cross-posted from: https://lemmit.online/post/1011094
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The original was posted on /r/aboringdystopia by /u/bisexualbestfriend on 2023-10-04 15:06:06.
Over the last 11 years since I moved into my current role, my salary has risen by approximately £35k. In addition to this my conditions have improved and I work fewer hours. My yearly negotiated increase has always outstripped inflation and I have only lost one day’s pay due to strike action to achieve these rises.
The company I work for continues to post profits in the billions of £s, despite paying their workers fairly.
I’d say my monthly union dues of <£20 have served me pretty well.
Anyone advocating against a union either stands to lose out by unionisation (ie those at the top that would rather keep their bonuses/salaries as high as possible) or have completely bought in to the capitalist nonsense that is often thrown around about unions.
or have completely bought in to the capitalist nonsense that is often thrown around about unions.
Don’t start that anti-capitalist bullshit. You can’t be happy about making more money, then bash capitalism. Can’t have your cake and eat it too pal!
I wasn’t bashing capitalism at all. My comment was directed at the fact that it is often (quite ridiculously) suggested that unionisation and its pursuit to protect workers rights and improve pay and conditions lead to the downfall of businesses. It’s an obvious weapon to try and disuade employees from joining a union by leading them to believe that they might lose their job completely when the union forces them out of business.
It’s pretty obvious that capitalism has its flaws but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the alternatives usually don’t fair well. I don’t disagree with the ideology but I do believe that I am entitled to my fair share, after all, my bills are rising like everyone else’s. Why should my colleagues and I lose out so that a few at the top can fatten their pockets? They don’t pay me anymore than they need to - they compensate my colleagues and I sufficiently to make us do the job. If they pay less, I’ll look elsewhere and they know this by agreeing to the demands of my union.
In a capitalist society, people need money to survive. Capitalists want to hoard all the money for themselves while the poor do all the hard work for as little pay as possible. Unions aim to fix that problem.
There is no inherent contradiction between wanting a liveable wage for your work and criticizing capitalism at the same time.