Trade union

Trade union is an organization of workers who have come together to achieve common goals such as protecting the integrity of its trade, improving safety standards, and attaining better wages, benefits, and working conditions through the increased bargaining power wielded by the creation of a monopoly of the workers. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labor 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.

History

The origins of unions' existence can be traced from the 18th century, where the rapid expansion of industrial society drew women, children, rural workers, and immigrants to the work force in numbers and in new roles. This pool of unskilled and semi-skilled labor spontaneously organized in fits and starts throughout its beginnings, and would later be an important arena for the development of trade unions.

Types of trade union

Trade unions may be composed of individual workers, professionals, past workers, students, apprentices or the unemployed. The most common purpose of these associations or unions is "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment".

• Craft unionism: A current of industrial unionism which places importance on skilled workers and often fails to organize the unskilled.
• General union: Also known as a horizontal union, since it organizes workers across a wide range of skills within one or more industries.
• Industrial union: Also known as a vertical union, since it organizes workers from all skill levels in an industry.

Trade union functions

Trade unions perform a number of functions in order to improve the conditions of their members' lives.

• Representation: This involves collective bargaining with employers to improve pay and working conditions.
• Member services: This includes the provision of benefits to members. This could be in the form of legal advice, financial advice, and support in disputes with employers.
• Political activity: Unions may lobby for changes in legislation that affect their members or workers more generally.

See also

• Labor rights
• Collective bargaining
• Strike action
• Workers' rights

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