Define the Term Trade Unions a Case Study
Key Learning Outcomes
By the end of the case, students should be able to:
- Understand the term trade unions and their main functions and roles in the labor market.
- Understand the different types of trade unions and their advantages and disadvantages for workers and employers.
- Analyze the factors that influence the formation, growth, and decline of trade unions in different environments and countries.
- Evaluate the impact of trade unions on wages, employment, productivity, and economic performance.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Trade unions are an important aspect of the current industrial relations system. They are very important features of industry in every country. Trade unions developed as a result of reactions toward the factory systems and capitalized societies. During the early days of industrialization, workers felt exploited by employers since there was no sort of legal protection regulating them. As a result, workers joined hands in order to protect their interests and rights through cooperative actions. Trade unions are therefore a result of workers who expressed their needs and aspirations towards their employers in an organized manner. All trade unions have a purpose they work towards and it’s embedded in their constitutions.
This assignment is going to examine the term trade unions and their significance to society. It answered the following questions; what is a trade union and explain its role? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a trade union?
A trade union is an organization of workers who come together to pursue their common interests and goals in relation to their work. Different authors have given different definitions of trade unions, depending on their perspective and context.
Sidney and Beatrice Webb in their book titled The History of Trade Unionism, defined a trade union as a continuous association of wage earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their working lives.
A trade union is also defined as an association of workers in a particular trade, industry, or company created for the purpose of securing improvements in pay, benefits, working conditions, or social and political status through collective bargaining".
N R Sheth in the article entitled Our Trade Unions: An Overview, defines a trade union as a voluntary association of workers formed to protect and promote their interests through collective action.