Detail Study of Trade Unions

Introduction

A trade union (or a labor union in the U.S.) is an association of workers forming a legal unit or legal
personhood, usually called a "bargaining unit", which acts as bargaining agent and legal representative
for a unit of employees in all matters of law or right arising from or in the administration of a collective
agreement. Labour unions typically fund the formal organization, head office, and legal team functions
of the labour union through regular fees or union dues. The delegate staff of the labour union
representation in the workforce are made up of workplace volunteers who are appointed by members
in democratic elections.

Today, unions are usually formed for the purpose of securing improvement in pay, benefits, working
conditions, or social and political status through collective bargaining by the increased bargaining power
wielded by the banding of the workers.[1] The trade union, through an elected leadership and
bargaining committee, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members (rank and file members)
and negotiates labour contracts (collective bargaining) with employers. The most common purpose of
these associations or unions is "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment".[2] This
may include the negotiation of wages, work rules, occupational health and safety standards, complaint
procedures, rules governing status of employees including promotions, just cause conditions for
termination, and employment benefits.

Unions may organize a particular section of skilled workers (craft unionism),[3] a cross-section of
workers from various trades (general unionism), or attempt to organize all workers within a particular
industry (industrial unionism). The agreements negotiated by a union are binding on the rank and file
members and the employer and in some cases on other non-member workers. Trade unions
traditionally have a constitution which details the governance of their bargaining unit and also have
governance at various levels of government depending on the industry that binds them legally to their
negotiations and functioning.

Structure of Trade Unions

The structure of trade unions refers to the basis on which unions are organized (i.e. whether they are
organized on craft, staff, industrial or general union basis) and to the pattern whereby the plant unions
are linked to regional level or national level federations. The unions of different countries have different
lines of trade unions depending upon socio-economic compulsions of industrialization and political and
economic factors. The types and structure of trade unions differ from country to country and even from
industry to industry within the same country. However, Trade unions may be classified on the following
basis:
I. Classification based on Purpose

The trade unions may be classified according to the purpose for which they are constituted. Such union
may be divided into two categories:

1. Reformist unions

These unions are those which aim at the preservation of the capitalist society and the maintenance of
the usual employer-employee relationship, elimination of competitive system of production. They
neither seek comprehensive change nor wish to destroy the existing economic, political and social
structure of the country. They simply try to modify these in accordance with the desire and requirement
of their members, keeping in view the current moves of the society. For example they may wish to
increase labour’s share in increased production or they may aim at improving working conditions but
enforcing safety measures, they may try to generate increased purchasing power by providing for
worker’s various cooperative ventures, insurance associations and educational programmes. Professor
Hoxie has further sub-divided the reformist unions into the following two types:

i. Business unions

Business unions are the form of labour cooperation in which employees enter the successful business
relationships with employers. Such unions primarily represent workers in collective bargaining with their
employer. They aim at securing economic advantages to their members through peaceful means.
However, they are craft-conscious rather than class-conscious.

ii. Friendly unions or uplift unions

Friendly unions or uplift unions are idealistic in nature and aspires to elevate the moral, intellectual and
social life of workers and advocates idealistic plans for social regeneration. They are idealistic in nature,
conservative and law binding. They believe in eh process of collective bargaining. They are not craft
conscious but interest conscious of the workers.

2. Revolutionary Unions

These unions aim at destroying the present structure completely and replacing it with new different
order which they consider is better. They try to replace capitalistic industry with a socialistic or
communistic type of industrial set up. Industrial Workers of eh World (IWW) is an example of
revolutionary unionism.

The revolutionary unionism is also of four types:

i. Anarchist Unions

Such unions aim at destroying the existing economic system by revolutionary means.

ii. Political Unions

These unions aim at changing power through political action. They aim at enactment of laws eliminating
the power of capitalist and giving effective power to workers.

iii. Predatory Unions

This type of unionism has been added by Professor Hoxie. These unions does not subscribe to any
ideology. Such types of unions believe in ruthless pursuit of the matter in hand for which they can follow
any means without bothering for ethical or legal considerations. These unions can further be divided
into two types:

a) Hold up Unions
In these unions, the unscrupulous bosses of the worker’s organizations and unscrupulous employers join
hands together and exploit the customers by selling their products or services at exorbitant rates. The
workers, if at all, get a very small share of profits accrued due to increase in prices.

b) Guerilla Unions

These unions do not believe in cooperation with employers. Such unions believe in exploiting anyone
and w