Union rep costs

[Welshgazza]

Being a union rep does in incur any out of pocket costs? Or are the union pretty good at paying you back fuel for union meetings or any equipment you need?

[clashcityrocker]

For every meeting you attend you are paid expenses - this is to cover travelling and subsistence.
You should have a facility agreement which allows you to use the office phone,printer,photocopier etc on union business.

Other costs such as using your mobile phone to contact an area rep (and you might not want to do it in the office) are not reimbursed.
The subsistence part of the expenses is generous so if you manage your expenses properly you will have some over to cover other incidental costs.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

The subsistence part of the expenses is generous so if you manage your expenses properly you will have some over to cover other incidental costs.

Seriously?? How is that even remotely possible? If you manage you expenses to get extra to cover the things your not entitled to? In my book that's fraud and you are defrauding the union, I hope you are caught and punished appropriately

[clashcityrocker]

Zx= you've lost the plot a bit sunshine.
The subsistence part of the expenses is fixed - at least in our Branch - at £7 I think.
If I take a sandwich with me it means I've got £7 to put towards mobile phone costs etc I may incur during the year.
I don't think I've defrauded anyone. At 4 meetings/year it would make a grand total of £28.

[Talell]

the way the union does expenses is strange to say the least.

you don't need receipts for incidentals (taxis, meals) in general, plus remember a lot of the time the meeting will be out with the reps scheduled duty times, so a little extra (and I mean little) is thrown in to pardon the inconvenience

as far as use of your own facilities (e.g. mobile phone) that should be covered by your honorarium (which, despite what some people think, is not a bonus, infact for some reps it's less than the colleague shares settlement)

but arrangements esp the particulars (milage rate etc) varies by branch

[whisperstar24]

in our office,we use our own mobiles to contact reps,we do not get expenses for this.We travel to all union meetings without any payment for petrol.We use our own ink in our own printers at home some times.That is being a rep for us!!

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Zx= you've lost the plot a bit sunshine.
The subsistence part of the expenses is fixed - at least in our Branch - at £7 I think.
If I take a sandwich with me it means I've got £7 to put towards mobile phone costs etc I may incur during the year.
I don't think I've defrauded anyone. At 4 meetings/year it would make a grand total of £28.

Lost the plot seriously? Well from your last post I can see that you claim subsistence and intentionally don't use if for the purpose its there for and are wilfully using it for other things, to me that's fraud, its the same as adding on a few extra miles on a mileage claim, yes its only £28 of fraud, but what level of fraud do you feel its acceptable before anyone should complain? Ehh sunshine?

[clashcityrocker]

I don't claim it - they pay it.
I think the rates for subsistence are laid down in the Branch rule book.
That I choose not to feed my face with that money, but prefer to use it to offset the cost of contacting my Area Rep for the benefit of my members as and when the need arises is not fraud.
Or have I missed something? Is being a rep more about a 2 course meal when the opportunity presents itself, than representing the members?

I'll let my members decide that via the ballot box.

[fishtank]

Clash...are you Jimmy Hoffa?
I think we should send in the auditors,no wonder the union is in a mess financially.
First Billy with his £29k worth of holidays now you taking a sandwich to a meeting and using the funds to cover the cost of representing your members.
You are an affront to the trade union movement and should be publicly stripped(of your credentials) and paraded through the streets of Cumbernauld or somewhere crappier to be mocked and pelted with fruit..if there is any fruit in Cumbernauld.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Zx= you've lost the plot a bit sunshine.
The subsistence part of the expenses is fixed - at least in our Branch - at £7 I think.
If I take a sandwich with me it means I've got £7 to put towards mobile phone costs etc I may incur during the year.
I don't think I've defrauded anyone. At 4 meetings/year it would make a grand total of £28.

Lost the plot seriously? Well from your last post I can see that you claim subsistence and intentionally don't use if for the purpose its there for and are wilfully using it for other things, to me that's fraud, its the same as adding on a few extra miles on a mileage claim, yes its only £28 of fraud, but what level of fraud do you feel its acceptable before anyone should complain? Ehh sunshine?

FT

ZX - The subsistence payment is a fixed amount (different from branch to branch I guess) which I have also received as an activist, and as a member attending meetings. There is no mechanism for paying different amounts and there is therefore no wilful misuse. For it to be wilful misuse you have to be either not entitled to the allowance, or knowingly over claim - neither of these conditions is met. Therefore and this is only my opinion, I think you overreacted certainly when you suggest it was fraud.

Now if you believe that the system is at fault then by all means contact your branch and HQ and even start a campaign to change it but certainly don't accuse people of fraud.

[Stormproof]

Must admit I don't always put a claim in, obviously if I'm having to travel and stay over for a week on a Course I will but the local stuff I don't normally bother with.....i should do really because I'm probably out of pocket.

[Ahebban]

We are Reps for the love of it - not the financial rewards

[Straight4ward]

Clash...are you Jimmy Hoffa?

HOFFA FOUND IN CAMBUSLANG

Does have a certain ring to it, I suppose.