Unite union amasses £25m strike fund

[POSTMAN]

The Unite union has amassed a £25m strike fund to support workers involved in future industrial action.

Unite's general secretary, Len McCluskey, said more strikes were "inevitable" as members resist cuts in living standards.

Speaking at Unite's biennial policy conference in Brighton, he warned that the fund was a "clear sign that this union means business".

The union currently pays workers £30 a day if they are on strike.

The strike fund is separate to the union's other finances. Contributions from branches mean that it will grow by an additional £3.5m a year.

Mr McCluskey said that the fund would give workers confidence that they will be given financial support...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18573192" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dvbuk55]

And RM and CWU in a Joint Statement said they weren't keen on that idea because it encouraged workers to actually stand up for their terms and conditions

[The wanderer]

How much have we got in the kitty, the CWU I mean, does anyone know?

Have we got enough for a cup of tea?

[whatamess!!]

If they pay £30 per day for striking workers , how do they work out who scabbed, this has to be a minefield??

[fishtank]

How much have we got in the kitty, the CWU I mean, does anyone know?

Well i wouldn't exactly call it a fighting fund but if we sold everything we had and paid off everything we had to pay off we might be ahead by about £10m.
Divided by the entire membership that's about £50 each so it better be a very short strike...and we might need to move HQ into your front room.

[whatamess!!]

Merger??

[DGP1]

How much have we got in the kitty, the CWU I mean, does anyone know?

Well i wouldn't exactly call it a fighting fund but if we sold everything we had and paid off everything we had to pay off we might be ahead by about £10m.
Divided by the entire membership that's about £50 each so it better be a very short strike...and we might need to move HQ into your front room.

But just think how many pies that could buy

[dvbuk55]

How much have we got in the kitty, the CWU I mean, does anyone know?

Well i wouldn't exactly call it a fighting fund but if we sold everything we had and paid off everything we had to pay off we might be ahead by about £10m.
Divided by the entire membership that's about £50 each so it better be a very short strike...and we might need to move HQ into your front room.

But just think how many pies that could buy

Christ he wouldn't get strike money too surely

[DGP1]

How much have we got in the kitty, the CWU I mean, does anyone know?

Well i wouldn't exactly call it a fighting fund but if we sold everything we had and paid off everything we had to pay off we might be ahead by about £10m.
Divided by the entire membership that's about £50 each so it better be a very short strike...and we might need to move HQ into your front room.

But just think how many pies that could buy

Christ he wouldn't get strike money too surely

I thought he was paid in pies

[fishtank]

Tom Jackson found out the hard way what can happen when you bankroll a strike with union funds.
At some point...you run out.

[dvbuk55]

Tom Jackson found out the hard way what can happen when you bankroll a strike with union funds.
At some point...you run out.

Like any economy, but a gesture would be nice - I mean someone who can claim 29k for missed holidays, then a token payment to strikers wouldn't go amiss.
Not that we are ever likely to strike again of course, the future is Joint Statements all the way.

[Cut Off King]

I've been on strike many times, and NEVER recieved a penny.... a bit like a RM bonus scheme

[The wanderer]

Going back to a previous article about Unite it's interesting to see the strike was made up of members from 17 different companies.

The idea of privatisation and creating smaller companies is to prevent workers from banding together, divide and rule.

I think the most striking thing about this story is the strikers were from so many different companies all banding together under the one flag.

So there might be hope for us yet once the mail business is finally and irrevocably smashed into small pieces.

Bus workers from 17 companies will go-ahead with a 24-hour strike in London despite an injunction, a union said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18530784

Now getting a load of postal workers from many separate companies to stand together under one flag might be difficult to achieve.
You never know another union might appear on the scene and offer a different solution or maybe I'm dreaming.
I mean after all, we are all taught competition is good for companies so why not unions?
I hear the Royal mail only recognises the CWU but I'm not sure on this point.

We await in hope for the coming of our new Messiah.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Tom Jackson found out the hard way what can happen when you bankroll a strike with union funds.
At some point...you run out.

Like any economy, but a gesture would be nice - I mean someone who can claim 29k for missed holidays, then a token payment to strikers wouldn't go amiss.
Not that we are ever likely to strike again of course, the future is Joint Statements all the way.

I had heard, to be honest and fair, that both BH and DW, and members of the PEC donated a days wages to the hardship fund on the days we were on strike during 2007 and 2009. Now I cant find a link or any proof but if they did good on them.

[dvbuk55]

Tom Jackson found out the hard way what can happen when you bankroll a strike with union funds.
At some point...you run out.

Like any economy, but a gesture would be nice - I mean someone who can claim 29k for missed holidays, then a token payment to strikers wouldn't go amiss.
Not that we are ever likely to strike again of course, the future is Joint Statements all the way.

I had heard, to be honest and fair, that both BH and DW, and members of the PEC donated a days wages to the hardship fund on the days we were on strike during 2007 and 2009. Now I cant find a link or any proof but if they did good on them.

I believe they did but really I wouldn't have expected anything less!