any biases towards unions are additionally towards Australian staff, whether or not they’re members or not. I’ve been a member since I began working. It’s identical to having insurance coverage on your private home and automobile. Staff want safety from unscrupulous companies that don’t pay taxes like your common employee.
Margaret Ludowyk writes: Different components in declining union memberships are the outsourcing and offshoring of many unionised workforces, e.g. banks, telecommunications, utilities; the closure of industries such because the automobile and textile; and short-term contracts for staff equivalent to academics and nurses.
Jason Bryce writes: I’ve been a member of the MEAA for many years and now I’m within the 55+ age group. The issue absolutely is that unions are doing tremendous with out members. They’ve accrued properties and funding portfolios and have institutional affect by the ALP, ACTU and the Honest Work Fee. Unions don’t want members and members are a trouble. I’ve heard Sally McManus and different ACTU workplace bearers say Trade Tremendous has 11 million members — as if that’s the identical or just like being a union member.
Within the ’80s, unions gave up their affiliation to trades to merge with different factionally aligned unions. That was after they took their eyes off the ball. There isn’t any organising occurring. There isn’t any one visiting workplaces and recruiting staff. Nobody. Zero union staff are going out and recruiting. No union worker is standing on a milk crate in a carpark at a warehouse speaking about becoming a member of as much as get an actual wage rise or actual discount in hours.
Sometimes a union will likely be energetic at a standard unionised industrial website, however there are extra union staff engaged in factional demarcation disputes and ALP points than rising their membership. Union membership numbers can’t be trusted as a result of no union needs to confess it has only a few members — and therefore lose delegates and affect within the ALP. However all of them have cash within the financial institution in order that they don’t actually care about membership. Don’t must care. Staff are the losers in fact. Wages are means too low and hours labored are nonetheless means too excessive.
Matthew Doyle writes: Our worker group has simply concluded a hard-fought negotiation for a brand new enterprise settlement. Negotiations had been led by our union, which is funded by members, however non-union staff can even take pleasure in the advantages of this new settlement — without charge. What actual incentive is there for workers to grow to be paid-up members of a union if they will take pleasure in one of many key advantages without spending a dime?
If you happen to’re happy, peed off or piqued, inform us about it by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please embrace your full identify to be thought-about for publication. We reserve the precise to edit for size and readability.
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