TRADE UNION

Q. What is a Trade Union?

A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages, hours, and working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with employers. This may include the negotiation of wages, work rules, complaint procedures, rules governing hiring, firing and promotion of workers, benefits, workplace safety and policies.

Q. Why do workers join trade unions?

Workers might join a trade union because

·      They believe that there is strength in number and they will be listened to when they in a group.

·      To negotiate a better pay, more holidays and less hours of work.

·      To pressurise the employer to provide them with a healthier and safer working environment.

·      Improved benefits for retrenched workers

·      To get the benefits of advice, financial support and welfare activities carried out by Trade Unions.

·      Many workers may also join a trade union because there is a closed shop policy.

·      Sometimes they provide legal assistance to their members if required

·      They provide some social welfare for their members like free edu. for their children, social and cultural programmes to distress the workers, etc…

·      They protest against unfair partiality.

Q. Explain the functions of Trade Union?

A trade union is an organization which represents the interest of its workers in negotiations about improving working conditions with employers and government. This includes negotiation of wages, work rules, complaint procedures, rules governing hiring, firing and promotion of workers, benefits, workplace safety and policies. The agreements negotiated by the union leaders are binding on the rank and file members and the employer and in some cases on other non-member workers.

objectives and activities of trade unions

·         Provision of benefits to members:    Trade unions  often provided a range of benefits to insure members against unemployment ill health, old age and funeral expenses. In many developed countries, these functions have been assumed by the state; however, the provision of professional training, legal advice and representation for members is still an important benefit of trade union membership.

·         Collective bargaining: Where trade unions are able to operate openly and are recognized by employers, they may negotiate with employers over wages and working conditions.

·         Industrial action: Trade unions may organize strikes or resistance to lockouts in furtherance of particular goals.

·         Political activity: Trade unions may promote legislation favorable to the interests of their members or workers as a whole. To this end they may pursue campaigns, undertake lobbying, or financially support individual candidates or parties (such as the labour party in Britain) for public office.

Q. Explain various industrial actions taken by trade union.

Industrial action

The majority of worker-to-manager and therefore union-to-employer problems are worked out peacefully through negotiation. However occasionally an issues arises where no agreement or solution can be reached. This is when a trade union may conduct some form of industrial action in order to force the employer to back down.

There are several different types of industrial action that could be taken:

·         Strike – Workers select a day(s) on which they will not come into work.

·         Work to rule – Workers apply the firm’s rules and procedures to the ‘letter’ with the objective of slowing down production. For example a machine worker may be told to ensure his machine is clean and safe before starting work and so he will be deliberately nit-picking and spend hours doing exactly this.

·         Go slow – Employees carry on working but at the minimum pace possible in order to slow down production but avoid disciplinary action.

·         Picketing – Workers may stand at the entrance to the employer’s factory or place of work and demonstrate with banners or slogans.

·         Overtime ban – Workers simply refuse to work overtime as they are not obliged to. This can prevent a firm being able to produce quickly enough to meet demand and they may lose orders.