Starter

 Can you identify the following unions from their

distorted logos?
1. 2.

3. 4.
Answers
1. National Union of Teachers
2. Trade Union Congress
3. Fire Brigades Union
4. Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and
Firemen

So, what does a trade union do?

TRADE
UNIONS
Explore the role and history of trade unions.

 You should explore the role and purpose of trade unions of the
 UK - Ayaan, Ryaan
 France - Amaan, Ahmed, Mir
 Germany - Rehaan, Ahmad Suhail,
 USA - Riyadh, Marcus,
 Denmark - Raj, Karl
 Finland - Sean, Adam,Talha
 Iceland - Zaim, Aariz
 as well as other contrasting countries.
 www.ucu.org.uk/media/4834/Factsheet-1--trade-
unions/pdf/UCU_factsheet1_unions.pdf and www.equity.org.uk/about-
us/what-do-we-do/.
 Explore the factors influencing the strength of trade unions. See www.gov.uk/join-
trade-union/trade-union-membership-your-employment-rights;
blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/featured/2014/05/trade-unions-in-decline-or-
renewal/ and theconversation.com/south-africa-has-a-new-trade-union-
federation-can-it-break-the-mould-76609
 Trade Unions
“An association representing workers
interest is called a Trade Union”

• General Union: Workers from different industries.

• Industrial Union: Workers in a specific industry. Eg:
Rail Industry, Automobile Industry, etc
 DEFINITION

Trade unions are organisations that represent people

at work. Their purpose is to protect and improve
people's pay and conditions of employment. They
also campaign for laws and policies which will
benefit working people.
 What Do Unions Do?
The main service a union provides for its members is
negotiation and representation. There are other
benefits people get from being members of trade
unions.
 Negotiation

 Representation

 Information and advice

 Member services
Functions of Trade Unions
 Collective bargaining & negotiation for
-Wages Working Condition
-Working hours -Holidays
-Health & Safety -Overtime pay
-Bonuses -Job security
-Pensions -Unemployment pay
-Education and Training
-Fixing a national minimum wage
 How Are Trade Unions Financed?
 Each trade union member pays a subscription

People pay their subscription fees in different

ways
 It may be collected by direct debit from your bank
account
 deducted directly from your wages

 paid in cash or by cheque to your union

representative or full time official
 TYPES OF TRADE UNION

TYPES DESCRIPTION/EXAMPLE
 CRAFT  To represent skilled workers e.g. Musicians
Union(MU)
 INDUSTRIAL  To represent the members of one particular
industry e.g. Fire Brigades Union (FBU)
 GENERAL  Unions which recruit workers from all types of
industries and with any level or range of skills
e.g. Amicus – the Manufacturing Science and
Finance Union (MSF)
 PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS  Represent office workers e.g. National Union of
Doctors (NOD)
REASONS TO JOIN A TRADE UNION
• LARGER VOICE
• CAMPAIGN FOR WORKER RIGHTS
COLLECTIVE • IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN WORKER AND
BARGAINING MANAGEMENT

• RANGE OF ISSUES COVERED- FARMING, TRADING,

MANUFACTURING…
ISSUES • HELP CHANGE GOVERNMENT POLICY

• JOB SATISFACTION
• IMPROVED BENEFITS FOR NON-WORKING MEMBERS-
MEMBERS RETRENCHED, SICK, RETIRED
 CLOSED SHOP

A shop in which persons are required to join a

particular union as a precondition to employment and
to remain union members for the duration of their
employment.
Single union agreements
 In some workplaces, several different unions may
represent different kinds of workers
 Different craft unions may represent different kinds
of skilled workers
 White-collar unions represent office workers
 A general union may represent some semi-skilled
and unskilled workers
 This can make industrial relations complicated
 In some firms, there are single union agreements
 Single union agreements
 All the workers are members of the same union
 This can help the workers as well as the employers
 The workers benefit because all the workers speak
with one voice and this may add to their strength
 For the firm it is easier to negotiate with one union
rather than several of them
 SINGLE-UNION AGREEMENTS

An agreement between an employer and a union such

that the union will represent all the workers at a
particular workplace.
 ADVANTAGES

To employees To employer

 One union- discussions  One union- discussions

clear
 Employees together-
greater power
 No disagreement- one
union
 Better working
relationship
 Disputes solved quickly
clear
 Better working
relationship
 Easier to agree to
changes
 Disputes solved quickly
What Is The Structure Of Trade
Unions?
STRUCTURE EXPLAINED
 members - people who pay a subscription to belong to a union
 shop stewards - sometimes called union representatives - who
are elected by members of the union to represent them to
management
 branches - which support union members in different
organisations locally. There is usually a branch secretary who is
elected by local members
 district and/or regional offices - these are usually staffed by
full time union officials. These are people who are paid to
offer advice and support to union members locally
 a national office - the union's headquarters which offers
support to union members and negotiates or campaigns for
improvements to their working conditions. At the top of the
organisation there is usually a General Secretary and a
National Executive Committee, elected by the union's members.
EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION
 EMPLOYER ASSOCIATION
An employer association is an organisation that
represents a group of employers who share similar
interests or areas of trade and aims to promote and
represent their opinions and concerns.

Also known as EMPLOYER’S FEDREATION (OR) TRADE

ASSOCIATION
ADVANTAGES
 Represent employers and negotiates with trade
unions
 Give advice to members
 Act as PRESSURE GROUPS
 Share ideas help each other –research and
development
 Organise bulk buying and obtain discounts on
goods purchased
 EMPLOYER ASSOCIATION AND THE
GOVERNMENT

 Keep control of the economy and

its matter- inflation, markets,
finance, education
 Taxation should not be a burden
on them
 Rules and regulations – not a
burden
 Economic policies- favour fair
competition
 Infrastructure- assist in
performance of businesses
 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Collective bargaining is a type of negotiation used by
employees to work with their employers.

Bargaining can take place at local or national level

PROBLEMS DISCUSS NEGOTIATE

REASONS TO INCREASE WAGES
PRODUCTIVITY
INFLATION
= WAGES
PAY DIFFERENTIALS
CHANGE IN WORKPLACE
INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Industrial action
 Many disputes are settled before industrial action
takes place
 Workers can take industrial action to try to achieve
what they want in a dispute with the employer
 Industrial action is designed to benefit the workers
 It may have costs for the worker and it may harm
the employer, the customers and the economy as a
whole
 INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Refers collectively to any measure taken by trade
unions or other organised labour meant to
reduce productivity in a workplace.
Quite often it is used and interpreted, mistakenly, as
a euphemism for strike, but the scope is much wider.
Industrial action may take place in the context of a
labour dispute or may be meant to effect political
or social change.
TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Specifically industrial action may include one or more
of the following:
 Strike

 Work-to-rule

 Non-cooperation

 Slowdown (or Go-slow)

 Overtime ban

 Picketing
STRIKES
 Workers select a
day(s) on which they
will not come into
work.
Workers maybe paid
out of trade union’s
strike fund
In case of an
unofficial/ wild-cat
strike, workers are not
paid
STRIKES

TYPES OF STRIKES
 TOKEN STRIKE

 SELECTIVE STRIKE

 ALL OUT STRIKE

WORK TO RULE
 Workers do not carry out duties that are not in their
employment contract.
 Carry out management's orders to the letter
 Workers observing safety laws to the letter, when they are
normally disregarded.
 Working to rule does not mean that workers are working in
breach of their contract
 They carry out tasks exactly as their contracts state.
 This has the implication that tasks are carried out
inefficiently.

For example if train drivers were to work to rule, trains would be

late arriving or even cancelled. Drivers may delay trains by refusing
to trains out until rigorous safety checks have been carried out.
NON-COOPERATION

 Workers refuse to do
anything to do with new
working practices that they do
not approve of.
GO- SLOW
Employees deliberately attempt to
slow down production, whilst still
working within the terms of their
contract.
OVERTIME BAN
 Limits the working hours to the
agreed contract of employment for
normal hours.
 Used by unions to demonstrate that
workers are prepared to take
further collective actions if their
demands are not met.
 Results in lost wages.
 Can lead to a decrease in costs for
the business and fall in the
production.
 Effective where production takes
place overnight, e.g., coal mines,
large production lines.
PICKETING
 Primary Picketing is legal. This
involves members of a union on
strike standing outside a firms
entrance trying to persuade other
workers not to cross it.

 Secondary Picketing is not

legal. This involves workers who
are on strike from one firm trying
to dissuade workers at a firm not
involved with the strike from going
to work. Secondary picketing is
resorted to by workers to try and
spread the impact of their action.
CONFLICT IN BUSINESS
ORGANISATION
 WHY DOES IT HAPPENS?
 Less efficiency
 High levels of absenteeism
 High labour turnover (% of employees leaving in a
year)
 INCREASED Customer complaints

FORMAL GRIEVANCE AND DISPUTE PROCEDURES

SHOULD BE ADOPTED TO AVOID CONFLICTS
SOURCES OF CONFLICT
 Poor wages (differs from one country to the other), working
& employment conditions.
 Rigid management/ authoritarian (chapter 13).
 Rapid change/ poorly planned change.
 Lack of involvement in decision making.
 Decline in market share.
CONSULTATION
 Differs from collective bargaining or
negotiation
 Views of employees are asked
regarding decisions that will affect
them.
 The problem areas are discussed and
a conclusion is arrived at.
 Worker’s word is not taken, but
considered.
WORKER PARTICIPATION
 DEFINITION
The involvement of ordinary employees in making
decisions at all levels in a business.

Morale of the employees boosted since they are made

to feel like an important/ integral part of the
business.
FORMS/ TYPES

WORKER’S
DIRECTOR

LEADERSHIP WORKER WORKS

STYLE PATICIPATION COUNCIL

QUALITY
CIRCLES
WORKS COUNCIL
A body representing the workers of a plant, factory,
etc., elected to negotiate with the management
about working conditions, wages, employment
contracts and others
Also called works committee
(EU WILL INCREASINGLY USE THIS TO NEGOTIATE
WITH MNC’s)

REPRESENTATIVE + MANAGER DISCUSS

PROPOSAL
Health and safety, introduction of machinery…. Typical
issues of discussion
QUALITY CIRCLES
Japanese methodology of continuous improvement in
the product. Also called as sustainable development.

Meet regularly To discuss

the areas of improvement
and concern

Employees will be able to voice their opinion

 ADVANTAGES OF WORKER
PARTICIPATION

 INCREASED FLOW OF INFORMATION.

 IMROVED RELATION BETWEEN THE EMPLOYER
AND EMPLOYEES.
 INCREASED SATISFACTION AMONGST WORKERS.
 DISADVANTAGES OF WORKER
PARTICIPATION

 TIME CONSUMING
 WORKERS MAY LACK NECESSARY TECHNICAL
KNOWLEDGE
 NON-UNION MEMBERS WILL LOSE OUT.
 CONFLICT OF INTEREST
MAJOR UK ORGANISATIONS
INVOLVED IN INDUSTRIAL
RELATIONS
 CONFEDERATION
OF BRITISH
INDUSTRY
ADVISORY,
TRADES UNION CONCILIATION
CONGRESS AND
ARBITRATION
SERVICE

MAJOR UK
ORGANISATIONS:
INDUSTRIAL
RALTIONS
 TRADES UNION CONGRESS
The TUC is the voice of Britain at work.

With 58 affiliated unions representing 6.2 million

working people from all walks of life.

Campaign for a fair deal at work and for social

justice at home and abroad.

They negotiate in Europe, and at home build links with

political parties, business, local communities and wider
society.
TRADES UNION CONGRESS….AIMS

 ACT AS A PRESSURE GROUP

 REPRESENT TRADE UNION VIEWS IN GENERAL
 INFLUENCE EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATIONS
 INFLUENCE GOVERNMENT POLICIES
 CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH
INDUSTRY
Premier lobbying organisation for UK business on
national and international issues.

The Confederation of British Industry's mission is to

help create and sustain the conditions in which
businesses in the United Kingdom can compete and
prosper for the benefit of all.
 ADVISORY, CONCILIATION AND
ARBITRATION SERVICE
ACAS aims to improve organisations and working life
through better employment relations, by supplying
 up-to-date information

 independent advice

 high quality training

 working with employers and employees to solve

problems & improve performance.

SERVICES PROVIDED BY ACAS
 ADVICE AND INFORMATION: TO EMPLOYERS
AND EMPLOYEES ON ALL AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT

 CONCILIATION: TALK TO BOTH SIDES AND

SETTLES DISPUTES AMICABLY.

 ARBITRATION: IF A SITUATION HAS REACHED A

‘DEAD LOCK’, ACAS ARRANGES FOR AN
INDEPENDENT GROUP TO LISTEN TO BOTH SIDES
AN ARRIVE AT A FAIR SETTLEMENT.
ACTIVITY
 AS A GROUP, MAKE YOUR OWN
TRADE UNION….
1. SUGGEST A NAME TO IT
2. ELECT THE MEMBERS, SUBSCRIPTION
FEES & OTHER DETAILS (w.r.t TRADE
UNION)
3. THE ISSUES PERTAINING TO AN
ORGANISATION
4. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ADDRESS
THEM
5. TYPE OF INDUSTRIAL ACTION YOU
MIGHT TAKE IF THE ISSUES ARE NOT
ADDRESSED AND WHY?
ACAS – Advisory, Conciliation and
Arbitration Service
 ACAS tries to settle disputes between workers and
employers
 It will give advice to the employer and to the union
 It will provide conciliation – it tries to find areas that
both sides agree on
 It provides arbitration – when the two sides cannot
reach an agreement, ACAS appoints an arbitrator who
hears the arguments and makes a decision.
 The union and the employer cannot disobey any
decision the arbitrator makes unless they had agreed to
non binding arbitration
Everything about
Trade Unions...
Trade unions are
organisations that represent
people at work.

Trade unions
campaign on
particular issues,
for example low
Tradepay,
unions
discrimination
provide members
andinformation,
with bullying.
advice and
guidance about
Research work :
Activity 3.4
SDG 1 – No Poverty / SDG 5 – Gender Equality /
SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth /
SDG 10 – Reduced Inequality
Introduce the role, functions, sources of power and
main activities of trade unions.
Reminder to use SDG 1, 5, 8 and 10.
Investigate how trade unions can help to achieve
these goals.