Help! Any experts on Employment Law?

[Daggers]

Not without a fecking good reason matey...we are all sh1t scared of landing in tribunals where punitive damages are limitless!!

"Come the glorious day brother, all bosses will be up against the wall. Bop, bop bop!"

[Head Honcho]

"What are you doing ringing me, you arent in a union"

UNless of course he works for BIG companies or Public Sector.

Not many private sector unions matey.

Maggie saw most of them off.

Most unions will give you free advice!!

They will give you all the advice you need, they just won't be able to act on your behalf if you are not a member

[Smudge]

With respect to you and SF, you dont know the WHOLE Story, but then nor do I.

.........only when people aren't aware of how "well off" they are in comparative terms.

Victorian/Dickensian days are gone here... if that isnt true for everyone then I am sorry, but then you should perhaps take steps to alter your situation, the Law is on your side.

I wholeheartedly agree, Virginia, where I live and am an employer, is a "Right to work state" which basically means that you do not have to join a union if you do not want to. It protects workers from union abuse so prevelant between the 1920's & 50's. Inversely there are few protections to stop an employer firing someone at will. Obviously age, race or sexual discriminations are the exception but if your boss doesn't need you anymore, you are out. I tell you what though, employees definitely appreciate their jobs a whole lot more than in other States; sick days sometimes aren't paid for and two weeks vacation is the norm.

With respect to the original posting, getting legal advice is always the best thing to do but will probably cost you some cash. If the company has a Head Office, you might try writing a letter to the HR department with supporting evidence. They will almost certainly know your rights and wish to avoid unecessary legal correspondence. If you are entitled to the expence reimbursemant, you have ever right to ask for interest to cover your costs. If what they are doing is against the law, you might also be entitled to punitive damages. Good Luck!

[DanTheFoxBhoy]

I wholeheartedly agree, Virginia, where I live and am an employer, is a "Right to work state" which basically means that you do not have to join a union if you do not want to. It protects workers from union abuse so prevelant between the 1920's & 50's. Inversely there are few protections to stop an employer firing someone at will. Obviously age, race or sexual discriminations are the exception but if your boss doesn't need you anymore, you are out. I tell you what though, employees definitely appreciate their jobs a whole lot more than in other States; sick days sometimes aren't paid for and two weeks vacation is the norm.

That's the same over here. No one should be forced to join a union. Nevertheless, you mention 'union abuses' however I would think, especially in the US, that despite some past union indiscretions employer abuses would far outweigh those of a union. When you have disgraceful companies like Walmart, how can you justify not having a union presence?

I was watching a video the other day of the Teamster-lead UPS strike in 1997. That kind of thing leaves a big grin on your face, knowing that people like James Kelly whose pockets are already lined to the ceiling can't take away the basic rights of workers without a fight. His "last, best and final offer" cost the company $650 million. That's a pretty hefty cost for trying to take away working people's rights, and so it should be.

[Smudge]

That's the same over here. No one should be forced to join a union. Nevertheless, you mention 'union abuses' however I would think, especially in the US, that despite some past union indiscretions employer abuses would far outweigh those of a union. When you have disgraceful companies like Walmart, how can you justify not having a union presence?

I was watching a video the other day of the Teamster-lead UPS strike in 1997. That kind of thing leaves a big grin on your face, knowing that people like James Kelly whose pockets are already lined to the ceiling can't take away the basic rights of workers without a fight. His "last, best and final offer" cost the company $650 million. That's a pretty hefty cost for trying to take away working people's rights, and so it should be.

Unions are allowed in Va and I wasn't justifying not having them, quite the reverse, as a son of working class parents, none of us would have gotten where we are without them. I just abhor abuse of power from whatever quarter. Some Unions were corrupt in this country and hand in hand with organized crime, that was self serving and had little to do with workers rights. Jimmy Hoffa was a part of that and the Kennedy's strove to drive it out. You cite the Teamsters in 1997, good stuff, I talked about issues 40+ years before that and that's why laws were enacted to overcome those abuses. I've only lived here 19 years but in Britain the Unions pushed the boat out under James Callaghan in 1979, known as the winter of discontent. He went to the country and lost, in came Thatcher and destroyed the working class movement. We went from one abuse of power as portayed by union might to the antithesis as enacted by Margaret Thatcher and the Draconian methods of dealing with anyone who dared step out of line. And so the pendulum swings

[DanTheFoxBhoy]

Unions are allowed in Va and I wasn't justifying not having them, quite the reverse, as a son of working class parents, none of us would have gotten where we are without them. I just abhor abuse of power from whatever quarter. Some Unions were corrupt in this country and hand in hand with organized crime, that was self serving and had little to do with workers rights. Jimmy Hoffa was a part of that and the Kennedy's strove to drive it out. You cite the Teamsters in 1997, good stuff, I talked about issues 40+ years before that and that's why laws were enacted to overcome those abuses. I've only lived here 19 years but in Britain the Unions pushed the boat out under James Callaghan in 1979, known as the winter of discontent. He went to the country and lost, in came Thatcher and destroyed the working class movement. We went from one abuse of power as portayed by union might to the antithesis as enacted by Margaret Thatcher and the Draconian methods of dealing with anyone who dared step out of line. And so the pendulum swings

Good post - it was definitely good for the movement to see Hoffa Jr's campaign fail

[Smudge]

Good post - it was definitely good for the movement to see Hoffa Jr's campaign fail

Thanks Dan, I have my moments