Trade Unions

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what the future will hold for unions.
“Trade unions are associations of workers established to improve their economic and social conditions.” (Funk and Wagnall’s 1998: vol. 25 pg.429). This definition, while very basic, is in essence the main function of a trade union. When looking at the history of trade unions, “it can be seen to have originated from the economic struggles between workers and employers in the nineteenth century.” (Keeney & Kelley 1995: pg. 220). This means that employees for quite along time have used the many functions that the unions provide.

The first section of this essay will be to provide the basic functions of trade unions. “Traditionally, trade unions have used a variety of means to pursue the interests of their members – direct negotiations with employers, system of conciliation and arbitration and various kinds of direct industrial action” (Mitchell & Rosewarne 1982: pg.188) This essay will explain the ...

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usually represented by a labor union) about terms and conditions of employment. “The bargaining process is concerned with wages, working hours, fringe benefits, job security, safety, and other matters relating to working conditions.” (Funk and Wagnall’s 1998: vol. 6 pg.420). When looking at the history of collective bargaining in the Australian trade unions, it can be traced back to the 1890’s. The collective bargaining in the form of negotiations with employers were the “principal means by which unions sought to advance the living standards of their members. But the weaknesses of the unions and the fragility of collective bargaining were brutally exposed ...

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