Friday 14 December 2007

Old enough to remember The Strawbs and the Union song?

"You don't get me I'm part of the Union till the day I die!"

As I remember it the early Seventies song about Union power sung by the Strawbs was not very complimentary. I suppose it was the time of Red Robbo after all. Nonetheless, the idea of workers banding together to give a collective strength seems both reasonable and necessary to me given the potential for abuse of workers by their bosses.

Maggie works as a teacher, but she is classed as something less, akin to a teaching assistant, because teachers in Spain have to undergo competitive examinations and other EU qualifications do not seem to be transferable. Maggie puts up with it because something is better than nothing. Today a couple of Union reps turned up at her school to talk to Maggie and her co-worker about their role and responsibilities within the school. It seems that they think the situation is unfair and they intend to take up their case.

Maggie is not, currently, a member of their Union. Proactive or what?

No comments: