Trade Unions Flashcards
What is a trade union?
A trade union is a voluntary but deliberately formed organisation, created for and by employees to enhance organisational and social justice through serving the interests of the working classes in society and of the employees at their workplace in their employing organisations and industries or sectors, so as to improve the total work-related experiences, by making use of methods such as representation advocacy and collective bargaining, and to seek to enhance the quality of their lives, among others through providing a means of expression of the views of the working classes on matters of society.
Trade unions are membership organisations. They are therefore there to represent and protect the interests of their members.
What are the reasons for joining a trade unions?
For the protection provided for the employee, i.e., in terms of unfair dismissals, unfair labour practices, job security, etc.
For the services provided for the employee, i.e., in terms of retirement plans, bursaries available for dependents of trade union members, financial services, etc.
For the improvement of employment conditions of the employee, i.e., in terms of negotiating improved conditions of employment, such as maternity/paternity leave, annual leave, working hours, wages, etc.
What are occupational unions?
Occupational unions organise and recruit their members from employees in certain occupations – thus in accordance with their skills. These trade union members therefore work in a variety of industries or sectors, or they may form part of a particular sector or industry.
What are different occupational union groups?
Craft unions
Craft unions organise people in a certain trade with a specific occupation (specific skils), for example, electricians, plumbers, and carpenters. Their main aims are to protect the status, standard of training, restrict apprenticeships and ensure that defragmentation of employees’ jobs do not occur.
Promotion unions
These unions have been formed to represent unskilled and semi-skilled, blue-collar workers within or across certain related industries. These unions develop their own strategic power around the number of workers they organise and mobilise and become somewhat like general unions.
White-collar unions
These are unions that mostly look after the interests of white collared workers by protecting their professional standards and status. Examples include academics, bankers, and teachers. White-collar unions represent workers in professional, managerial, or administrative jobs, often in office settings.
What are industrial unions?
Industrial unions aim to organise workers from a well-defined type of industry, for example, food, textile, chemical, but not by the job performed. Industrial unions comprise primarily of semi-skilled blue-collar workers
What are general unions?
General unions do not restrict membership in terms of skill or industry but are determined by their constitution. This type of union functions on the principal of communal worker interests regardless of occupation. It strives to absorb all workers; thus, the working class stands united against the owner’s class – labour against capital. Represent workers from a variety of industries and job types, rather than focusing on specific skill sets or professions.
What are the trends that impact union movement internationally?
-Increased pace and magnitude of globalisation.
-Growth in forms and use of more insecure types of employment.
-Growth of small businesses rather larger businesses.
-Technological change presenting challenges and opportunities.
-Changes in skills composition of the workforce partly related to sectoral shifts to economics.
-Changes in demographics of workforces: an increase in proportion of women.
-Changes in demographics of workforces: an increase in younger working people.
-Lack of employment in the formal economy, with growth in informal sector work and employment
What is the significance of trade unions in South Africa?
The role of trade unions in dismantling apartheid legislation and practices in the workplace remain one of their major achievements. During the apartheid era, they succeeded in showing employers the benefits of negotiating with employees through their representative unions. The fruits of these negotiations included agreements on union recognition, wages, conditions of service, workplace restructuring and retrenchments.
Trade unions are recognised in the Constitution, which provides for the right of workers to join trade unions, and for unions to collectively bargain and strike. The Labour Relations Act has given workers and their unions redress through mediation, conciliation, and arbitration. South Africa accepts that strong trade unions are necessary for effective collective bargaining, which is an important way of regulating industrial relations and of determining workers’ wages and benefits (Nel & Kirsten, 2020: 83–84). Trade union representation is now an accepted facet of industrial practice. Almost all sectors of the economy, including the public service, have representative unions which engage employers over issues affecting their workforce.
All workers and active job seekers have the right to join and be active in trade unions. And they are legally protected against discrimination by employers for being union members.
What is a trade union federation?
The uniting of many national unions to increase union power and recognition. The federation serves as many national spokesperson for its members although it is not a union itself.
How has trade unions affected social benefits?
-The provision of medical, funeral and even maternity benefits.
-Insurance benefits in respect of group endowment policies, life policies, study and even goods insurance, mainly by means of underwriting
-Financial assistance in the case of industrial action
-Legal aid and victimisation benefits.
What is a shop steward?
They are regarded as a representative who is accredited by the trade union and who acts on behalf of its members in the organisation where he or she works. The trade union representatives operate on plant level, and they can be either full time or part time. They are selected by their members to represent them in various situations.
What are the stipulations with regards to shop stewards?
-Be responsible to an executive committee for their actions and always conduct themselves in a manner worthy of a representative of the union.
-Apply themselves to bring about and to promote the best possible relationship and good cooperation between the members in their section and their sectional heads.
-Confine themselves strictly to the affairs of their section and shall under no circumstance discuss matters concerning the policy or principals of the union with management or any other representative.
-Report all grievances, complaints, and suggestions for improving working conditions in their section that was reported to them.
-Call for assistance from the union when they are not able to arrive at a mutual satisfactory solution.
-Be highly sensitive to the branch committee and the local officer.
-As far as possible attend all branch committee meetings of their branch so that they can reply directly to any questions which may be raised in connection with the handling of any matter entrusted to them.
-Present written reports every month to their branch committee on all matters entrusted to be dealt with by them
What is the main role of a shop steward?
The primary role of the shop steward is to ensure and maintain the equilibrium in relations between management and labour within the framework of existing rules, regulations, and customs, since it is precisely the role that creates efficient liaison between the interests of management and workers
What are the other seven function of a shop steward?
-They must carry out their duty as a member of the branch committee team and be responsible for the effective organisation of their branch and report to the branch committees on all problems that may arise among members, or between management and members.
-They are responsible for enrolling members for their trade union, and in the case of any close shop agreements, they must ensure that workers and management adhere strictly to procedures.
-As shop stewards are fully aware of the regulations of their trade union’s constitution, particularly in matters pertaining to membership and benefits, they will inform and assist members when completing and submitting claims for appropriate benefits.
-The shop steward must encourage members to attend trade union meetings regularly and to actively participate in discussions.
-They are responsible for keeping their trade union informed about the needs of their fellow workers and the general conditions in the trade, insofar as these matters affect the workers’ position.
-In the work situation, they guard the interest of members and see to it that:
Both parties (sides) adhere to the stipulations of the agreement
All activities comply with the relevant safety regulations
The first-aid cabinet is fully stocked
All procedures are followed in the case of injuries or trade illnesses
Workers regularly consult the official notice board to be informed of any new developments
Advise and assist members in matters concerning statutory and bargaining council benefits
-Liaison functions performed by a shop steward involve:
Discussing valid complaints with management through the correct channels and obtaining finality on the matter
Ensuring management uses at least one of the official languages which the member can understand and be understood
Discussing resolutions of management with workers
What are the guidelines for employment relationship according to the Constitution?
-Everyone has the right to fair labour practices
– Every worker has the right to form and join a trade union, to participate in the activities of a trade union and to strike
– Every employer has the right to form and join an employers’ organisation and to participate in the activities of an employers’ organisation
– Every trade union and employers’ organisation has the right to determine its own activities, to organise, to bargain collectively, and to form and join a federation
