I currently work for IBM BCS, and have been approached to join the trade union Amicus, who are happily recruiting members as morale in BCS is rock bottom. I am concerned that being a member of the union will be held against me in the promotion stakes. What does anyone think ? Should I join up ?

What additional benefit would you get from joining the union? What sort of power do they actually have in terms of collective bargaining?

For IBM it's not a problem if you want to join a trade union as long as you don't start recruiting new members within the company. Well, I don't know your people manager/partner but if you're experiencing any unfair treatment because you're a member of a trade union you're free to use such channels as the Speak Up! program or Open Door... But after all: I'm now 4 years with IBM (now with BCS, but neither a partner nor a manager... ;-) ) and didn't experience problems that I couldn't solve by myself or within the company.

They now have unions sprouting up in BCS ?? Sheesh ... things have obviously got a lot worse there since I left last year. From what I remember, the staff could really have done with the protection of a union from the no promotion, no payrise, no training management philosophy ...