I hope one day we can debate unions without bias, without lies, and without manufactured information.
Yes unions contribute to the party bought to life by the trade union movement the ALP.
[ Oh in truth unions are not ever in control of its child the ALP it is another lie and fear tactic history tells us clearly]
And some do not like fees they pay being used that way, I understand and think they should have the right to see that money go to conservatives if they want.
Radical? no just constant change to keep up with the new reality's of life.
Now how can those who clearly are biased against unions forget the very real unions bosses have?
And the massive contributions they give to the other side of politics?
Far outweighing unions cash to Labor?
Once, is it now 30 years ago? you had to be in a union, not now.
The fact is unions did play a very big part in the great economic position we are in the Hawk accord comes to mind.
Back to the threads intent, fees.
While I speak for myself it is clear to me fees being raised can not forever be the answer to cash problems.
At some time in the future some unions will understand a business side exists for every union ,and constant change and improvement is required.
A focus on increasing services will increase membership, so will reduced fees.

The only union I have ever been a member of was the student union in UK, when a student, without choice.

In the commercial / technical college I attended, we did have a very belligerent left wing union president who decided to call a lightning strike. Studying accounting is an intensive process and we did not feel obliged to miss classes to appease the desires of some scruffy red nong who was there only to play at doing a diploma is flower arranging (or whatever). Cutting the story short, we countered his call to arms with an extraordinary general meeting and kicked the tosser out of office. We then lacked proper union representation but did we care, guess we did not.

Belly your defense of unions is a little too strident. When we see scumbag union officials being frog marched out of the labor party for using their self admitted intimidation and illegal standover tactics, we know that the sanitized image which some would promote is a crock of doggie doos and that a lot of unions smell no better than that same doggie doos.

When I look back at the 1970’s, unions with at their political zenith. They lost the momentum when real people started to realize the stupidity of socialism, the lies it is based upon and the strong arm tactics which the unions used to play their political puppets.

I have nothing against unions however, they have long been infiltrated by Trotskites and fellow travelers whose real motives have nothing to do with unionism and everything to do with their own agenda.

I agree the unions were their own worst enemy and were often run by the more radical militants in later years. However without the unions the workers have no protection and they will come to see the results of that over time. For example some people who would be seen as some of the most respected pillars of society have no objection at all to employing practically slave labour in some of their overseas businesses. See nothing wrong with pocketing profits that should have been used to train skilled Australian workers and tradesmen and selling out their fellow Australians by bringing in cheap foreign labour from overseas.

One question about foreign labour bought in on work visas? If they have a child while here,how do you then deport the parent of an Australian baby? Does anyone know the answer to this? Is the child an Australian citizen having been born here.

Col rouge A refreshing post, it reminds me of how little some know about my movement.
In threads like unions a difference exists, in fact in most of my posts you will find my thoughts that unions are different and the best still evolving.
Student union? hardly form to say you know unions.
Sorry but I am not extreme left, not radical, and find extremism is as much my enemy as the worst bosses.

Past radicalism was sometimes what it took to get fairness in a world that some considered they owned workers.
In the 1950,s 44 hour weeks and no protective clothing, often hungry and always battling workers defended the right to have rights at work.
They do today too and I have the feeling they are about to win yet another battle.
Just maybe conservative Australia by its impending loss will look back on the defeat as the turning point that made them understand unions are not always evil.
This is the time some militant unions will remember too,change or die
Not just my view members view too.
Do you know I put the blame for workchoices firmly at the feet of some true idiot actions of extremists in some unions?
Howard grew to believe wrongly that all unions fit in one box.
That YES MY THOUGHTS NOT MY UNIONS my delegate was dragged of a building site and told he would be bashed by a man better used as a bouncer, no union should not be shamed by use of such thugs.
You may not understand the difference between unions but you have no right to put me among the dieing extremist unions.
But never forget any fight is not too tough for a true union in defense of its members rights.
Unions a Difference Does Exist.
And your rights at work are worth fighting and voting for.
PS
I have constantly been spoken to like that caught on video by blokes from that same group.
LOVE IT!seems the constant flow of refugees from some unions to mine is offending some?

"Without the unions workers will have no protection" - nonsense! These days the media is only too happy to do the job for the unions. Any company caught treating workers badly will get a drubbing in the press, indeed they might get a drubbing in the press or on talk-back radio even if they are innocent of any wrong doing. Unions can and often do have a field day with the truth if they believe it will show 'them' in a bad light. (Funny how the people who pay their wages are slways seen as the enemy...I know quite a few 'bosses' whose take home pay is less than those of the workers, who work longer hours and take far greater responsibility but apparently they are the enemy.)
We will, of course, ignore the great variety of laws and forms of legal redress available...apparently they count for nothing in the union philosophy as they are not controlled by the unions.

I wonder what the legals are regarding conflict of interest when Union officials are members of a political party and they are involved in the decision making process regarding donations to that same party.

One of my concerns with what I've seen of the trade union movement is that all to often the interets of the ALP are put ahead of the interests of the workers the unions claim to represent.

If the union movement wants to regain relevance it needs to seperate itself from political ties and start working for union members rather than a single political party.

R0bert