Trade unions.

Definitions ; A trade union is an organisation that employees can join in order to have their interests and goals better represented. A worker will pay an annual subscription and in return will have their interests more powerfully represented than if they had to negotiate with employers on their own. A trade union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. An organization whose membership consists of workers and union leaders, united to protect and promote their common interests. 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. Each employee who wishes to join a trade union must pay an annual fee, which contributes towards the costs and expenses that the trade union incurs when it provides services to its members, and supports industrial action by the workers. Types of trade unions. a) Craft Unions. These are fairly small unions for skilled workers, performing the same or similar work in different industries (e.g. musicians) b) 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). c) General Unions. These are for skilled and unskilled workers performing different jobs in different industries (e.g. cleaners, clerical staff, transport workers). d) 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). Functions of trade unions 1. The trade unions should help to staff all the state business and administrative bodies connected with economies: nominate their candidates for them, stating their length of service, experience, and so forth. Right of decision lies solely with the business organisations, which also bear full responsibility for the activities of the respective organisations. The business organisations, however, must give careful consideration to the views on all candidates expressed by the trade unions concerned. 2. One of the most important functions of the trade unions is to promote and train factory managers from among the workers and the masses of the working people generally. At the present time we have scores of such factory managers who are quite satisfactory, and hundreds who are more or less satisfactory, but very soon, however, we must have hundreds of the former and thousands of the latter. The trade unions must much more carefully and regularly than hitherto keep a systematic register of all workers and peasants capable of holding posts of this kind, and thoroughly, efficiently and from every aspect verify the progress they make in learning the art of management. 3. The trade unions must take a far greater part in the activities of all the planning bodies of the proletarian state, in drawing up economic plans and also programmes of production and

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expenditure of stocks of material supplies for the workers, in selecting the factories that are to continue to receive state supplies, to be leased, or to be given out as concessions, etc. The trade unions should undertake no direct functions of controlling production in private and leased enterprises, but participate in the regulation of private capitalist production exclusively by sharing in the activities of the competent state bodies. In addition to participating in all cultural and educational activities and in production propaganda, the trade unions must also, on an increasing scale, enlist the working class and the masses of the working people generally for all branches of the work of building up the state economy; they must make them familiar with all aspects of economic life and with all details of industrial operationsfrom the procurement of raw materials to the marketing of the product; give them a more and more concrete understanding of the single state plan of socialist economy and the workers and peasants practical interest in its implementation. The drawing up of scales of wages and supplies, etc., is one of the essential functions of the trade unions in the building of socialism and in their participation in the management of industry. In particular, disciplinary courts should steadily improve labour discipline and proper ways of promoting it and achieving increased productivity; but they must not interfere with the functions of the Peoples Courts in general or with the functions of factory managements. Provision of benefits to members: Early trade unions, like Friendly Societies, 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 enforce strikes or resistance to lockouts in furtherance of particular goals. Political activity: Trade unions may promote legislation favourable 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.

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

Strike Workers select a day on which they will not come into work. Work to rule Workers apply the firms 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 employers 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.

How the role of trade unions has changed The power of trade union has been gradually eroded over the last 20 years. This is due to a number of reasons:

Laws passed by Conservative government during 1980s and 1990s which have weakened the power of trade unions Decline in trade union membership Change in structure of industry from heavily unionised manufacturing industry towards service sector businesses. Also more women and part-time workers who are less inclined to join unions. Change in philosophy from conflicts due to collective bargaining to individual bargaining between firms and employees

Benefits of trade unions Benefits to an Employee More powerful voice when bargaining as a group (e.g. for pay rises) as can threaten industrial action such as strikes Workers will have their individual rights better protected e.g. if dismissed unfairly or discriminated against Benefits to an Employer Cheaper and quicker to bargain with one trade union representative than individual workers Workers are better motivated if they feel their interests are being looked after by trade unions

Conclusion Trade unions increasingly wish to be seen as working with employers to create a better and more competitive economy and not as organisations that stand in the way of change and increase costs for firms. They believe that both parties have mutual interests. This has led to more and more single union agreements (where an employer agrees to deal with only one union) but in return can often expect a nostrike deal from the union (where unions agree never to strike if a dispute cannot be settled). References 1. Webb, Sidney; Webb, Beatrice (1920). History of Trade Unionism. Longmans and Co. London. ch. I. 2. Trade Unions in the United States. 2008.

Unit name: INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT Code: BIT 2302 Members; Wanjiru Francis Njoroge Makau Mutisya John Evans Oginga Kimaru Kevin Kigundu JKC- B01-0005/2009 JKC-B01-0006/2009 JKC-B01-0017/2009 JKC-B01-0025/2009