TOPIC: TRADE/LABOUR UNIONS

Definition

A trade union is an organization of workers in a particular profession or service created to

represent their interests and also to promote and protect workers’ working conditions. One major
benefit of trade unions is known as collective bargaining. This allows workers to bargain with
employers collectively on issues instead individual fighting for their rights. This gives more
voice and power to workers. Also, trade unions negotiate pay scales, working regulations, and
conditions on behalf of their members as the need arises.

A trade union (or a labor union ), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of
workers who have come together to achieve common goals, such as protecting the integrity of
their trade, improving safety standards, and attaining better wages, benefits (such as vacation,
health care, and working conditions). It is an organized association of workers in a trade, group
of trades, or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests. Examples include
Uganda Medication Association, UNATU etc

The objectives of trade unions

i. Increasing Co-operation and Well-being among Workers: The modern industry is complex
and demands specialization in jobs. This results in extreme division of labor, which leads to the
growth of individualism and development of impersonal and formal relationships. There is no
common unifying bond among the workers. It is in this context that the trade unions come into
the picture and they promote friendliness and unity among the workers. Besides this, the trade
unions also discuss the problems, which are common to all the workers. It is a platform where
workers come together and know each other. The trade unions also provide some kind of
entertainment and relaxation to the workers.

ii. Securing Facilities for Workers: Most of the industrialists are not very keen on providing the
facilities and proper working conditions to the workers. They are more interested in getting their
work done to the maximum extent. In such conditions, trade unions fight on behalf of the
workers and see that the facilities have been provided by the management.

iii. Establishing Contacts between the Workers and the Employers: Many times a worker or
employee may not have a chance to see their managers. In this situation, the workers are not able
to express their grievances before their employers, and even the management does not know the
difficulties faced by the workers. The trade unions play an important role in bringing to the
notice of the employers the difficulties and grievances of the employees. They try to arrange
face-to-face meetings and thus try to establish contacts between the employees and the
employers.

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iv. Trade Unions working for the Progress of the Employees: The trade unions try to improve
the economic conditions of the workers by representing their cases to the employers and try to
get adequate bonus to the workers

v. Safeguarding the Interests of the Workers: Most of the industries try to exploit the workers to
the maximum. They do not provide any benefits such as increasing their wages, granting sick
leaves, giving compensation in case of accidents, etc. The workers are not made permanent even
after many years of service and in some cases they are removed from service summarily. The
trade unions provide security to the employees in such situations.

Vi. Provision of Labor Welfare: The economic conditions of the industrial workers in India are
very poor. The standard of living is very low. A majority of industrial workers in India are
illiterate or semi-literate. It is the responsibility of the trade unions to get them proper housing
facilities and promote the socio-economic welfare of the laborers. The trade unions also try to
arrange educational facilities for the children of the workers.

Types of Trade Unions

1.Craft Union: craft union is an organized group of laborers who have careers in the same craft
or trade. People in unions of this type regularly hold the same job or work within the same
industry. Other times, craft unions form when members all have a special skill or ability. This
union represents workers with a particular type of skill e.g. tailoring.

2. Industrial Union: Industrial unions are organizations made up of people who all work within
the same industry or type of industry service. These unions usually correlate with one sector
within the economy, and they encompass all people working within an industry. Many times
industrial unions engage in contract negotiations that span across multiple employers within an
industry—this is called sectional bargaining and is unique to industrial unions. This trade union
represents all workers with different skills in a particular industry.

3. General Union: This union represents workers with different skills in the same labour force in
a country or worldwide.

4. White Collar Unions: This union represents white collar jobs workers e.g. accountants,
engineers, etc.

5. Public service union: A public service union is an organized group of people who have
careers that serve the general population. These unions usually represent those with the
same or similar job type within a specific public service industry. Membership in these
groups is often voluntary but highly encouraged. They often represent public service jobs
within small sectors, regions or institutions, which means the collective bargaining
agreements made do not alter conditions in an entire industry.

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6. Federations: A federation is an organized group of one or more unions. They provide a
range of services and supports to unions within the federation or association, and can offer
additional protections and benefits to their members. Eg Federation of Uganda employers.

7. Identity-exclusive union: An identity-exclusive union is an organized group of people who

share a common social, cultural or religious identity. Similar to labor unions, these groups
work to provide fair wages, compensation and protections for their members. The small
membership within identity-exclusive unions sometimes reduces their bargaining power.
This has led to a rise in identity-exclusive organizations that often work with labor unions to
improve fairness in the workplace.
8. Enterprise union: An enterprise union is a collective bargaining organization that exists
within a single company or enterprise. These unions are most common in countries like Japan
and China, and they focus on providing employees with job stability and improvements in
employer relationships. Due to the employer-centered nature of this type of organization, the
National Labor Relations Act of 1935 banned the practice of enterprise unions in the United
States.

Challenges faced by trade unions

Trade unions in Uganda are mainly facing the following challenges:

 Failure by the government to implement the labour laws.

 Limited resources to finance trade union activities.
 Non-recognition of trade union by majority of employers despite the new labor laws.
 Uneven Growth of say regions: ...
 Small Size/small membership: ...
 Political Leadership: ...
 Multiplicity of Unions: there are very many of them...
 Problem of Recognition: ...
 Apathy/ignorance of Members on their rights

Leadership roles in a union

Here is a list of typical positions of leadership within a union:

 President: A union president is an elected official who oversees the mission and goals of
the organization.
 Vice president: The vice president of a union is an elected official who helps oversee the
mission and goals of the union.
 Secretary: Secretaries are elected officials who manage and record accounts of all union-
related meetings.

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  Treasurer: This elected official oversees and reports on the fiscal affairs of the
organization.
 Executive council member: Executive council members are elected union officials who
hold various positions within the organization. They vote and make decisions regarding
initiatives, goals and platforms during council meetings.
 Steward: A union steward is a representative and member of a union. This person
directly represents other employees within a section or sector of a larger union. People in
this position give council, support and advocacy to other group members.

Careers and industries with unions

Here are some of the most common industries where unions are regularly in place to protect the
interests of their members:

 Skilled trades: Skilled trade and labor jobs include electricians, plumbers, mechanics,
carpenters, bricklayers and pipefitters.
 Construction: Jobs in construction include sheet metal workers, ironworkers and
painters.
 Manufacturing: Manufacturing jobs include engineers, industrial managers, technicians
and machine operators.
 Health care: Jobs in health care include doctors, nurses, care representatives, attendants
and technicians.
 Education: Jobs in education include teachers, assistant teachers, special education
teachers, advisors, guidance counselors and aids.
 Government: Government jobs include administrators, agents, analysts and officers.
 Transportation: Jobs in transportation include drivers, engineers, conductors and
machine operators.
 Public sector: Jobs in the public sector include firefighters, police officers and social
workers.

Freedom to Join and Form a Union

 Since, Labour unions are organizations of workers created by workers to represent their
rights and interests, the Constitution of Uganda provides for freedom of association
while Labor Unions Act allows the workers to establish and join unions. 

 Workers are allowed to participate in union activities outside working hours. Every
worker has a right to form or join a trade union of his or her choice for the promotion and
protection of his or her economic and social interests; to collective bargaining and
representation; and to withdraw his or her labour according to law.

 Union members are free to elect their representatives and formulate their work program.
They may draw up their own statutes and administrative regulations, as long as these are
not contrary to laws in effect and public order.

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  The unions must get registered with the Ministry of gender, labour and social
development by filing 3 copies of their statutes; titles, names, ages, addresses and
occupations of its officers; number of members; and a revenue stamp of an amount
prescribed by the Minister. A trade union is considered registered after the registrar
register a trade union and issue a certificate of registration. The registration process must
be done within 90 days from the date of submission of the application.
 An employer is not allowed to interfere in the formation or administration of a registered
trade union and to support a union that is under the control of the employer or an
employer's organization. Employer may deduct union dues from the wages of the
members only after their written consent. Discriminatory behavior is prohibited for the
employer on the basis of union affiliation or participation in union activities. An
employer who does not abide by these rules and regulations commits an offence and is
liable to a fine up to 96 currency points or imprisonment up to four years or both. In case
of a continued offence, the employer is liable to a fine up to two currency points for every
day or part of a day during which the offence continues.

Freedom of Collective Bargaining for trade unions

The Constitution of Uganda and the Labor Unions Act allow workers to bargain collectively
through their representatives.

Collective agreement is a written agreement relating to the terms and conditions of employment
concluded between one or more labour unions and one or more employers, or between one or
more labour unions and one or more employer's organization.

The terms of collective agreement must be concluded in writing and contain a reference to the
manner and date when it may be reviewed. A copy of collective agreement and any
amendment/variation made to the agreement must get registered with a Labour officer. Even if it
is not registered, it remains enforceable between the parties to the agreement. Signed agreement
must be lodged with the Registrar of Labour Unions within 28 days from the date the agreement
is made.

A person who acts against these provisions commits an offence and is liable to a fine up to
imprisonment up to one year

The terms of registered collective agreement are incorporated in the employment contract of the
workers.

Labour Advisory Board (LAB) is a tripartite body that was established to provide technical
advice and information to the Minister responsible for Labour. Currently, LAB consists of 13
members; two representatives each from the employers’ and trade unions organizations and six
ministries are represented. The board advises the Minister of Labour on labour legislation and
employment matters, oversees the labour inspectorates, implementation of labour policy, among
others.

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Right to Strike

Right to strike is recognized by Constitution however this right is strictly regulated.  According
to the Labour Union Act, strike means to 'go slow' and 'a sit down' by a body of persons
employed and acting in combination or a concerted refusal or a refusal under a common
understanding, of any number of persons employed to continue to work for an employer in
consequence of a dispute, done as a means of compelling the employer, or to aid other workers,
to accept or not to accept terms or conditions affecting the employment.