Union fees - black hole.

H

Howitzer

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What on earth has happened here? There has been little or no strike action over the last 10 years and the wages - and therefore union contributions - of members have increased significently, yet there are no funds available for strike pay. My understanding was that union fees were in the most part allocated to this.

What's happened to all the Unions Fees?

http://www.independent.ie/national-...rs-wont-support-an-allout-strike-1935849.html

It has also emerged that several key unions have little or no provision for strike pay, which would push thousands of workers into a huge debt spiral should they take long-term industrial action.
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None of the teaching unions -- [broken link removed], INTO or TUI -- would provide strike pay which would put severe pressure on members' personal finances.
Larger unions representing the core civil service have, however, amassed healthy war chests running into millions.
[broken link removed], which represents up to 30,000 firemen, engineers, binmen, street cleaners and parks staff, is understood to hold €16m in its kitty.
It is prepared to pay €200 per week if there is prolonged strike action.
IMPACT represents 20,000 local authority members and had €26.69m in a "dispute fund" at the end of 2007. However, the CPSU, whose 13,000 lower-paid members would be especially susceptible to financial losses, only has €5m.
The Public Service Executive Union, which has €4m in reserves, is only prepared to pay its 10,500 mid-ranking civil servant members in areas where a strike would have most impact.
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I don't know about you but I couldn't afford to be paid €200p.w. as my mortgage would not get paid then. Dunno how anyone who has bought a property in teh last 5 years could afford that!
 
Kine said:
I don't know about you but I couldn't afford to be paid €200p.w. as my mortgage would not get paid then. Dunno how anyone who has bought a property in teh last 5 years could afford that!
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Well, don't go on strike then !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Few reasons I suppose.

First, the salary for the employees of the union were benchmarked against benchmarking. So that's not good.

Also the war chests have been drained over the last 18 months. Less members (due to unemployment) and leaving their unions. Most would also be in long term leases with their locations and also stuck in upward only reviews. Also important is that any other employer in this situation would look at a pay review and/or lay offs. There's just no way they can even entertain that idea even in if it gets particuarly bad.

However, they did find the money to have a front and back advert yesterday in all copies of the Metro.
 
Latrade said:
First, the salary for the employees of the union were benchmarked against benchmarking. So that's not good.
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This seems a big drain all right
Latrade said:
Also the war chests have been drained over the last 18 months. Less members (due to unemployment) and leaving their unions.
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That wouldn't have drained their resources, it would simply have stopped them growing. They should have had a huge wedge of cash built up by then.

Also most of those Unions are PS who wouldn't have seen such a decrease in membership. In fact a classic sequence of events is for a Union to suddenly gain members from a business that is just about to go bust. They represent the mebers through the layoffs and get union fees for that period.

Latrade said:
Most would also be in long term leases with their locations and also stuck in upward only reviews.
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Don't most (SIPTU certainly) own their offices?
 
The solution is obvious. The unions should simply borrow the money to pay the strikers. They should also pay them full wage. How many million/week was that again?
 
When nurses went on strike in 1999 I don't think the INO paid them anything, not sure about Siptu and PNA.

I understood that if I was ever on strike, the union 'might' pay me something but it's not related to my pay.
 
I agree, The unions should borrow to pay the strikers their full wage + benefits+ shift allowance. If they cannot pay full wage + benefits + any overtime allowance they should increase their union dues to pay for the strikers or any other future strikes.

Afterall, This is similiar to what they're asking the government to do with the economy.

I don't think unions will pay this as it's coming out of their own coffers but they think it's ok for the government to keep paying and borrowing 44 million euros per day
 
Niallers said:
I agree, The unions should borrow to pay the strikers their full wage + benefits+ shift allowance. If they cannot pay full wage + benefits + any overtime allowance they should increase their union dues to pay for the strikers or any other future strikes.

Afterall, This is similiar to what they're asking the government to do with the economy.

I don't think unions will pay this as it's coming out of their own coffers but they think it's ok for the government to keep paying and borrowing 44 million euros per day
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Excellent! :D
 
Will Jack & the Lads be on 3/4k a week if their members end up in all out strike and being paid 200 or 0 a week?
Is that asking their members take the pain and the top fat cats go untouched? Isnt this what their fighting against?
 
I don't understand the logic in having the strike on the 24th November, 2 weeks before the government even announces the budget. Even if the government does not give a commitment to the unions that pay rates are untouchable, that might only mean a small % cut depending on how the government get the 1.3 billion.
A small % cut in pay might be acceptable to many PS workers without the need for strike action.
 
becky said:
When nurses went on strike in 1999 I don't think the INO paid them anything, not sure about Siptu and PNA.

I understood that if I was ever on strike, the union 'might' pay me something but it's not related to my pay.
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Turned out that why'll members were paying their dues - the INO had no strike fund - begs the question if they have a fund this time around - and whether in this strike they will review providing emergency cover in a strike - and then there is the issue of Doran's salary....
 
How many weeks do they need to be on strike before we get the budget back in order ?
 
Doing up their building in Dublin city centre nust be costing a pretty penny.
Where is the money for that coming from?
 
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