Excellent, I can tell all those who lost their jobs in that era it was somehow theirs or their unions fault.
Funny how I don't recall seeing their signatures on closure notices.


Re gas installers: it's a requirement to be registered with Gas Safe and to be competent to work legally.
Fees apply as does re-assessment cost, roughly say about 2k, on the latter.
Last I looked, work for British Gas in this area and you work under their registration no private work in your own time allowed or face dismissal......sounds a bit closed shop like, but from the employers side.

Part P, given impetus by the death of then Lib Dem MP Jenny Tonge's daughter. Now as said, fit a kitchen and need to install an extra socket and you will need to be covered by part P, if not a call out to someone who is covered to do so.
In practice whether you pay to some commercial quango to work or a union sub possibly makes little difference to many, though to be fair it's more likely union subscriptions would result in better working conditions for it's members as that isn't the remit of commercial organizations.

Is it about safety?, well if so you might think it could be better organized and policed.


Distinction between professional and/or legislation and others
BMA is often said to be a professional body, but  most in any seriousness acknowledge it's  a very effective union controlling and acting in the interests of it's members, just substitute annual fees for annual subs.
It has been effective in protecting it's members even under very difficult circumstances but finally gave way on things like re-assessment after Shipman as well as single practice.

Generally true to say demands for either improved pay and conditions is assumed automatically to be a bad thing, where a company hiking up it's prices etc is just another commercial decision.