RMT v ASLEF: which union to join?

[theageofthetra]

As a trainee driver I want to sort out my union membership now that I am out of the class room and am out there learning to drive. Is it best to go with the prominent union for your depot? Cheers for any advice.

 

[Mintona]

Aslef

 

[E&W Lucas]

ASLEF - you get what you pay for.
Representation specific to your profession, by people who have been there.

 

[Greenback]

Aslef - it's a specialist union that represents only drivers. The RMT represents a wide range of grades across rail and other forms of transport.

 

[theageofthetra]

Some good advice. Cheers

 

[scotraildriver]

ASLEF for sure though I'm very surprised you haven't been approached before you started training. Things can happen in the classroom too!

 

[TheVicLine]

ASLEF 100% if you are a driver.

Join now, don't wait to pass out, you will get a reduced rate while you are earning less as a trainee.

 

[marko31161]

As above, ASLEF, nothing wrong with RMT,was a member myself when a guard, but for train drivers it has to be ASLEF.

 

[Jamesb1974]

Definitely ASLEF if you're starting as a driver. As others have said, nothing wrong with the RMT, but ASLEF do carry an extraordinary amount of 'clout' as a union.

 

[falcon]

Don't forget UNITE or TSSA.

 

[GB]

Don't forget UNITE or TSSA.

I'm sure they are very fine unions but there is no point in being in one of them if either your company doesn't recognize them or 95% of your colleagues are in ASLEF.

 

[muz379]

As a trainee driver I want to sort out my union membership now that I am out of the class room and am out there learning to drive. Is it best to go with the prominent union for your depot? Cheers for any advice.

join the one that majority of the drivers in your depot are in , that way that unions voice gets heard most in meetings concerning drivers issues with the company .

I would be surprised if that union was anyone but ASLEF .

 

[RPM]

I'll add my weight to the ASLEF camp. Yes the subs are quite expensive but 100% worth it. I was absurdly and harshly treated by an new arrival smartarse manager who was trying to make his mark. ASLEF came good for me and saved my job (the manager was given his marching orders shortly afterwards).

 

[red2005]

I'm a trainee and I've just filled in the membership for ASLEF simply because it was role specific

 

[Cherry_Picker]

RMT.









Just joking. ASLEF. I can't think of any good reason why a driver would be in RMT over ASLEF, whenever I have seen it it's because the individual driver has fallen out with the local rep or something stupid.

 

[ExRes]

As red2005 says, ASLEF because it's job specific

I can't say that they ever did very much for me with the attempts to secure a Safety Case, I got more help from management, but ASLEF should always be the best insurance policy

Just as an aside, do ATCU still exist ?, they seemed to be a bit of a damp squib, or a damp squid as the IT Crowd would say, there were a few members in my old TOC but they were, obviously, finding it very difficult to get off the ground

 

[G136GREYHOUND]

ASLEF all the way Brother