r/Glasgow Tools

Title
Author	artfuldodger1212
Comment	Saramago says they fired the staff for stopping service and having customers in the venue sign a petition in support of the staff. Which, to my understanding, the staff in question did in fact do and are not denying. That is different than firing them for union organisation activities. Again, I am squarely on the side of the employees here and would have happily signed their petition but the facts do in fact matter here. Firing an employee for TU organising is the easiest way in the world for an employer to find themselves in the shit but Saramago has a reasonable case that this was not what happened here. I like Wobblies and their take no bullshit approach but the activity the staff undertook is not protected activity. That is the objective reality of the situation. This was not balloted, there was no arbitration, there is no formal contract negations, there was not proper legal notification, and there is no elected union representation in this place of work. IWW allows individuals to join without the need to ballot an entire workplace. That is their whole thing. If they had been with Unite or an elected Union they would have likely advised the employees against taking this action as you are just giving the employers cause to fire you. This is almost the definition of a wildcat strike which are not legally protected in the UK regardless of how we feel about them. Which it to say Saramago could have signed any document you like in terms of recognising TU activity and fully complying with both the sprit and letter of the law and have a reasonable case that they are in fact doing that. If these employees had tried to ballot for Unite and have official union representation there is no way in hell Saramago would have fired them for that (unless they are stupid). If they did they would have been sanctioned to hell and back. My approach is absolutely not to say "fuck it" and do nothing. I am going to vote with my wallet and not give them any custom. I am also going to continue to be against this neo-liberal mixing of public arts organisations and private enterprise as I have always been.
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/11wj8uc/vegan_bosses_at_it_again_saramago_sacked_3/jdh6gp5/
Created	Fri 24th Mar 2023 11:21am
Status	normal ()

Saramago says they fired the staff for stopping service and having customers in the venue sign a petition in support of the staff. Which, to my understanding, the staff in question did in fact do and are not denying.

That is different than firing them for union organisation activities. Again, I am squarely on the side of the employees here and would have happily signed their petition but the facts do in fact matter here. Firing an employee for TU organising is the easiest way in the world for an employer to find themselves in the shit but Saramago has a reasonable case that this was not what happened here.

I like Wobblies and their take no bullshit approach but the activity the staff undertook is not protected activity. That is the objective reality of the situation. This was not balloted, there was no arbitration, there is no formal contract negations, there was not proper legal notification, and there is no elected union representation in this place of work. IWW allows individuals to join without the need to ballot an entire workplace. That is their whole thing. If they had been with Unite or an elected Union they would have likely advised the employees against taking this action as you are just giving the employers cause to fire you. This is almost the definition of a wildcat strike which are not legally protected in the UK regardless of how we feel about them.

Which it to say Saramago could have signed any document you like in terms of recognising TU activity and fully complying with both the sprit and letter of the law and have a reasonable case that they are in fact doing that. If these employees had tried to ballot for Unite and have official union representation there is no way in hell Saramago would have fired them for that (unless they are stupid). If they did they would have been sanctioned to hell and back.

My approach is absolutely not to say "fuck it" and do nothing. I am going to vote with my wallet and not give them any custom. I am also going to continue to be against this neo-liberal mixing of public arts organisations and private enterprise as I have always been.