I’m joining a trade union. However, my boss is outspoken in his hatred of unions and has made it clear that trade union membership by his employees won’t be welcomed. I’m usually loyal to him and don’t want to ruin my career chances, but this is important to me. What should I do?

Do such employers really still exist? Well, you could always pander to his fears by dusting off your donkey jacket and lobbing armloads of rotting vegetables at his Mercedes as he arrives in the morning, all the while shrieking “scab!”

Sounds ridiculous? Well, not as ridiculous as your boss’s terror of your paying subscriptions to an organisation with which, if he’s a good boy, he’ll never have contact.

This dilemma has nothing to do with loyalty or career chances. Don’t kid yourself that by joining a trade union you are sacrificing either. OK, your boss has every right to dislike trades unions but only as much as you have every right to join them — which is why his bullying tactics are out of order.

Your trade union membership has nothing to do with your boss. He doesn’t even need to know. Every employee is legally entitled to join a trade union. Even better, the law protects you from discriminatory behaviour because of your membership. And, oh, your boss will love this; you’ve also got the right to have time off, when appropriate, to take part in trade union activities.

This is why it’s your boss’s fear that is at the heart of this dilemma. Does he know how handy trades unions can be? By building relations with a local branch he could be privy to industry gossip, bottomless employment information, free courses for employees, help with health and safety issues and a happy, smiley workforce.

E-mail creme@thetimes.co.uk

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