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Originally Posted by Womble
They are leaving it a bit late imho!!
I've been nagging them to start aggressivly recruiteing, but alas they just meet in a pub?!?!?!
I think its tooo late, they missed the oppertunity about 6mths/1 year ago
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The only thing the CWU can do without inside help from staff is to hand out leaflets, outside offices. This rarely works as the managers can just confiscate any leaflets when staff enter the building and warn/scare people off joining. This also triggers management off to the fact you're organising there and they can act to stop it dead in it's tracks.
The only really successful way to recruit is for unions to have supporters working inside the workplace. Unions aren't about headquarters and officers, they're about workplace unity and organisation. The structure (officers, training courses etc) are only there to provide backup, support and help/advice. The heart of any successful union is in the front-line reps - and activists - in the workplace.
The vast majority of successful union organising campaigns happen when there is already a small but hardcore support base within the company they are targetting, people who are prepared to convince their fellow coworkers to join, spread leaflets outside work, organise meetings, educate others on how unions work, etc.
If they've got that, then they will provide all the support that's needed to those activists - as much advise and training as they need.
In my own case, I had my own enthusiasm and the support of my union, but my co-workers were not interested in finding out more or getting involved and so unfortunately my efforts didn't get very far.
The key thing to understand about a union is that you ARE the union - you, and your fellow co-workers. The group you send your dues to is just your support network (and a very good one at that). The staff reps/actiists need the support and backup of their union - but by the same token, the union cannot function or even get off the ground without the full support of a dedicated group of staff willing to serve as activist reps within the company
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Originally Posted by Womble
Yes I know, my spelling sucks. toooo much red wine :-)
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Maybe I need more drink in my life too, I had a nasty habbit of taking life too seriously
