TRADE UNIONS

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

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 INDUSTRIAL GENERAL WHITE- COLLAR To represent skilled workers e.g. Musicians Union(MU) To represent the members of one particular industry e.g. Fire Brigades Union (FBU) 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) Represent office workers e.g. National Union of Doctors (NOD)

REASONS TO JOIN A TRADE UNION COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LARGER VOICE CAMPAIGN FOR WORKER RIGHTS IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN WORKER AND MANAGEMENT ISSUES RANGE OF ISSUES COVERED- FARMING, TRADING, MANUFACTURING… HELP CHANGE GOVERNMENT POLICY MEMBERS JOB SATISFACTION IMPROVED BENEFITS FOR NON-WORKING 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 An agreement between an employer and a union such that the union will represent all the workers at a particular workplace.

ADVANTAGES One union- discussions clear Better working relationship To employees To employer One union- discussions clear Employees together- greater power No disagreement- one union Better working relationship Disputes solved quickly One union- discussions clear Better working relationship Easier to agree to changes Disputes solved quickly

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 PAY DIFFERENTIALS CHANGE IN WORKPLACE = WAGES

Scenario In groups of up to four discuss and make notes on the benefits of being in a union for the following jobs:- Teacher Mechanic Shelf stacker at Tesco Nurse Fire fighter Train driver

INDUSTRIAL ACTION

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

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 take 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.

Task As a student at CCS do you think you should be able to be part of a Union? Why/why not? What type of issues would you be going to the union to discuss? What outcome would you be hoping for? If you had a choice of industrial action that you could take as a student at CCS what would it be and why? What would persuade you to cease this industrial 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 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.

MAJOR UK ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

MAJOR UK ORGANISATIONS: INDUSTRIAL RALTIONS TRADES UNION CONGRESS CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH INDUSTRY ADVISORY, CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION SERVICE

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…. SUGGEST A NAME ELECT THE MEMBERS, SUBSCRIPTION FEES & OTHER DETAILS (w.r.t TRADE UNION) THE ISSUES PERTAINING TO AN ORGANISATION HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ADDRESS THEM TYPE OF INDUSTRIAL ACTION YOU MIGHT TAKE IF THE ISSUES ARE NOT ADDRESSED AND WHY?

Role Play Divide your group up to take on different roles (employees, employers, trade union and ACAS) Discuss the scenario and come up with an amicable solution which satisfies all parties.