Hiya MrRAW. Fair comment - it was kinda brief, wasn't it? What I meant was unionism, like anything else, has a story and every story has chapters that affect the next chapter. Miss a chapter, and you miss the whole direction of the story. From Manny Shinwell &co. onwards, unionism was a good thing and became well respected in society generally. After the outright communist years of Arthur Scargill, it turned the other way - in 1987, a poll (Mori?) found that 70% of all TUC members voted for Margaret Thatcher! Now, younger guys like yourself are trying to re-build unionism (rightly I believe, as an ex-shift rep myself) and are probably working to the benefit of society. The point I was hoping to make was that anyone who comes on here saying 'unions are right and Thatcher was wrong (or vice versa) is an idiot 'Kunt'. You have to understand the chapter to understand the whole story. One of my great heroes in the story of trade unionism is Margaret Thatcher because she made it law that I got a postal vote, i.e. she gave our unions back to ordinary working men like me, instead of the commie swines who had kept it from us by arranging 'union' meetings 5 miles west of Birtley on a night when Sunderland had a home game at Roker. The favoured tactic of the 1917 Russian soviets was finished. Manny Shinwell, Peter Lee, and Margaret Thatcher were the undeniable heroes of trade unionism, mate. Miss one chapter (as Labour would very much like you to do these days) and you misunderstand your recruiting difficulties today. Good luck mate - I honestly believe you're working for the better of society and I do wish you well.
