Spineless Trade Unions
A number of Unison members from South Lanarkshire have been in touch - having attended a union meeting the other night.
What they can't understand is why their union keeps sticking up for their employer - South Lanarkshire Council - instead of standing up and doing the right thing by their members, so they say.
Well, I don't know the answer to that mystery - I'm afraid - all I can say is that the trade unions are far too party political and partisan - for my liking.
Which is why I decided to leave Unison many years ago.
Trade unions should transcend party politics - in my opinion.
But what we get these days is an insidious, dishonest relationship - where the unions often look at the big issues on the basis of what is good or bad for their friends - in the Labour party.
And to be honest that is why the issue of Equal Pay hit a roadblock after the 1999 Single Status Agreement in Scotland - the big Labour controlled councils (at the time) took fright at the cost - and lost their bottle.
And the Labour supporting trade unions - lacked the political will and courage to take these Labour councils on.
So instead of the trade unions in Scotland relating to council employers in a truly independent way - without fear or favour - we get a relationship between the two that is by turns 'corrupt' and 'corrupting'.
In my opinion, of course.
So the message to union members in South Lanarkshire is - don't give up or give in - just redouble your efforts to make your trade union reflect the views and wishes of its members - instead of simply trotting out the old party line.
For example, demand that the unions tell you what traditional male jobs get paid.
Because the trade unions know the answer to that question - as well as South Lanarkshire Council.
What they can't understand is why their union keeps sticking up for their employer - South Lanarkshire Council - instead of standing up and doing the right thing by their members, so they say.
Well, I don't know the answer to that mystery - I'm afraid - all I can say is that the trade unions are far too party political and partisan - for my liking.
Which is why I decided to leave Unison many years ago.
Trade unions should transcend party politics - in my opinion.
But what we get these days is an insidious, dishonest relationship - where the unions often look at the big issues on the basis of what is good or bad for their friends - in the Labour party.
And to be honest that is why the issue of Equal Pay hit a roadblock after the 1999 Single Status Agreement in Scotland - the big Labour controlled councils (at the time) took fright at the cost - and lost their bottle.
And the Labour supporting trade unions - lacked the political will and courage to take these Labour councils on.
So instead of the trade unions in Scotland relating to council employers in a truly independent way - without fear or favour - we get a relationship between the two that is by turns 'corrupt' and 'corrupting'.
In my opinion, of course.
So the message to union members in South Lanarkshire is - don't give up or give in - just redouble your efforts to make your trade union reflect the views and wishes of its members - instead of simply trotting out the old party line.
For example, demand that the unions tell you what traditional male jobs get paid.
Because the trade unions know the answer to that question - as well as South Lanarkshire Council.
