One question many students will be asking in the wake of the UCU university strikes is “what are trade unions?” and “why do they matter?” The dictionary definition for trade union is “An organised association of workers in a trade, group of trades, or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests.” However, this definition fails to cover the history, the goals and victories of the trade union movement. For that reason, this article hopes to give an accessible and concise answer to the question of “what are trade unions?”
Origins
The first trade unions as we know them today were formed in the 18th and 19th century. They came to prominence in the advent of the industrial revolution. This brought about a change in the world of work and a coming together of even greater masses of people in big cities. This led to the spread of radical ideas and more power being placed in the hands of the workers as their ability to collectively stop working and demand better grew. Many of the victories that the original trade unionists won are still things we enjoy today such as weekends and the 8-hour working day.
What do they want?
Trade unions have an extensive list of demands. Many more than we have time to cover in this article. The following points are the most well known and stereotypical demands:
- Better pay and jobs
- Better working conditions and respect in the workplace
- Sexual equality and an end to the gender pay gap
- Political change and more democracy
However, this list is not extensive. Trade Unions in modern history have been at the forefront of the fight for LGBT+ equality and have taken on the issue of climate change to call for a just transition that doesn’t leave workers without jobs when we transition away from fossil fuels.
How do they achieve it?
The main way unions get what they want is by withdrawing labour. This is basically when you stop working in order to put pressure on employers to give in to your demands. This can include a full stop to working or a partial stop to working. Always, the point is to achieve a pre-planned demand. So, for example, university strikes just now are aiming for a pay rise, end of casual contracts and the gender pay gap. In addition to this, unions lobby government and support employees in meetings with bosses among other things.
Why are they important?
By using techniques like striking have brought about significant changes to society, including:
- A national minimum wage
- The abolition of child labour
- Improved worker safety
- Improved parental leave such as maternity leave
- Equality legislation
- Holiday and sickness pay
Unions are more important than ever before with automation, climate change, and the rise of extreme governments. They give us a way to hold power. They give us a way to change the world for the better and to make our voices heard. But only together can we achieve this.
