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What is a trade union, what does it do, how and why does it do it?
• Trade union = it is a continuous association of wage earners for the purpose of
maintaining or improving the conditions of their working lives (Webb’s 1920
definition). – This definition does not capture all the elements of what a trade union is!
• It has not remained static but has evolved over time.
• TU not only aim to improve conditions such as wages, working conditions and other
benefits of the workplace, but also defend and protect members from dismissal,
retrenchment and even cuts in pay. The struggle to maintain wages is generally more
conflictual than the action to improve wages.
o For example, the volatile strike that took place over a wage dispute by members
of the Transport and General workers union at the University of Cape Town in
1991
• The term “living conditions” – indicates a breadth of trade union goals that goes beyond
the factory gates.
• Thus, TU goes beyond the organisation and also has a broader political role to play in
ensuring state support for workers’ lives, not only at the workplace but in their
communities and societies as well.
• Furthermore, globalisation opens us up to external threats from the global market. The
working lives of employers are no longer only linked to a single workplace or local
community but are inextricably linked with the global markets and transnational co-
operations (TNC’S).
• Power of trade unions are in the collective (solidarity) – class struggle against capitalist –
however power in numbers is not always true – Why? Due to several dynamic
challenges that exist:
1. Problem of free riders
▪ that is an employee who does not join the union but reaps the benefits of
wage increases and improved working conditions won by the union in
negotiation with management. (freedom of association)
▪ For instance, 70% support but everyone benefits.
2. Different forms of employment
▪ usually of short-term (seasonal or casual) nature regulated by individual
contracts of employment, or the recent advent of labour brokers that fulfil
temporary labour demands have reduced the numbers of full-time
employees within enterprises.
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, 3. Capacity of employers to move sites of production.
▪ to areas where trade unions are weak or non-existent has increased over
the recent years.
4. Organising across sectors
▪
organising across sectors may compromise organising at a local
enterprise level, where local employees are either better off than the
majority or worse and thus inclined to prefer enterprise specific unions.
5. Number of employees
▪ Trade unions regardless the numbers have power. For Example, AMCU
(Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union) – 44 000 members
of NUM in the mining industry had been lost to AMCU and emerged as
the rival union to represent workers at the Marikina strike at Lonmin
platinum mine in 2012.
▪ The quality of number is thus also nb
• Due to these dynamic challenges is the reason for a broader definition (LRA of 1995):
o Trade Union = An association of employees whose principal purpose is to
regulate relations between employees and employers (including any employer’s
organisation)
▪ Kept short and generic.
▪ “regulate relations” = encapsulates about everything
▪ Allows for freedom om interpretation among the 3 parties (employees
(TU), employers and the state)
Reasons why employees join Trade Unions.
Regardless of the exact reasons, there are external factors that either facilitate or inhibit and
employee’s decision to join a particular TU
• External factors that may facilitate the employee’s decision to join a union:
1) The capacity of the union to assist the employee
o Example, Marikana Crisis – NUM vs AMCU – NUM had the majority number but
failed to attend to the demand of their members (wage related). AMCU then
approached management and thus became popular. NUM started to lose their
members to AMCU who is now the majority TU (had a ripple effect). This all
comes back to employees’ decisions being based on the capacity of the TU to
assist them.
2) Encouragement from co-workers to join
3) The support that the union enjoys in the broader society
o Go with the popular choice!
4) Lack of alternatives to the employee
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, o For instance, only one TU exists for your sector.
• External pressures that may inhibit the employee from joining:
1) The cost of union dues
o Choice of joining depends on the cost, and if the cost is seen as worth it
2) Union ineffectiveness example, poor recruiting methods
o Smaller TU – don’t have the financial capacity to run complex and efficient
recruitment strategies.
o Larger TU can run aggressive recruitment strategies due to finance – decision to
join made easier.
3) No co-worker support.
o Employer intimidation (closed shop agreements)
4) Gender-based barriers
5) Political affiliation
o Can become conflicted.
The main reasons why workers join trade unions:
1. Economic needs
o Workers’ aims are focused on “bread and butter’ issues related to
renumeration.
2. Job security and regulation
o Many employers join trade unions as the means of protecting their jobs.
o Through the collective voice and muscle of the union, members expect
to be protected from retrenchment in changing job descriptions and
working conditions.
o Management can be more readily challenged through the shop stewards
and union officials.
o The members who wish to protest are thus protected from exposing,
themselves to victimisation.
o Example – SAA liquidation, TU coming up with solutions and ideas for
employees to protect their jobs.
3. Political reasons
o Throughout history, political reasons for joining unions have served as a
strong mobilising force for the working class experiencing severe
deprivation and the lack of influence over government decision-making
process. Thus, TU have a black majority due to past political oppression.
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