generally bad in that they were a tool for the Soviet Union. along with the Co-op bank.

Well theres two good things i didn't know the soviet union did... if they really were essential in the forming and running of the unions then im glad that they did it, by doing so they improved the lives of millions in the western world and by advancing our middle classes helped defeat themselves!

In the past unions were essential, lots of things workers take for granted had to be fought for, if the fat cats had thier way back then and the unions were defeated we would still be dying and getting worked to death for a pittance, and society as a whole would be far worse off...

They are not as important now as they were in past times but there are still fat cats willing to walk all over thier workforce in the search of profit and still fat cats who would like nothing better than to slowly turn the clock back on workers rights, we need unions to defend the rights our forefathers worked so hard to earn us!