I have been a local elected trade union official all of my working life, with detours into writing and film docs too. I have never left the CWU joining it when the Union was the “Union of Post Office Workers” within the overall history of the labour movement, the UPW always seemed an afterthought in comparison to the “big battalions” i.e. the unions in manufacturing /engineering etc. I was always proud of being a postie, even prouder of my Union and its traditions of education as well as the internationalism of the UPW when it pulled the plug on all telecommunications to the apartheid State of South Africa.
Solidarity
The solidarity as well in supporting the women of colour, working at the Grunwick factory, dismissed for wanting to join a union. The local UPW, refused to cross their picket lines, and with the company being predominantly mail-order etc, the local UPW refused to handle/collect the aforementioned mail/mail orders in solidarity with the women.
I do not need to listen to these middle-class numpty/student types opining about male dominance/patriarchy etc, when the UPW all those years ago was challenging female oppression in action and deed. Collective solidarity is still relevant today in an age of narcissism and individualism. The ex leader of the CWU, Billy Hayes, Walton born & bred began his trade union life as a postie in Liverpool city centre. Becoming the elected official of the Liverpool Postal Workers was due to competence and being highly efficient sitting alongside knowledge intellect and policy development; the abolition of 6 day working and the achievement of a 5 day week for postal workers on delivery was in part down to his campaigning across every sector of the trade union in order to translate the policy into reality.
Next Generation
For young trade union officials, the very experience of representation could create a personal skills set of public speaking, organisational skill, negotiating skills, policy development, through to negotiating face-to-face with management and ditto through to every top level including Government. Being in a trade union also meant that the workforce had a voice in that no longer could management impose dictats from above: instead they would have to negotiate their plans/changes to working practices plus anything else on their agenda with the respective trade union. Finally always remember that even a bad union is better than no union at all.