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@winnifred1849 interesting that your income has increased - better rate, freelance tax efficiency, or longer hours?
Better rate- I charge depending on what I think the client will pay, or work as efficiently as I can within a budget. The union obviously gave me no control over this. Also longer hours; I'll happily work 12 hrs a day, three weeks straight if needed, for the same hourly rate, whereas in the union overtime was avoided at all costs as the rate went up. I can commit to the job fully, and take a more personal pride in getting it done. The union doesn't make it worth your while to do this. I actually pay more tax now I'm freelance, as I'm earning more. I also lost holiday pay, and sick pay, but these amounts are insignificant in comparison.
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William.
Overall unions are a good thing, and countries where they are stronger have less inequality (according to the IMF). It's a neoliberal myth that the economic problems of the 1970 were caused by unions. In the 70s the economic problems started with the oil shock, but the deregulation of the financial sector and the growth of credit led to more money on the economy than there was capacity to use, and further inflation. Government response to this was to try to reduce money in the economy through wage caps, which Trades Unions tried to protect their members from.
@winnifred1849 interesting that your income has increased - better rate, freelance tax efficiency, or longer hours?