VNs and joining a veterinary union

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Joel Dudley — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 14:03:17 GMT

Thank you STRVN for your reply. I wish I had been able to include it in the article. However, I would like to include it on the letters page in the next edition. If anyone else who didn't get a chance to contribute to the last article in VN Times then if you email me, including your name and what part of the country you work in, I will do my best to get them included.

Best wishes, Joe

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:52:07 GMT

I missed it, so here I am now.

I have belonged to 2 unions and found them very helpful., on one ocassion my employer tried to reduce wages without consultations or anything,the union made sure this did not happen.The same union also looked into back pay, as basically we were all being underpaid and had been for a very long time, all employees got a nice cheque in the post, some amounting to a few grand.(not within the nursing profession i might add

I dont think all unions can be tarred with the same brush, I know that one of the unions that I belonged to fought the corner of an employee who was being bullied by Management within the work place,and she was made to feel like shit, and she was crap at her job etc etc, once the union got involved one of the perpetrators was demoted and removed to another part of the workforce, while the other was put on a probationary period of employment.Again not within the nursing profession

I think that a lot of younger nurses, who either do not know their rights or have limited knowledge of employment rights can benefit from a union.Maybe there would not be so many on here telling stories, which at times are unbelievable in either working conditions, working times, bullying, low wages etc etc... the list goes on, if there were someone to actually stand up for them (rather than just advise), whether that be a union or some other form such as new legislation regarding the VN as a profession, I just know that we need something, and the threads on here prove that.

Personally I would not have a problem with a union.

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Sal the 1st — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:15:17 GMT

just bumping this one to the top for those that missed it the first time around

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Sal the 1st — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:04:15 GMT

If my reply on the old site was any use then feel free to quote me. If you would like me to give you more info on my experience of unions you can find me at mesmerist@live.co.uk

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Joel Dudley — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:14:03 GMT

I had kept that in a very safe place Caro so you didn't have to post it again, but I'm sure that people will find it more interesting than you think.

Best wishes,

Joe

Photo to follow

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Caro Laithwaite VN — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:01:41 GMT

Oh and Joel how about a photo in your avatar we all got them can be anything. (is my new policy to harass everyone into putting up a photo and fill in ifo but you have done that )

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Caro Laithwaite VN — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:58:47 GMT

l suppose that means l have to post my conversation to you and it is all your fault l am going to bore the pants off everyone Joel they seen this 2000000 times oh well

********** ************* ****************** *************** ******************** *************

1) Many years ago l was a kennel maid with racing greyhounds. Money was awful and so the lads decided to look for a union to help us. They went to EVERY union only one would consider us IF they could guarantee a minimum of 15,000 people Needless to say nothing came of it a l doubt there was half that many kennel hands in the UK.
Funny l thought the scum were meant to help those in need, l quickly learnt they do not it is their own pockets they help.

2) I had a job at a temping agency when we were waiting to move areas.
a) I could only have work IF a huge chunk of my wages was removed at source for unions if not the scum of the earth would not permit me to work.
b) When l got a job it was at blue circle cement in the pain making division. I got fed up of the union rep complaining that l was working to hard and showing them up. The more they bitched the more l let them know exactly what l thought of them and worked harder.
It was lonely there no one spoke to me, broke my heart it did that the union rep was so nasty and had made sure that l was only given instructions to do this do that and no one spoke to me (sorry sarcasm in last part!)

3) People are in for a shock unions ground floor sometimes do try and help fight bullying but the bosses higher up smack down hard as they do not want to make waves, so will try their hardest to stop any anti bullying action from going anyplace.

Caro Laithwaite
and yes you can print that if you want l have no problem with that.

Following Joel asking what l thought of bvna:

I belong to bvna so l can use the legal service. They have been good for general help l have needed that would have been hard to come by so are useful.
bvna l do not think are there for the support you mean. They are more a general info type support. magazines, congress type they have the legal section for us if we need more.
As rcvs is much bigger and unable to be any use to vet staff then bvna stand no chance, however as l have no expectations of any veterinary organisation being able to do much for vet staff l am not disappointed.

I prefer to fight my own battles and call someone for advice if l need it and bvna legal side and also acas have given that advice.

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Joel Dudley — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:45:07 GMT

No, I'm pleased to say that I don't fill my spare time with annoying computer use.

I did start to cut and paste it but it means that people wouldn't be able to reply to specific posts in a clear way, plus names have changed in some cases, so I'm hoping that people re-engage with it here.

Some people have been in touch by email. I don't want to quote people off the old forum as they haven't given permission.

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Shane — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:39:12 GMT

lol, was thinking the same. I dont know much about unions in the UK, but the one I belonged to in SA was pretty shyte!

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Caro Laithwaite VN — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:36:15 GMT

Guess you do not moonlight as a computer techie

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Joel Dudley — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:53:40 GMT

Damn computers...

Re: VNs and joining a veterinary union

Joel Dudley — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:50:16 GMT

OOPS, TRIED TO POST ALL THE POSTS FROM THE OLD BOARD BUT MISSED BITS SO I WILL ADD LATER, UNLESS ARLO CAN MOVE ACROSS?