Chapter 5 - trade unions

Question 1

What is a trade unions?

Answer 1

An organisation of workers formed to promote and protect the rights and interests of its members concerning wages, benefits and working conditions.

Question 2

What are the functions of trade unions?

Answer 2

1. Defending their employee rights and jobs.
2. Improving working conditions, e.g. Better hours at work and health and safety.
3. Improving pay and other benefits like holiday entitlement and sick pay.
4. Encouraging firms to include workers in decision making.
5. Developing and protecting workers skills.

Question 3

What are the four types of trade unions?

Answer 3

1. General unions
2. Industrial unions
3. Craft unions
4. Non-manual unions/professional unions

Question 4

What are general unions?

Answer 4

Unions that represent workers from many different occupations and industries.

Question 5

What are industrial unions?

Answer 5

Unions that represent workers in the same industry.

Question 6

What are craft unions?

Answer 6

Unions that represent workers with the same skill across many industries. They are often small and few in number.

Question 7

What are non-manual unions/professional unions?

Answer 7

Unions that represent workers in non-industrial and professional occupations. E.g. Teachers.

Question 8

What is the general secretary of a trade union?

Answer 8

The head person of a union usually elected by members.

Question 9

What is the national executive of a trade union?

Answer 9

This is the management level of a trade union. Executive members are elected by members to run the union nationally.

Question 10

What do nation executives in a trade union decide?

Answer 10

1. What policies to follow and the strategies to achieve these.
2. How to respond to government moves that affect members.
3. How to spend union funds.

Question 11

What are district/regional committees in a trade union?

Answer 11

Union branches can belong to a district or region with elected officials to run the union in that region.

Question 12

What are union branches?

Answer 12

Members in a workplace or local area will usually belong to a branch and can attend branch meetings to discuss unions business and issues.

Question 13

What is collective bargaining?

Answer 13

The process of negotiating wages and other working conditions between unions and employers.

Question 14

What is a single union agreement?

Answer 14

Where a employer agrees that a single union can represent all of its workers.

Question 15

When will a trade union be in a stronger bargaining position?

Answer 15

1. If it represents most or all of the workers in a particular firm or industry.
2. If its union members produce goods and services which consumers need and there are few alternatives for, e.g. Electricity.

Question 16

What is a closed shop?

Answer 16

Where all workers in a place of work must belong to a trade union.

Question 17

What is an open shop?

Answer 17

Where a firm can employ unionised and non-unionised labour.

Question 18

What are industrial disputes?

Answer 18

Where trade unions and employers come to a disagreement.

Question 19

What is industrial action?

Answer 19

When negotiations between trade unions and employers fail, employees may take action which puts pressure on the employers.

Question 20

What are types of industrial action that may be taken?

Answer 20

1. Overtime ban - where workers refuse to work more than their normal hours.
2. Work-to-rule - where workers comply with every rule and regulation at work in order to slow down production.
3. Go slow - where workers deliberately work slowly.
4. Sit in- where worker refuse to leave their place of work, often in an attempt to stop a firm installing new equipment or closing down.
5. Strike - when workers refuse to work and will protest or picket outside their place of work in order to stop deliveries and non-union members from entering the firm.

Question 21

What are the possible consequences of industrial action?

Answer 21

1. Firms suffer higher costs and lose output.
2. Union members will lose wages during a strike and may be made redundant if firms cut back demand for labour.
3. Consumers may be unable to obtain the goods or services they want or may have to pay higher prices.
4. The reputation of an economy may be damaged. Firms may set up business elsewhere, increasing unemployment and lower incomes.