Trade unions Flashcards
What is a trade union?
A trade union is an organisation with members who are usually workers or employees. It looks after the interests of them.
What sorts of interests does a trade union look after?
- negotiating agreements with employers on pay and conditions
- discussing big changes like large scale redundancy
- discussing member’s concerns with employers
- going with members to disciplinary and grievance meetings
What is union recognition?
This means that your employer must negotiate with the union which is what we call collective bargaining. This means that they will be more protected.
Suggest 3 reasons why small businesses might need union recognition?
- in small businesses, employees usually have lower rates of pay
- there are bigger gender pay gaps in small businesses
- small businesses have poorer health and safety records than larger companies which recognise unions
Who are ACAS?
ACAS provide general employment help or intervention to help gain a resoultion on an employee to employer issue.
What are the 5 actions a trade union can take?
- overtime ban
- work to rule
- go slow
- boycott
- strike
What is an overtime ban?
An overtime ban is an order made by a trade union which forbids overtime work by its members.
What is work to rule?
Work to rule is a job action in which employee do no more than the minimum required by the rules in their order to cause a slowdown.
What is a go slow?
A go slow is an occasion when employees work more slowly and with less effort than usual to try and persuade an employer to agree to higher pay or better working conditions.
What is a boycott?
A boycott is the withdrawal from commercial or social dealings with a nation, company, or personal punishment or protest as retribution or protest.
What is a strike?
A strike is when a group of workers agree to stop working. They do this when they want to protest against something they think is unfair where they work.
