Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/671/12046
From The Socialist newspaper, 18 May 2011
The difference a union makes
An east London Socialist Party member
An example of the utter inability of capitalism to answer the basic needs of society, and its young people particularly, was provided to me by my own family recently.
My daughter's boyfriend has a degree which he attained last year. Having recently moved in together, he had been hopeful of finding decent employment with his degree after several low paid jobs.
Aged 23, he was taken on in the South West by a company at a basic salary of £12,000 a year plus 10% on any deal.
The job entailed selling upgrades on mobile phone tariffs, making sure it is appropriate and the customer has a suitable phone or cash back amount, largely as a reward/gift for staying with the same phone company.
Very soon a management consultancy firm came in and took over the recruitment and human resources side of the company. They brought in seven or eight young workers who were previously door-to-door salespeople. They were then set working for 100% commission.
Shortly afterwards my daughter's boyfriend was asked, with reference to job security, to move over to 100% commission sales.
The way in which he has been asked to sell upgrades has changed to firstly telling customers about a 'loyalty scheme' where they are due money back.
This also involves targeting specific groups, often the elderly and people with poor English, in the hope of landing sales on often wholly inappropriate packages.
This has now led to daily earnings of as little as £20 a day or less and a move from monthly to weekly (cash) wages.
There was no union organisation in the workplace.
But our discussion revealed to both my daughter and her boyfriend the differences for workers between unionised workplaces, such as mine, and non-unionised workplaces such as his and the one my daughter works in.
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In The Socialist 18 May 2011:
Socialist Party workplace news
Strike back at pensions robbery!
Fight all the cuts - come to the NSSN conference
Socialist Party NHS campaign
Derriford hospital announces huge cuts
Socialist Party editorial
Crisis deepens in the eurozone
Socialist Party news and analysis
The Hardest Hit march and rally
Teachers' strike stops job cuts
Iraq war: Labour's lie machine
Socialist Party feature
Britain now facing crisis on all fronts
International socialist news and analysis
Northern Ireland: The 'no change' elections
Socialist Party workplace news
UCU at the crossroads on pensions
CWU conference: Support joint union action on 30 June
BA dispute: Mass meeting votes to put latest agreement to membership
Socialist Party youth and students
Con-Dems: Supporting Youth Enslavement
Yorkshire Youth Fight for Jobs regional conference
Socialist Party feature
Tory cuts hit children and young people
Teachers strike and parents picket at Shorefields
Campaigners put pressure on Lambeth council
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