I am a member of the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions, or FNV, and they are not that progressive. They include the police union and don't make a stand for Palestine. They have made a statement today as a reaction to calls to kick the police union out of the federation. These calls came after police violence against pro-Palestine supporters. The leader of FNV defended the police union in his statement. I think the union has an important place in the fight against capitalism before, during and after the revolution. So when the union is compromised, it means it will be harder for change to happen. I do have hope for the union, but how can you exactly help bring back the revolutionary spirit and ideals?
honestly I'd just give up on the union and dedicate more organizing time/efforts outside of work then
This is the wrong approach. Unions are an essential battleground of the class struggle and abandoning them to the enemy is a grave strategic error. What should be done is agitation and propaganda work among the rank and file, first and foremost against the collaboration with the so-called "police union" (which is not a union since police are not workers but the reactionary guard dogs of capital), and secondly against the reactionary leadership which continues that collaboration. When sufficient critical mass has been built a political struggle must be launched inside the union aiming at the delegitimization and eventual unseating of the reactionary leaders.
I mean ones efforts and energy is limited, doing whatever you think is most effective is the correct thing to do
It may be union stuff, it may be more party work
True, true. I wasn't saying that this is what everyone should do, but that revolutionaries as a whole should not abandon union work.