worrying numbers looking to work on strike day

[clashcityrocker]

As someone who has done it, I would never have described it as pointless.
Frustrating, stressful, never-ending but never pointless.

You would have to look at your reasons for taking on the role and what you hoped to achieve.

A very simple example:
Someone crosses your picket line.
Do you call them a scab, send them to Coventry and refuse to represent them.
Or do you ask - what more could I have done to prevent that person crossing the picket line? What can I do to prevent them crossing the line again next time?

[Spedley]

I really can't see the point of crossing the picket line, especially not for union members - after three weeks with no pay and eviction looming then maybe but one day, come one!

[halfull]

As someone who has done it, I would never have described it as pointless.
Frustrating, stressful, never-ending but never pointless.

You would have to look at your reasons for taking on the role and what you hoped to achieve.

A very simple example:
Someone crosses your picket line.
Do you call them a scab, send them to Coventry and refuse to represent them.
Or do you ask - what more could I have done to prevent that person crossing the picket line? What can I do to prevent them crossing the line again next time?

is this for real? what can i do to prevent them doing it again? We are not school teachers for gods sake! & if you did such a good job as you seem to know it all why are you nolonger a rep? we have some of them in our office who have done it before (badly) and love to pick at the rep for not keeping everyone happy even when there are over 100 of us! All you can do is tell them the reasons why they should back their union,if they choose to still cross a picket line what more can you do? id love to know! maybe you could forward your answer to cwu headquarters and they could type up a letter to all members & we would have 100% on the gate!!

[Dumpys Rusty Nuts]

CLASH CITY, I responded to you BUT it hasn't been allowed, ARE WE ON A SITE WHERE YOUR DAMNED IF YOU DO,DONT, or are the Chinese monitoring,

[cee24]

ALL OUR OFFICE APART FROM ONE NON UNION MEMBER WILL BE OUT ON THE 4TH

[aiden01]

ALL OUR OFFICE APART FROM ONE NON UNION MEMBER WILL BE OUT ON THE 4TH

HOW MANY IN YOUR OFFICE.

[clashcityrocker]

is this for real? what can i do to prevent them doing it again? We are not school teachers for gods sake! & if you did such a good job as you seem to know it all why are you nolonger a rep? we have some of them in our office who have done it before (badly) and love to pick at the rep for not keeping everyone happy even when there are over 100 of us! All you can do is tell them the reasons why they should back their union,if they choose to still cross a picket line what more can you do? id love to know! maybe you could forward your answer to cwu headquarters and they could type up a letter to all members & we would have 100% on the gate!!

The foundation stone is education but we are not like school teachers?
You couldn't write a letter to all members because they are individuals and there may be various reasons why they are considering crossing the picket line.
For example someone may be experiencing serious financial problems. Unless you talk to them, (pastoral care I think teachers call it) you wouldn't know.
And if you don't know, you can't help. You can't tell them about the hardship fund or Rowland Hill.
Another might be unclear about their position as they are on a rolling contract.
Another might still be under the illusion they will be losing a £300 bonus.

The bottom line is this:
If someone crosses your picket line it is far better to look at yourself and see what more you could do, than simply to blame them and refuse to engage with them any more.
Refusing to engage with your own colleagues is poor trade unionism.

[janitor]

The true numbers will only be known on strike day, if then as some will probably sneak through or work at other offices, but just because someone says they are going to cross the picket line doesn't mean they will when the chips are down.

[halfull]

is this for real? what can i do to prevent them doing it again? We are not school teachers for gods sake! & if you did such a good job as you seem to know it all why are you nolonger a rep? we have some of them in our office who have done it before (badly) and love to pick at the rep for not keeping everyone happy even when there are over 100 of us! All you can do is tell them the reasons why they should back their union,if they choose to still cross a picket line what more can you do? id love to know! maybe you could forward your answer to cwu headquarters and they could type up a letter to all members & we would have 100% on the gate!!

The foundation stone is education but we are not like school teachers?
You couldn't write a letter to all members because they are individuals and there may be various reasons why they are considering crossing the picket line.
For example someone may be experiencing serious financial problems. Unless you talk to them, (pastoral care I think teachers call it) you wouldn't know.
And if you don't know, you can't help. You can't tell them about the hardship fund or Rowland Hill.
Another might be unclear about their position as they are on a rolling contract.
Another might still be under the illusion they will be losing a £300 bonus.

The bottom line is this:
If someone crosses your picket line it is far better to look at yourself and see what more you could do, than simply to blame them and refuse to engage with them any more.
Refusing to engage with your own colleagues is poor trade unionism.

This is some funny stuff! you are just going way off subject here! its simple, nobody can afford to lose pay thats why we work, but MANY refuse to strike for selfish reasons like greed, scared of going down in pecking order, bootlickers etc,so all you can do with these people is to educate them on how important it is to back their union & explain what the cwu are fighting for & how we will have a much brighter future. If they decide or have already decided to cross the picket line how the hell can you look at yourself or blame yourself? please explain! you are talking utter rubbish & nobody is agreeing with you! I will plead with you this time! PLEASE send all your expert advice on trade union industry to cwu headquarters so billy,dave & all the divisional reps can have a good look in the mirror & work out that the foundtion stone is education then im sure with the educating you can give the top guys in the cwu we will have a massive turn out on each & every gate on strike day! Otherwise just be quiet, because everyoffice has enough mouthpieces who know it all but dont want any responsibility.

[UnhappyGremlin]

The true numbers will only be known on strike day, if then as some will probably sneak through or work at other offices, but just because someone says they are going to cross the picket line doesn't mean they will when the chips are down.

But will they?
RM will fiddle those too.
If people are on S/L, A/L or day off, which way will RM count them?
Would they go down as working or striking?

[clashcityrocker]

you are talking utter rubbish & nobody is agreeing with you!

Legally the CWU can't expel or discipline people for crossing a picket line - see http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/em ... keting.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;:

59. Everyone has the right to decide for himself whether he will cross a picket line. Disciplinary action should not be taken or threatened by a union against a member on the grounds that he has crossed a picket line.

60. If a union disciplines any member for crossing a picket line, the member will have been "unjustifiably disciplined". In such a case, the individual can make a complaint to an industrial tribunal. If the tribunal finds the complaint well-founded, it will make a declaration to that effect.

61. If the union has not lifted the penalty imposed on the member, or if it has not taken all necessary steps to reverse anything done on giving effect to the penalty, an application for compensation should be made to the Employment Appeal Tribunal(EAT). In any other case, the individual can apply to an industrial tribunal for compensation. The EAT or tribunal will award whatever compensation it considers just and equitable in all the circumstances subject to a specified maximum amount. Where the application is made to the EAT, there will normally be a specified minimum award.

[fishtank]

MANY refuse to strike for selfish reasons like greed, scared of going down in pecking order, bootlickers etc,so all you can do with these people is to educate them on how important it is to back their union & explain what the cwu are fighting for & how we will have a much brighter future.If they decide or have already decided to cross the picket line how the hell can you look at yourself or blame yourself?

Since it's obvious to even the most uneducated that the best way to look after yourself in this job is collectively through the union then surely the most selfish members would also be the strongest trade unionists.
If you are failing to get that simple message across to your members,that the best way of looking after number one is making sure that someone has your back then perhaps you should look at yourself.

At the end of the day there is little you can do,the union cannot punish strike breakers and you have to be very careful how you deal with them during and after a strike,the last thing any decent rep should want is a good solid union member being dismissed because of something they said or did to a strike breaker.

[halfull]

you are talking utter rubbish & nobody is agreeing with you!

Legally the CWU can't expel or discipline people for crossing a picket line - see http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/em ... keting.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;:

59. Everyone has the right to decide for himself whether he will cross a picket line. Disciplinary action should not be taken or threatened by a union against a member on the grounds that he has crossed a picket line.

60. If a union disciplines any member for crossing a picket line, the member will have been "unjustifiably disciplined". In such a case, the individual can make a complaint to an industrial tribunal. If the tribunal finds the complaint well-founded, it will make a declaration to that effect.

61. If the union has not lifted the penalty imposed on the member, or if it has not taken all necessary steps to reverse anything done on giving effect to the penalty, an application for compensation should be made to the Employment Appeal Tribunal(EAT). In any other case, the individual can apply to an industrial tribunal for compensation. The EAT or tribunal will award whatever compensation it considers just and equitable in all the circumstances subject to a specified maximum amount. Where the application is made to the EAT, there will normally be a specified minimum award.

so find me a post where you have said all this! you are going way off topic again to take away from the fact your comment on blaming yourself or looking at yourself for somebody crossing a picket line NOBODY in this thread has agreed with you! Ive already said in an earlier post if need be we would quit the reps roles rather than rep somebody who breakes the strike & is encouraging others to do so, you didn't need to copy & past all the jargon as it doesnt make you look clever just a mouthpiece with an opinion who hasn't the guts to be a rep. So ill ask again can we ALL please have this education on how we can educate our members to not cross a picket line before they do! Im sure ALOt of reps on here are doing the same as me & trying our best to inform members why we should back our union but some will never strike,but im sure you can help us reps out so we dont have to look at ourselves after the strike!...........we are all waiting.

[halfull]

MANY refuse to strike for selfish reasons like greed, scared of going down in pecking order, bootlickers etc,so all you can do with these people is to educate them on how important it is to back their union & explain what the cwu are fighting for & how we will have a much brighter future.If they decide or have already decided to cross the picket line how the hell can you look at yourself or blame yourself?

Since it's obvious to even the most uneducated that the best way to look after yourself in this job is collectively through the union then surely the most selfish members would also be the strongest trade unionists.
If you are failing to get that simple message across to your members,that the best way of looking after number one is making sure that someone has your back then perhaps you should look at yourself.

At the end of the day there is little you can do,the union cannot punish strike breakers and you have to be very careful how you deal with them during and after a strike,the last thing any decent rep should want is a good solid union member being dismissed because of something they said or did to a strike breaker.

I agree with this but im sure you can agree whatever you say to some people does not matter as they will not strike for whatever reason,pay,scared,selfish,managers friend etc. I refuse in this circumstance that a rep should look at theirselves. If this is the case the cwu need to look at themselves 15thousand times as this many members did not understand their education as they voted no!

[chrisj]

Its more like many many thousands did not agree with the Union - it is simple; Yes or No.

I will also advise that people looking to take retribution on strike breakers should be careful (as mentioned by others) because most mobile phones now have recording facilities, cameras and video recording.

We are not in some far flung land where people go round bumping off opposition and getting violent during and after elections.

You (&Union) are not allowed to punish strike breakers - that is it. Don't do it.

* The other thing to consider that if you go over the top in your arguments and reasons for a strike - it might even put some people off. Apocalypse now is the way to go... This is almost getting religious -