Sue’s first notion – to set up a fictional Trade Union, The Nomadic Entertainers Guild, with each member assuming a role play of a freelance, non-based entertainer was received with no enthusiasm, judging the idea to be non-workable and was sidelined.
However, before the discussion widened to take on the problems of trade union effectiveness or otherwise in today’s climate, it did throw up interesting problems concerning collective insurance, public indemnity and the difficulty of organising any collective bargaining in such an ephemeral workers’ market. It also hinted at the persisting attitude towards entertainers; the ‘who cares?’ sentiment that surrounds a group of people who are deemed non-essential compared to the ‘real’ problems facing our society, though it was agreed that all freelance workers, be they artisans, blue collar or white collar workers, were entitled to a degree of support and protection against unfair working practices.
As this discussion was happening, the Junior Doctors were preparing to strike yet again, the Refuse Collectors in Birmingham, members of the Unite union, were entering their 12 th week of industrial action and other smaller unions were taking action around the country. It was suggested that unions in the UK were generally held in contempt, being regarded as belligerent, politicised and inflexible to the point of militancy. Certainly, the portrayal of some unions (Scargill’s NUM, Lynch’s RMT, Hatton’s Militant Tendency in the 80’s) by a right-wing media tarnished the reputation of unions to improve workers’ pay and conditions. And although Keith’s interesting descriptions of unions in Germany and Bangladesh highlighted the positive outcomes of union action, we kept the discussion to the UK.
Bryan suggested that our class-based prejudices still exist, such as the difference in regard for pilots as compared to train or bus drivers, and there probably still exists a difference in attitude between the private sector and public service sector. It was also mentioned that today’s society is much more complex and by its very nature, employment rights have different considerations, such as the growth of the gig economy, the development of working-from-home since Covid and the influx of immigrant labour.
Should Union practices reform? And if so, how? Len thought there ought to be more harmony between employers and employees, though with one side seeking increased profits and the other side demanding higher salaries (this description is immensely simplified, of course), it is difficult to see where progress could be obtained. However, we are fortunate that we have the relative fairness of Government, currently protecting workers’ rights in the Employment Rights Bill, including the modernisation of trade union legislation, giving unions greater freedom to organise, represent and negotiate for their members. My thanks to all members’ contributions which led to an interesting exploration of a hugely complex subject.
Our next meeting will be on the 24 th June and will take as its basis “Does travel broaden the mind?”, though will include both positive and negative aspects of tourism.