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Trade union is an association either of employees or employers or of independent workers.

It is a relatively permanent formation of workers.

It is not a temporary or casual combination of workers. It is formed for securing certain economic, social benefits to members.

An organization whose membership consists of workers and union leaders, united to protect and promote their common interests.

Section 2(h) of the Trade Unions Act 1926 defines Trade Union as

a combination, temporary or permanent, formed primarily for the purpose of regulating the relations between workmen and employer, workmen and workmen, or employers and employers, or for imposing restrictive condition on the conduct of any trade or business, and includes the federation of two or more trade unions.

Militant Functions

•achieve higher wages and better working conditions•raise the status of workers as a part of industry•protect labors against victimization and injustice

Fraternal Functions

•take up welfare measures for improving the morale of workers•generate self confidence among workers•encourage sincerity and discipline among workers•provide opportunities for promotion and growth•protect women workers against discrimination

Another broad classification :

•Intra-Mural Activities – betterment of employment conditions viz. achieve higher wages and better working conditions through Collective Bargaining, Negotiations and Strikes

•Extra-Mural Activities – maintain and improve efficiency or productivity

•Political Activities – formation of a political party or reflecting an attempt to seek influence on public policy relating to the matters connected with the interests of working class

•Greater Bargaining Power

•Minimize Discrimination

•Sense of Security

•Sense of Participation

•Sense of Belongingness

•Platform for self expression

•Betterment of relationships

•Trade union leadership

•Multiple unions

•Union rivalry

•Finance

•Other problems

Illiteracy, Uneven growth, Low membership, Lack of interest, Absence of paid office bearers

•Craft and General – an organization of workers employed in a particular craft or trade or multiple trades / crafts

•Closed Shop / Union Shop – employment only to those who first become a member, if the union supplies labor or once one joins the organization then one has to become a member of that union

•Check off Union – management collects an employee’s union dues and remits in lumpsum to the Union. Employees who are members of the Union cannot desist from paying the amount out of their wages

•Blue Collar and White Collar Workers – workers who operate machines are termed Blue Collar and Clerical and Office Staff are termed White Collar

•Plant level Unions – this comprises the unions in one organization or factory. Since only seven members are required to form a union hence it leads to multiple unions in the factory

•Local Level Federations – it holds together the plant level unions at the local in a particular craft and industry. These local level federations might be affiliated to a regional, national or may be independent

•Regional Level Federations – these are the organizations of all constituent of a region or state

•National Federations – These are the apex body at the top of the structure. They act as coordinating bodies. They may have their own regional or state level coordinating bodies to which the plant level unions may get affiliated

Communist Pattern-The Theory is based on Adam Smith’s theory of labour value-its short-run purpose is to eliminate competition among labour-the ultimate purpose is to overthrow capitalist businessman.-Trade union is a pure and simple class struggle-In India the trade union leadership was largely from the intellectuals and elite groups of society associated with freedom struggle.

•Socialist Pattern – Sydney and Beatrice Webb The Socialist Pattern of society.-They saw a role for unions to usher in socialism through political action.-The Webbs too ,like Marx observed that market pressures drove workers to organize into unions to protect their economic interests.-The Webbs too were opposed to the capitalist system.-They advocated different paths to bring its downfall.

Capitalist Pattern-The Theory is based on Robert Hoxie that unions evolve differently across socio-psychological environmental contexts.-he considered American Unions less dogmatic and more pragmatic and opportunistic.He identified five functional types of unionism:

Business unionism - trade conscious rather than class conscious.Friendly or uplift unionism - The goal of such unions is to elevate the moral ,intellectual, and social life of the worker. Their means of action include collective bargaining and political action.Revolutionary unionism: These are class conscious rather than trade conscious-they follow Marx dictums and reject private ownership of productive resources and condemn wage system.

Trusteeship Pattern

The Theory was introduced by Mahatma Gandhi

- it was not based on class conflict or on the ideology that nationalisation of resources promotes / provide equity.

-emphasized voluntarism.

-understood the limitations of capitalism and socialism and tried to synthesize their virtues in the concept of trusteeship.