Quote Originally Posted by BCram View Post
But we know that overtime rates are higher than the basic rate. Getting people to take a pay cut is impossible, imo. I agree with the basic principle you use about an set number of hours per week. The problem seems to be how do you change pay structures when you have large organisations with long held traditional union arrangements.
I think the unions need to change their thinking. It's a bit like the SNP blamed Westminster for every difficulty they faced. Seems to me unions have allowed themselves to be manipulated by bosses so that the bosses, SNP, blame the Unions, Westminster, as being the cause of all the problems.

Is it the same in every industry in Beitain? Not ever worked in an organisation that had a union, so I am genuinely interested.
Like most professionals I work extra hours but don't get paid at all for them, without unions and their fascination with collective bargaining maybe workers who wanted to could agree higher rates for themselves tied into an expectation that they do longer but more flexible hours?

I've worked in one place where there was a union - there was no union when I started there but then some trouble makers insisted on introducing one and forced a vote. The place went from a good place to work to one I couldn't wait to get away from. For me unions should be banned, they're good for onion officials but not for workers or employers. I actually joined that union and went to two all hands meetings. I heard the Shop Steward say 'we think' more than once when referring to everyone. It seemed that what he thought was what we all had to think - as someone with a mind of my own I couldn't accept that so left the union. Let's just say I've done a fair bit better since then than the sheep who followed that Shop Steward.

Union officials are not manipulated by management, they conspire with management to protect themselves and to hell with their members.