Why do Workers Join Trade Unions

Economic needs:
Strengthen bargaining power over wages & benefits

Job security:
Protect jobs from dismissal/retrenchments Protection from unilateral action by management (changes to terms and conditions)
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Why do Workers Join Trade Unions

Social Needs:
Comradeship and sense of community

Social Welfare:
Accident, death and pension benefits Unions may be represented on pension funds Promote the development of communities Use investments to benefit members
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Why do Workers Join Trade Unions

Self-fulfillment and Development:
Train and develop members Provide literacy skills to members

Political Reasons:
Influence labour legislation Influence government policy on wealth distribution and poverty alleviation
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Objectives of Trade Unions

Goals include:
Equitable wage benefits Ensure a healthy and safe environment Promote job security and freedom from arbitrary dismissal Provide legal and other support to members Provide political influence and lobby government
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Methods Used to Obtain Goals

Collective Bargaining
An ongoing process with employers, does not end with wages

Representation
Election of shop stewards (full time employees) to represent the interests of union members

Methods Used to Obtain Goals

Collective Action Consumer Boycott
link with community to boycott products of the company

Political Power
Influence the vote at elections Lobby government and other state structures
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Methods Used to Obtain Goals

International support
Getting the support of international trade unions and community organisations

Legal action
Using the protection provided by labour legislation

Media channels
Promote the view of unions
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Methods Used to Obtain Goals

Representation on National Bodies
Eg. Nedlac

Political alliances
Eg. ANC, SACP & Cosatu

Establish benefit funds

Pension funds, provident funds, medical aid

Educational programmes
Train shop stewards, negotiators, & organisers
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Types of Trade Unions

3 types of trade unions: Craft Unions
Earliest forms of trade unions Promote the skilled status of members Recruit within a particular craft Power in controlling the supply of skills

Types of Trade Unions

General Unions
Organise all workers regardless of skill or industry More success with unskilled and blue collar workers Weakness = not sectorally based

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Types of Trade Unions

Industrial Unions
Most common form of union Organises all workers in a particular industry Promotes sectoral based collective bargaining Strength is in no. of members per sector = strong unions

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Types of Trade Unions

Other type of unions: White Collar Unions
Same as industrial unions but focus on white collar workers Concentrate on organising in the Financial and Service Sector, e.g. Insurance and Banking Staff Association

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Types of Trade Unions

Public Sector Unions
Same as industrial unions but focus is on the Public Sector Eg. Public Servants Association of SA Some organise in public and private sector, eg. Nehawu (National Education, Health & Allied Workers Union)

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Federation of Unions
COSATU FEDUSA NACTU INDEPENDENT GROUPINGS

(See Chapter 6: Self- study)

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Structures of Trade Unions

Members:
Pay union dues Elect leaders to the various structures Make decisions (union always acts in the interests of members)

Shop Stewards:
Elected by members in terms of organisational rights in the LRA (majority union)
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Structures of Trade Unions

Shop Stewards:
Unpaid agents of the union Full time employee of the company Link between union leadership & membership Recruit members and collect subscriptions Advise members of their rights Represent members at hearings Granted time off for attending meetings / training Sometimes full time shop stewards (still paid by the company)
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Structures of Trade unions

Branch Committees:
Co-ordinates union activities in the area

Regional Committees:
Made up of reps from the branches Co-ordinates the activities of branches in a region
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Structures of Trade Unions

National Level:
National Executive - chairperson, vice chairperson, general secretary and treasurer NEC elected by rank and file members Leadership of the union Responsible for all activities of the union

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Structures of Trade Unions

National Congress:
Attended by delegates elected at branch level Held annually or biannually Highest authority of the union Policy decisions are made/ resolutions passed Key personnel of NEC elected Presentation and approval of financial statement and auditors report
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The Future of Unions

What has emerged:
Uneven development: sophisticated IR and backward IR coexisting Unions still fighting and striking over wages Failure of workplace forums to increase joint decision making at the workplace Continued retrenchments and increasing unemployment

Trade Unions in SA:

Still strong and growing Involved in adversarial bargaining

World wide TU:

On the decline
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