Unit 2: Trade Unions

Question 1

What is a trade union?

Answer 1

A trade union is an organisation of employees aimed at improving pay and working conditions and providing other services, such as legal advice, for members.

Question 2

Examples of trade unions

Answer 2

• South African Democratic Teachers Union
• General Employees Federation in Mauritius (come on)

Question 3

How do trade unions help their members?

Answer 3

• Their main role is to negotiate with EMPLOYERS to improve pay and working conditions
• This is known as ‘collective bargaining’
• Resolving conflict (disagreements between the employer and its employees that they can’t resolve themselves)

Question 4

How else do trade unions help their members?

Answer 4

• Providing legal support and advice
• Advice about an employees’ legal rights
• E.g. if an employee is dismissed without good reason, then their trade union will offer the services of legal specialists so they can take legal action against the employer
• Providing services for members
• E.g. pension, insurance and holiday schemes

Question 5

Positive effects of being a trade union member

Answer 5

• Employees have greater power than when dealing with employers than if they were to do so as individuals e.g. collective bargaining
• Trade unions provide support and legal advice to members who are being unfairly treated by employers, or have been injured at work
• This legal advice would often be too expensive for individual employees to afford
• Try to protect employees’ job security

Question 6

Negative effects of being a trade union member

Answer 6

• Employees must pay a membership fee to belong to trade union
• The decision of the majority of union members is binding on all members, even if they don’t agree with the decision
• During strike action, employees lose wages which can’t be recovered