Introduction to Trade Unions

Trade unions are associations of workers or organization formed together by labour, workers or employees to achieve their demands for better conditions at their work atmosphere. In the United States, trade unions go by the name labour unions. A labour union, or trade union, is an organization of workers who have joined together to achieve goals in areas such as wages and working conditions. The union negotiates contracts and conditions with employers, keeping employee satisfaction high and protecting workers from unsafe or unfair working conditions.

These unions exist to deal with problems faced by laborers, these problems maybe of any nature such as those concerning the pay, unfair work rules, timings and so on. All the workers working under one particular employer is represented by the worker's union. All the communication that happens in between the employer and the workforce generally takes place through the union. All of the above trade unions are also liable and responsible for maintaining discipline and among the workers, core purpose is to see that proper relations or being maintained in between management and workers and trade union may take disciplinary action against the workers who ever misbehaves, disturbed peace and harmony in the workplace and maintenance indiscipline.

Trade unions or labour unions are governed by the different law in different countries, they should follow the procedure and mode of registration for formation of the trade union according to the law of the country. Trade union formed in accordance with the law of their country shall have the privileges given by the law of trade union. With privileges or rights of the trade union, it should perform certain duties with respect to workers. The Primary purpose of a trade union is collective bargaining. In India trade unions can be formed only the persons engaged in trade or business can form trade unions.

Every registered trade union according to the law of trade union shall have certain functions for achievement of certain objectives which are mentioned in details further. The primary object you of the trade union is to protect the interests of the workers and exploitation against him by Management or employer. In addition to this, it is the responsibility and duty of every trade union to support management for its functioning and contribute to organisation or company by way of encouraging workers in a positive way for the improvement of overall efficiency of organisation.

The Employment Standards Administration (ESA) is the largest agency within the U.S. Department of Labor. The ESA enforces and administers a wide array of employment and labor laws, such as wages and working conditions, child labor, overtime and family and medical leave, equal employment opportunity, workers' compensation, labor unions, and employment standards and practices.

Right to Work laws secure the right of employees to decide for themselves whether or not to join or financially support a union. Before passage of right to work laws as part of the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, an employee opting for non-union status could be fired even if the employee did not violate any of the employer's rules. There are currently twenty-two states with right to work provisions.

• • A more recent and non-legislative definition of a union is “an organisation of workers acting collectively who seek to protect and promote their mutual interests through collective bargaining” (De Cenzo & Robbins, 1993). There are three forms of trade unions: Classical: A trade union’s main objective is to collectively protect the interests of its members in given socio-economic-political system. Trade Unions are the expressions of the needs, aspirations and wishes of the working class.

  • Neo-classical: It goes beyond classical objectives and tries to improve up other wider issues like tax-reliefs, raising saving rates etc.

  • Revolutionary: Change in the system. Establishing the rule of working class even through violence and use of force etc.