I've seen both the good and bad side of unions. Bad, in terms of representing people who have deliberately chosen not to follow organisation rules but I've also seen others persuade guilty parties to admit their offences too so it's not that straightforward. Similarly, I've seen them defend innocent workers exceptionally well against belligerent managers who have a chip on their shoulder against somebody. I've seen them represent people who've been bullied, exploited, assaulted and harassed (both sexually and racially). Unions perform a very important activity in this society and without them we'd still all be living like it was Wigan Pier.