"A Trade union (Labor union),as we understand the term, is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment"^[1] The labo(u)r movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and political governments. ... Child labor or labour is the term for the employment of children. ... In classical economics and all micro-economics labour is one of three factors of production, the others being land and capital. ... Labor or labour history is a broad field of study concerned with the development of the labor movement and the working class. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Labor rights are laws created in order to always have fairness and keep peace between employees and employers. ... Labor History Timeline for 1806-1986 1800s - 1810s - 1820s - 1830s - 1840s - 1850s - 1860s - 1870s - 1880s - 1890s 1900s - 1910s - 1920s - 1930s - 1940s - 1950s - 1960s - 1970s - 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 1800s 1806 The 1806 Commonwealth vs. ... Syndicalism refers to a set of ideas, movements and tendencies which share the avowed aim of transforming capitalist society through action by the working class on the industrial front. ...

Over the last two hundred years, trade unions have developed into a number of forms - with differing political and economic climates influencing them. The immediate objectives and activities of trade unions vary, but may include:

• Provision of benefits to members: Early trade unions, like Friendly Societies, often provided a range of benefits to insure members against unemployment, ill health, old age and funeral expenses. In many developed countries, these functions have been assumed by the state, however the provision of legal advice and representation for members remains an important benefit of trade union membership.
• Collective bargaining: Where trade unions are able to operate openly and are recognised by employers, they may negotiate with employers over wages and working conditions.
• Industrial action: Trade unions may organise strikes or resistance to lockouts in furtherance of particular goals.
• Political activity: Trade unions may promote legislation favourable to the interests of their members or workers as a whole. To this end they may pursue campaigns; undertake lobbying; financially support individual candidates or parties (such as the Labour Party in the United Kingdom) for public office.

Unions may organise a particular section of skilled workers (craft unionism), a cross-section of workers from various trades (general unionism), or attempt to organise all workers within a particular industry (industrial unionism). These unions are often divided into "locals", and united in national federations. These federations themselves will affiliate with Internationals, such as the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. A friendly society (sometimes called a mutual society, benevolent society or fraternal organization) is a mutual association for insurance_like purposes, and often, especially in the past, serving ceremonial and friendship purposes also. ... Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother depicts destitute pea pickers in California during the Great Depression. ... Collective bargaining is the process of negotiation between representatives of a union and employers (represented by management) in respect of the terms and conditions of employment of employees, such as wages, hours of work, working conditions and grievance procedures, and about the rights and responsibilities of trade unions. ... A wage is the amount of money paid for some specified quantity of labour. ... Strike action (or simply strike) describes collective action undertaken by groups of workers in the form of a refusal to perform work. ... A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. ... The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... by Leon CunninghamCraft unionism refers to an approach to union organizing in the United States and elsewhere that seeks to unify workers in a particular industry along the lines of the particular craft or trade that they work in. ... A general union is a trade union (labor union in U.S. English) which represents workers from all industries and companies, rather than just one organisation or a particular sector, as in a craft union or industrial union. ... Industrial unionism is a labor union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union -- regardless of skill or trade -- thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in bargaining and in strike situations. ... Just as governments have branches to deal with particular areas, trade unions have locals, designed to represent the unions members from a particular company or in a particular area. ... This is a list of federations of trade unions by country. ... link titleThe word international can mean: Between nations or encompassing several nations. ... Claiming 157 million members in 225 affiliated organisations in 148 countries and territories, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) came into being on December 7, 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). ...

In many countries, a union may acquire the status of a legal entity, with a mandate to negotiate with employers for the workers it represents. In such cases, unions have certain legal rights, most importantly the right to negotiate collectively with the employer (or employers) over wages, working hours and other terms and conditions of employment. The inability of both parties to reach an agreement may lead to industrial action, culminating in either strike action or management lockout. In extreme cases, violent or illegal activities may develop around these events. A legal entity is a legal construct through which the law allows a group of natural persons to act as if it were an individual for certain purposes. ... Collective bargaining is the process of negotiation between representatives of a union and employers (represented by management) in respect of the terms and conditions of employment of employees, such as wages, hours of work, working conditions and grievance procedures, and about the rights and responsibilities of trade unions. ... An employment contract is an agreement entered into between an employer and an employee at the commencement of the period of employment and stating the exact nature of their business relationship, specifically what compensation the employee will receive in exchange for specific work performed. ... Strike action (or simply strike) describes collective action undertaken by groups of workers in the form of a refusal to perform work. ... Striking Teamsters, wielding pipes, clash with armed police in the streets of Minneapolis, 1934. ... A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. ...

In other circumstances, unions may not have the legal right to represent workers, or the right may be in question. This lack of status can range from non-recognition of a union, to political or criminal prosecution of union activists and members, with many cases of violence and deaths having been recorded both historically, and in current day^[2][3]. Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change. ...

Unions may also engage in broader political or social struggle. Social Unionism encompasses many unions which use their organisational strength to advocate for social policies and legislation favourable to their members or to workers in general. As well, unions in some countries are closely aligned with political parties. Social Movement Unionism is a trend of theory and practice in contemporary trade unionism. ... A political party is an organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ...

Unions are also delineated by the service model and the organising model. The service model union focuses more on maintaining worker rights, providing services, and resolving disputes. Alternately, the organising model typically involves full-time organisers, who work by building up confidence, strong networks and leaders within the workforce; and confrontational campaigns involving large numbers of union members. Many unions are a blend of these two philosophies, and the definitions of the models themselves are still debated. While the service model (or servicing model) is difficult to precisely define, it generally describes an approach whereby unions aim prmarily to satisfy members demands for resolving grievances and securing benefits through methods other than pressure on employers (whether by industrial, media, community, political action, or otherwise). ... The organising model, as the term refers to trade unions (and sometimes other social-movement organisations) is a broad conception of how those organisations should recruit, operate and advance the interests of their members. ...

Although their political structure and autonomy varies widely, union leaderships are usually formed through democratic elections. See Election (movie) for the film directed by Alexander Payne. ...

Research, such as that conducted by the Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research and Training (ACIRRT)^[4] purports to show that unionised workers enjoy better conditions and wages than those who are not unionised.

History

Beginning in the 18th century, much of Western society (notably the United Kingdom) witnessed a pivotal transformation from an agrarian culture with craft based production, to the first industrial revolution. Within this transformation several changes provided much of the impetus for the rise of the trade union. The Industrial Revolution was the major technological, socioeconomic and cultural change in the late 18th and early 19th century resulting from the replacement of an economy based on manual labour to one dominated by industry and machine manufacture. ...

These changes sparked rising fears in the crafts and guilds of the time, who feared encroachment on their established jobs, including changes in wages and work methods^[5]. Additionally, the rapid expansion of the industrial society was to draw women, children, workers from the rural community, and immigrants to the work force in larger numbers and new roles. These roles were often performed in appalling conditions, and for meagre wages. This pool of labour was to spontaneously organise in fits and starts throughout its beginnings, and would later prove to be an important arena for change. A craft is a skill, especially involving practical arts. ... A guild is an association of people of the same trade or pursuits (with a similar skill or craft), formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards of morality or conduct. ...

Early history

The 18th century capitalist economist Adam Smith noted the imbalance in the rights of workers in regards to owners (or "masters") in The Wealth of Nations, chapter 8, Smith wrote: (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ... An economist is an individual who studies economics and writes about economic policy. ... Adam Smith, FRSE (Baptised June 5, 1723 – July 17, 1790) was a Scottish political economist and moral philosopher. ... An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations is the magnum opus of Adam Smith, published in 1776. ...

We rarely hear, it has been said, of the combinations of masters, though frequently of those of workmen. But whoever imagines, upon this account, that masters rarely combine, is as ignorant of the world as of the subject. Masters are always and everywhere in a sort of tacit, but constant and uniform combination, not to raise the wages of labour above their actual rate…

[When workers combine,] masters… never cease to call aloud for the assistance of the civil magistrate, and the rigorous execution of those laws which have been enacted with so much severity against the combinations of servants, labourers, and journeymen.

As indicated in the preceding quotation, unions were illegal for many years in most countries. There were severe penalties for attempting to organise unions, up to and including execution. Despite this, unions were formed and began to acquire political power, eventually resulting in a body of labour law which not only legalised organising efforts, but codified the relationship between employers and those employees organised into unions. Even after the legitimisation of trade unions there was opposition, as the case of the Tolpuddle Martyrs shows. The Tolpuddle Martyrs were a group of 19th century British labourers who were arrested for and convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. ...

Many consider it an issue of fairness that workers be allowed to pool their resources in a special legal entity in a similar way to the pooling of capital resources in the form of corporations. A corporation is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a natural person. ...

The right to join a trade union is mentioned in article 23, subsection 4 of the UDHR, which also states in article 20, subsection 2. that "No one may be compelled to belong to an association". Prohibiting a person from joining or forming a union, as well as forcing a person to do the same (e.g. "closed shops" or "union shops", see below), whether by a government or by a business, is generally considered a human rights abuse. Similar allegations can be levelled if an employer discriminates based on trade union membership. Attempts by an employer, often with the help of outside agencies, to prevent union membership amongst their staff is known as union busting. Wikisource has original text related to this article: Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (also UDHR) is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/217, December 10, 1948), outlining a view on basic human rights. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Human rights violation. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... Union busting is a practice, considered by some to be unethical, undertaken by an employer when employees are attempting to join a union. ...

Origin of unions

Historians are still debating whether trade unions are successors to medieval guilds ^{[citation needed]}. Medieval guilds existed to protect and enhance their members' livelihoods through controlling the instructional capital of artisanship and the progression of members from apprentice to craftsman, journeyman, and eventually to master and grandmaster of their craft. Guilds exhibited some aspects of the modern trade union, but also some aspects of professional associations and modern corporations, so the comparison between medieval guilds and modern organised trade unions, while somewhat helpful, must be seen in widely different social contexts. A guild is an association of people of the same trade or pursuits (with a similar skill or craft), formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards of morality or conduct. ... Instructional capital is a term used in educational administration, to reflect capital resulting from investment in producing learning materials. ... An artisan, also called a craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft. ... Apprenticeship is a traditional method of training a new generation of skilled crafts practitioners. ... Craftsman is an artisan who practices a handicraft or trade; a style of architecture and furniture arising from the Arts and Crafts movement; a military rank within the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, equivalent to a private; and ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Tradesperson. ... Grandmaster and/or Grand Master could mean: In chess, an International Grandmaster. ... This article or section should be merged with professional body In countries where the legal system entitles defendants to a jury by their peers, the general public may not be considered sufficiently knowledgeable in a field of practice to act as a peer in some legal cases. ... A corporation is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a natural person. ...

Additionally, guilds, like some craft unions today, were highly restrictive in their membership and only included artisans who practiced a specific trade. Many modern labour unions tend to be expansionistic, and frequently seek to incorporate widely disparate kinds of workers to increase the leverage of the union as a whole. A labour union in 2005 might include workers from only one trade or craft, or might combine several or all the workers in one company or industry.

Since the publication of the History of Trade Unionism (1894) by Sidney and Beatrice Webb, the predominant historical view is that a trade union "...is a continuous association of wage earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment" ^[6]. A modern definition by the Australian Bureau of Statistics states that a trade union is "...an organisation consisting predominantly of employees, the principal activities of which include the negotiation of rates of pay and conditions of employment for its members" ^{[citation needed]}. 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Categories: UK Labour Party politicians | British MPs | Peers | Secretaries of State for the Colonies (UK) | 1859 births | 1947 deaths | People stubs ... Beatrice Webb Martha Beatrice Potter Webb (January 2, 1858 - April 30, 1943) (also called Beatrice Webb) was a British socialist, economist and reformer, usually referred to in the same breath as her husband, Sidney Webb. ...

Yet historian R.A. Leeson, in United we Stand (1971), said:

"Two conflicting views of the trade-union movement strove for ascendancy in the nineteenth century: one the defensive-restrictive gild-craft tradition passed down through journeymen's clubs and friendly societies,...the other the aggressive-expansionist drive to unite all 'labouring men and women' for a 'different order of things'..."

Recent historical research by Dr Bob James in Craft, Trade or Mystery (2001), puts forward that trade unions are part of a broader movement of benefit societies, which includes medieval guilds, Freemasons, Oddfellows, friendly societies and other Fraternal organisations. A friendly society (sometimes called a mutual society, benevolent society or fraternal organization) is a mutual association for insurance-like purposes, and often, especially in the past, serving ceremonial and friendship purposes also. ... Bob James can refer to: An actor Bob James A jazz musician Bob James An historian Bob James This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A benefit society is an organization or voluntary association formed for mutual aid, benefit or insurance to provide for mutual relief. ... A guild is an association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards of morality or conduct. ... The Masonic Square and Compasses. ... The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is a fraternal organization derived from English Odd Fellows orders of the mid-1700s. ... A friendly society (sometimes called a mutual society, benevolent society or fraternal organization) is a mutual association for insurance-like purposes, and often, especially in the past, serving ceremonial and friendship purposes also. ... A fraternal organization is an organization that represents the relationship between its members as akin to brotherhood. ...

Shop types

Companies that employ workers with a union generally operate on one of several models:

• A closed shop (US) employs only people who are already union members. The compulsory hiring hall is the most extreme example of a closed shop—in this case the employer must recruit directly from the union.
• A union shop (US) or a closed shop (UK) employs non-union workers as well, but sets a time limit within which new employees must join a union.
• An agency shop requires non-union workers to pay a fee to the union for its services in negotiating their contract. This is sometimes called the Rand formula. In certain situations involving U.S. state government employees, for example California, fair share laws make it easy to require these sorts of payments.
• An open shop does not discriminate based on union membership in employing or keeping workers.

In the UK a series of laws were introduced during the 1980s by Margaret Thatcher's government to restrict closed and union shops. All agreements requiring a worker to join a union are now illegal, with the notable exception of the British Actors' Equity Association, which still operates a closed shop for actors ^{[citation needed]}. The Taft-Hartley Act outlawed the closed shop in the United States in 1947, but permits the union shop in most states. A closed shop is a business or industrial establishment whose employees are required to be union members or to agree to join the union within a specified time after being hired. ... In organized labor, a hiring hall is an organization, usually under the auspices of a labor union, which has the responsibility of furnishing new recruits for employers who have a collective bargaining agreement with the union. ... A union shop is a place of employment where the employer may hire either labor union members or nonmembers but where nonmembers must become union members within a specified period of time or lose their jobs. ... An agency shop a place of employment where workers must pay union dues whether they are a member of a labor union or not. ... The Rand formula (also referred to as automatic check-off) refers to a workplace situation where payment of labour union dues is mandatory even if the worker is not a member of the union. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ... In terms of United States labor relations, an open shop is a place of employment at which one cannot be required to join a labor union as a condition of hiring or continued employment. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British politician. ... The British Actors Equity Association (now called Equity) is the British actors trade union. ... The Taft-Hartley Act severely restricted the activities and power of labor unions in the United States. ...

Benefits extend beyond membership

The labour movement brought an end to abusive child labour practices, improved worker safety, increased wages for both union and non-union workers, raised the entire society's standard of living, reduced the hours in a work week, fought for and won public education for children, and brought a host of other benefits to working class families which are not seen in countries (such as China) that restrict the right of citizens to this form of free association. Child labour or labor is the phenomenon of children in employment. ...

The problem of international comparison

As labour law is very diverse in different countries, so is the function of unions. For instance in Germany, only open shops are legal, that is, all discrimination based on union membership is forbidden. This affects the function and services of the union. On the other hand, German unions have played a greater role in management decisions through participation in corporate boards and co-determination than have unions in the United States. Co-determination (also: codetermination) is a practice whereby the employees have a role in management of a company. ...

In addition, unions' relations with political parties vary. In many countries unions are tightly bonded, or even share leadership, with a political party intended to represent the interests of working people. Typically this is a left-wing or socialist party, but many exceptions exist. In the United States, by contrast, although it is historically aligned with the Democratic Party, the labour movement is by no means monolithic on that point; the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has supported Republican Party candidates on a number of occasions and the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) endorsed Ronald Reagan in 1980 (the following year, Reagan effectively destroyed PATCO, breaking a strike by bringing in permanent replacement workers). The AFL-CIO has been against liberalising abortion, consistent with a Republican position, so as not to alienate its large Catholic constituency. In the United Kingdom the labour movement's relationship with the Labour Party is fraying as party leadership embarks on privatisation plans at odds with what some perceive as workers' interests. In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, commonly known as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) or simply the Teamsters, is one of the largest labor unions in the United States. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization or PATCO was a labor union which formerly represented air traffic controllers in the United States in matters relating to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... The AFL-CIO is the largest labor union federation in the United States. ... The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or — especially in India — disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership. ...

In Western Europe, professional associations often carry out the functions of a trade union. Notable cases of these are the German Verein deutscher Ingenieure. In these cases, they may be negotiating for white collar workers, such as physicians, engineers or teachers. Typically such trade unions refrain from politics or pursue markedly more right-wing politics than their blue-collar counterparts ^{[citation needed]}.

Finally, the structure of employment laws affects unions' roles and how they carry out their business. In many western European countries wages and benefits are largely set by governmental action. The United States takes a more laissez-faire approach, setting some minimum standards but leaving most workers' wages and benefits to collective bargaining and market forces. Historically, the Republic of Korea has regulated collective bargaining by requiring employers to participate but collective bargaining has been legal only if held in sessions before the lunar new year. In totalitarian regimes such as Nazi-Germany and the Soviet Union, unions have typically been de facto government agencies devoted to smooth and efficient operation of enterprises. Laissez-faire is short for laissez faire, laissez passer, a French phrase meaning to let things alone, let them pass. First used by the eighteenth century Physiocrats as an injunction against government interference with trade, it is now used as a synonym for strict free market economics. ... A banner of the celebration of Chinese New Year. ...

Trade unions by country

Trade unions in the United Kingdom

Main article: Trade unions in the United Kingdom

The legal status of trade unions in the United Kingdom was established by a Royal Commission in 1867, which agreed that the establishment of the organisations was to the advantage of both employers and employees. Legalised in 1871, the Trade Union Movement sought to reform socio-economic conditions for working men in British industries, and the Unions' search for this led to the creation of a Labour Representation Committee which effectively formed the basis for today's Labour Party, which still has extensive links with the Trade Union Movement in Britain. The legal status of trade unions in the United Kingdom was established by a Royal Commission in 1867, which agreed that the establishment of the organisations was to the advantage of both employers and employees. ... In countries that are Commonwealth Realms a Royal Commission is a major government inquiry into an issue. ... The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ...

Labor unions in the United States

Main article: Labor unions in the United States

Labor unions in the United States today function as legally recognised representatives of workers in numerous industries, but are strongest among public sector employees. Activity by labor unions in the United States today centers on collective bargaining over wages, benefits, and working conditions for their membership and on representing their members if management attempts to violate contract provisions. Although down from the peak membership they achieved in the third quarter of the 20th century, American unions also remain an important political factor, both through mobilisation of their own memberships and through coalitions with like-minded activist organisations. This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A legal entity is a legal construct through which the law allows a group of natural persons to act as if it were an individual for certain purposes. ... The public sector is that part of economic and administrative life that deals with the delivery of goods and services by and for the government, whether national, regional or local/municipal. ... Collective bargaining is the process of negotiation between representatives of a union and employers (represented by management) in respect of the terms and conditions of employment of employees, such as wages, hours of work, working conditions and grievance procedures, and about the rights and responsibilities of trade unions. ...

Unions in other countries

Logo of the Polish trade union Solidarity, the first independant trade union to be recognised in a Communist party controlled country.

Some countries such as Belgium, Sweden, Finland, and the other Nordic countries have strong, centralised unions, where every type of work has a specific union, which are then gathered in large national union confederations. Usually there are at least two national union confederations, one for academically educated and one for branches with lower education level. The largest Swedish union confederation is Landsorganisationen, or LO. The LO has almost two million members, which is more than a fifth of Sweden's population. Finland's equivalent is SAK, the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, with about one million members out of the country's 5.2 million inhabitants. In addition, there are two other Finnish union confederations for more educated workers with combined membership of circa one million. Image File history File links Solidarity Logo Project: Jerzy Janiszewski [[en:en:Image:Solidarnosc. ... Image File history File links Solidarity Logo Project: Jerzy Janiszewski [[en:en:Image:Solidarnosc. ... Solidarity (Polish Solidarność) is a Polish trade union federation founded in September 1980 at the GdaÅ„sk Shipyards, originally led by Lech WaÅ‚Ä™sa. ... In modern usage, a communist party is a political party which promotes communism, a sociopolitical philosophy based on the particular interpretation of Marxism put forth by Vladimir Lenin. ... The Nordic countries (Greenland not shown) The Nordic countries, also referred to as Norden (The North), and less stringently as Scandinavia, is a term used collectively for five countries in Northern Europe. ... A confederation is an association of sovereign states, usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution. ... LO logo The Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen i Sverige or LO) is an umbrella organisation for sixteen Swedish trade unions that organise blue collar workers. ... The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, usually referred to by the acronym SAK (Finnish: Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö) is the biggest trade union confederation in Finland. ...

In comparison, France is thought to have one of the lowest union densities in Europe, with only about 10% of the workers inside unions. Union membership, however, tends to be concentrated in some specific areas, especially the public sector. Unions in some sectors, such as public transportation (e.g. SNCF and RATP) are likely to enter well-publicised strikes. An SNCF multiple unit. ... Métro trains entering Église dAuteuil station The Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) is the major transit authority responsible for public transportation in Paris and its environs. ...

The Australian labour movement has a long history of craft, trade and industrial unionism. While unions have sometimes been very strong, as of 2005 they are relatively weak and in decline, due in part to the actions of Australian politicians, including Prime Minister John Howard and his Liberal government ^{[citation needed]}. In 2005 the Federal Government brought in new legislation which many Australian Unions claimed would reduce minimum wage, the powers of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and the ability of Australian Unions to organise. The full extent of this legislation has yet to be seen, as it does not become effective until March 2006. Eight-hour day banner, Melbourne, 1856 University of Melbourne site where Stonemasons won the 8 hour day in 1856 The history of the Australian labour movement reaches back to the 19th century and the movement has a long tradition of organised unions of workers and links to political activity. ... Craft unionism, or sometimes trade unionism, is a labor union organizing method by which labor unions are divided along the lines of workers specific trades, regardless of what industry they work in. ... Industrial unionism is a labor union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union -- regardless of skill or trade -- thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in bargaining and in strike situations. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the countrys 25th Prime Minister. ... The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian liberal conservative political party. ...

International cooperation

The largest organisation of trade union members in the world is the Brussels-based International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, which today has approx. 231 affiliated organisations in 150 countries and territories, with a combined membership of 158 million. Other global trade union organisations are the World Confederation of Labour and the World Federation of Trade Unions. Claiming 157 million members in 225 affiliated organisations in 148 countries and territories, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) came into being on December 7, 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). ... The World Confederation of Labour was founded in 1920 under the name of the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions as a confederation of unions associated with the Christian Democratic parties of Europe. ... The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) was established in the wake of the Second World War to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations. ...

National and regional trade unions organising in specific industry sectors or occupational groups also form global union federations, such as Union Network International and the International Federation of Journalists. A global union federation is an international federation of national and regional trade unions organising in specific industry sectors or occupational groups, sometimes also known as an international trade secretariat. ... Union Network International (UNI), calling itself a global union, is a global union federation for skills and services, gathering national and regional trade unions. ... International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, is global union federation of journalists trade unions - the largest in the world. ...

News

There are several sources of current news about the trade union movement in the world. These include LabourStart and the official website of the international trade union movement Global Unions. LabourStart is the online news service of the international trade union movement. ... Global Unions is a website, which is jointly owned and managed by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, ICFTU, the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD and ten global union federations. ...

Another source of Labor news is the Workers Independent News, a news organization providing radio articles to independent and syndicated radio shows.

Criticism

Trade unions are often accused of benefiting the insider workers, those having a secure job and high productivity, at the cost of the outsider workers, consumers of the goods or services produced, and the shareholders of the unionised business. The ones that are likely to lose the most from a trade union are those who are unemployed or at the risk of unemployment or who are not able to get the job that they want in a particular field. The so-called insider-outsider theory analyses this problem. ^{[citation needed]}

Usually, the marginal benefit of an additional worker decreases as the number of workers increase ^{[citation needed]}. This implies that the lower the minimum wage, the more workers a company can profitably employ. Thus, while an increase in the minimum wage benefits the insiders, as a result fewer new workers are recruited and fewer retiring workers replaced. The potential result is higher unemployment rates, especially among the unskilled ^{[citation needed]}. Union wages are also derived by cutting the potential earnings of higher skilled workers and reformating the payscale from a merit based system to a tenure based system ^{[citation needed]}. These effects are more pronounced in a work-intensive service company. Also see microeconomics and supply and demand. The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ... Tenure commonly refers to academic tenure systems, in which professors (at the university level)—and in some jurisdictions schoolteachers (at primary or secondary school levels)—are granted the right not to be fired without cause after an initial probationary period. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The supply and demand model describes how prices vary as a result of a balance between product availability at each price (supply) and the desires of those with purchasing power at each price (demand). ...

Often the union of a particular industry puts pressure on politicians to subsidise the industry concerned. This benefits both the workers, companies and shareholders in that industry, and consumers of the product of that industry at a cost to other people.

References

Footnotes

1. ^  Webb, Sidney; Webb, Beatrice (1920). The History of Trade Unionism, Longmans, Green and Co. London.
2. ^  ICFTU press release - regarding Cambodia.
3. ^  Amnesty International report 23 September 2005 - fear for safety of SINALTRAINAL member José Onofre Esquivel Luna
4. ^  Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research and Training report.
5. ^  Fraser, W. Hamish (1974). Trade Unions and Society (The Struggle for Acceptance, 1850 – 1880), Rowman and Littlefield (Totowa, New Jersey). ISBN 0-87471-514-8. pg. 34

General

1. Clarke, T. and Clements, L. (1978) "Trade Unions under Capitalism", Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press, ISBN 0391007289

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Trade unions

• AFL-CIO
• Craft union
• Directly Affiliated Local Union (DALU)
• Eight hour day
• General union
• Industrial union
• Industrial Workers of the World
• International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
• Labor aristocracy
• History of the labor movement
• Landrum-Griffin Act
• List of labor unions
• Salting
• Strike
• Trades council
• Trades Hall
• Union federation

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... The AFL-CIO is the largest labor union federation in the United States. ... Craft unionism, or sometimes trade unionism, is a labor union organizing method by which labor unions are divided along the lines of workers specific trades, regardless of what industry they work in. ... A Directly Affiliated Local Union (DALU) is a U.S. labor union that belongs to the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) but is not a national union and is not entitled to the same rights and privileges within the Federation as national affiliates. ... Eight-hour day banner, Melbourne, 1856 The Eight-hour day movement, also known as the Short-time movement, had its origins in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where industrial production in large factories transformed working life and imposed long hours and poor working conditions. ... A general union is a trade union (labor union in U.S. English) which represents workers from all industries and companies, rather than just one organisation or a particular sector, as in a craft union or industrial union. ... Industrial unionism is a labor union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union -- regardless of skill or trade -- thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in bargaining and in strike situations. ... The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies) is an international union currently headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. It contends that all workers should be united within a single union as a class and the wage system abolished. ... Claiming 157 million members in 225 affiliated organisations in 148 countries and territories, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) came into being on December 7, 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). ... Labor aristocracy (or aristocracy of labor) has two meanings: as a term with Marxist-Leninist theoretical underpinnings, and as a specific type of trade unionism. ... The Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), also known as the Landrum-Griffin Act, is a United States labor law statute that regulates labor unions internal affairs and union officials relationships with employers Enacted in 1959 after revelations concerning corruption and undemocratic practices in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters... This is a list of trade unions and union federations by country. ... Salting is the preparation of food with salt. ... Labour Council (Canada, Australia), also known as Labor Council (USA), Trades Council or Trades Union Council (TUC) (UK), and Trades and Labour Council (TLC) or Industrial Council (Australia), is a representative labour federation at the district, city, region, or provincial or state level. ... Trades Hall is a building in the suburb of Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... fuck you all aggressively ...

External links

• Millwright History
• Union Millwrights
• NLRA rights
• Trade union membership 1993-2003 - European Industrial Relations Observatory report on membership trends in 26 European countries
• Mutual Aid Through Collective Bargaining
• Public Activities and Festivities of Organized Labor in Marin County, California
• New analysis of economic data shows that unionization could maximize productivity
• American Labor Unions Under Stress
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
• Workers Independent News
• Industrial Workers of the World