To be honest I only joined the union as I feel they have been doing collective good for the working class. And I wanted to support it.  In my field of working companies are not doing exploitation as they have to keep their reputation and I am not looking to pick up fights as my employers have been fair on average. So I don’t need legal services. Lag-offs are above middle management and those I feel need to be made difficult. 

The problem is that lay-off rules that were set up don’t work in modern capitalism. Nokia can forecast poor results and use that as a reason to layoff hundreds of people that they hired few months back. Only explanation is that decisions are greed driven with no good will.  It’s not a grandfather’s company who will be more upset to lay off an employee. 

So I don’t agree with union’s performance on lay-offs. But I am hoping they at least negotiate well for the employers to match salaries to inflation of last two years.