Union Dues Rocket - Again!
A client from Edinburgh has been in touch with another example of union dues going through the roof - without a word of warning or explanation to ordinary members. See previous post dated 10 October 2007.
This time the culprit is Unison - which has increased the woman's union contributions by £2.50 a month - up from £11.50 to £14.00 in a single bound.
Now this represents a whacking great 22% rise - or more than ten times the rate of inflation, depending on which measure you use.
If an employer acted this way, the trade unions would be shouting from the rooftops - calling for urgent action to tackle wildly rising charges and for such behaviour to be restrained.
But, of course, they won't because that would simply encourage members to ask awkward, if entirely reasonable, questions such as: "How can Unison possibly justify such an extraordinary increase - and what does the union plan to spend all the extra money on?"
One place it will go is straight onto the coffers of the Labour Party - despite the fact that in Scotland the great majority of union members support other political parties such as the SNP, Lib Dems, Greens, Conservatives, Independents and various socialist groups.
Union bosses should stay out of party politics - they should be looking after the real priorities of their members' - on vital issues like equal pay - which they have ignored for years and years, to the detriment of the lowest paid.
Dick Turpin would be proud of this modern day equivalent of highway robbery - but ordinary union members will be incensed - they should complain about their union bosses under the Trades Descriptions Act - for taking members' money under false pretences.
This time the culprit is Unison - which has increased the woman's union contributions by £2.50 a month - up from £11.50 to £14.00 in a single bound.
Now this represents a whacking great 22% rise - or more than ten times the rate of inflation, depending on which measure you use.
If an employer acted this way, the trade unions would be shouting from the rooftops - calling for urgent action to tackle wildly rising charges and for such behaviour to be restrained.
But, of course, they won't because that would simply encourage members to ask awkward, if entirely reasonable, questions such as: "How can Unison possibly justify such an extraordinary increase - and what does the union plan to spend all the extra money on?"
One place it will go is straight onto the coffers of the Labour Party - despite the fact that in Scotland the great majority of union members support other political parties such as the SNP, Lib Dems, Greens, Conservatives, Independents and various socialist groups.
Union bosses should stay out of party politics - they should be looking after the real priorities of their members' - on vital issues like equal pay - which they have ignored for years and years, to the detriment of the lowest paid.
Dick Turpin would be proud of this modern day equivalent of highway robbery - but ordinary union members will be incensed - they should complain about their union bosses under the Trades Descriptions Act - for taking members' money under false pretences.
