Trade Union

A trade union is a group of workers who join together in order to protect their own interests and to be more powerful when negotiating with their employers. Without the influence of unions, workers may not have any voice or power. The primary purpose of a union is to maintain and advance the wage rates and working conditions of members, and to defend and promote a fair and safe working environment

Trade unions exist because an individual worker has very little power to influence decisions that are made about his or her job. By joining together with other workers, there is more chance of having a voice and influence

Types Of Trade Union 

There are four main types of trade unions:

1. General Unions. These are for skilled and unskilled workers performing different jobs in different industries (e.g. cleaners, clerical staff, transport workers).

2. Industrial unions. These are for different workers in the same industry (e.g. the National Union of Miners (N.U.M), covering workers at all levels in the hierarchy).

3. Craft Unions. These are fairly small unions for skilled workers, performing the same or similar work in different industries (e.g. musicians).

4. White-collar Unions. These are for ‘white-collar’ (or professional) workers who perform the same or similar tasks in different industries (e.g. teachers, scientists).

Aims Of Trade Union

Trade unions have a number of aims:

1. To improve the pay of its members.

2. To improve the working conditions and the working practices of its members.

3. To support the training and the professional development of its members.

4. To ensure that their members’ interests are considered by the employers when any decision is made which will affect the workforce.

5.Provide local, social and welfare facilities.

      6.Influence government policy by sponsoring Members of Parliament and                                 contributing money to political parties

What do unions do?

The main service a union provides for its members is negotiation and representation. There are other benefits people get from being members of trade unions.

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Negotiation

Trade unions are most closely associated with negotiating with the employers of a business on behalf of their members over the issue of pay. This is known as the ‘pay-bargaining process’, and it is an example of collective bargaining.

The first stage in this process is for each side (the employer and the trade union) to decide on its objectives. As well as deciding the amount of a pay rise, both the trade union and the employer will also need to decide how the ...

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