A trade union is an organisation that mostly employs workers as its members. The function of a trade union is to look after the interests of the employees who are its members. The primary functions that are fulfilled by a trade union are 1) the discussion of the employees’ concerns with their employers, 2) negotiating deals with the employing organisations regarding the working conditions and payment for the workers, 3) supporting and backing up the members of the union at the grievance or disciplinary meetings, and 4) involvement in the discussions that concern serious changes, for example, a large-scale reduction (Joining a trade union 2018). Trade unions’ membership has declined in the present time, and it is a proportional decrease to the reduction of the steel, printing, and coal industries and docking. Nevertheless, are still looking for trade unions from which they could get a membership. Employees and workers who get into the trade unions have different motivation to do so.
The reasons for entering a trade union have almost not evolved. If it is not the management-induced decision, then the following reasons could be applicable, depending on the situation (Bakke 1967, p. 44). 1) A struggle for getting the respect of the other people and acceptance as a worthy and reliable member of the society. 2) The assurance of obtaining the extensive level of the creature comforts along with the satisfaction of demand for economic security offered by the customary associates of the union. 3) Ensuring the potential opportunity for integrity in life and work. 4) Provision of the ability to establish control over and impose independence in private matters and own affairs of the workers and employees. 5) Exposure to the knowledge that allows the understanding of the factors and powers that govern the world. All of the abovementioned reasons can be defined as the workers’ goals of entering trade unions.
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Promotion of the unions and membership on them was completed via the media and leaflets. Advertisement campaigns targeted for acquiring the attention of the white-collar members who were typically not the members of the union could be declared successful. New members who entered the unions knew the profit and advantages they would receive. In white-collar workers, the primary reason for joining was the ability to succeed in negotiating a good deal for themselves regardless of the actual issue, for example, remuneration package, redundancies, or job assessment (Jenkins & Sherman 1979, p. 55). The relationship within the trade union depends on the type of its structure and governance.
Trade unions were not mere unions of workers, but they were also allowed the creation of the new job opportunities since the complexity of the tasks. Therefore, the union officers frequently had to have special skills which ensured salary and other payments for them, Unions have gradually transformed from their historic for an assembly into the representative bodies. Their structure allowed them to be more compatible with the structure of a commanding unit. Currently, the structure of the trade unions can be identified as a representative democracy (Burchill 2008, p. 51). The following structure is now present in the trade unions.
Members of the unions are allocated by the branches. In a historical perspective, the allocation was based on the geographical features or address of the member’s residence. Gradual changes in the structure resulted in the modern division of the members according to the branch they represent. To make unions more accessible, they have developed a vast geographical expansion and are now located straight at the workplace of its members. The meetings of the union members are then facilitated by the presence of both managerial and non-managerial union staff at the same place.
Moreover, trade unions come in different sizes and can be of various origins. The size of the union depends on the organisation it represents. For some federation within the industry, the size of the unions grows respectively. Location of the union determines whose interests it represents. For example, regional and district committees represent the interests of the locals. Depending on the location and size, the autonomy and power of influence of the union changes. The governance of the trade union is made by its annually held delegate conference (Burchill 2008, p. 53). Proposals for the membership of the new recruits for the unions are typically made by the branches. At the conference, representatives decide upon the matters that concern policy, collective bargaining, and constitutional issues. Policies concern the matters of the unions’ attitude toward minimum wages, general welfare, unemployment benefits, and correlation of the matters with the policies of the European Union. Constitutional issues imply regional and district structures, rules of the unions, election procedures, and constitutions of the trade groups (Burchill 2008, p. 55). The matters of collective bargaining are the daily broad issues of payments and opposition to the bargaining position of the local employers or government.
The day-to-day operations of the unions are guided by the executive who is elected from the members of the respective trade union. Secretarial duties in the unions are performed by the offers based on their skills and accountability. The overall structure of the union can be identified within the following groups: 1) full-time officials (active managers of the union) that exist within the limits of exclusive democracy, 2) extensions of the originally closed unions or aristocracies into the open ones to adopt the less skilled workers for the recruitment purposes. The closed unions are the symbol of the exclusivity and expertise of its members. 3) Overwhelmingly open unions without any dominating group in it (Turner 1962, pp. 289-290). Overall, trade unions are the embodiment of the democratic involvement of the experts in their fields. Each of the unions represents the societal structure with similar options of structure, operation, and development.
- Bakke, E W 1967, ‘To join or not to join’ in E W Bakke, C Kerr, & C W Anrod, (eds), Unions, Management and the Public, 3rd edn, pp. 43-52. Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., New York, NY.
- Burchill, F 2008, Labour Relations, 3rd edn, pp. 50-62, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, UK.
- Jenkins, C & Sherman, B 1979, White-Collar Unionism: the Rebellious Salariat, pp. 54-55, Routledge & Kegan Paul, Abingdon, UK.
- Joining a trade union 2018. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/join-trade-union. [4 January 2019].
- Turner, H A 1962, Trade Union Growth, Structure and Policy, pp. 289-296, Allen & Unwin, Lincoln, UK.
