Easy Negotiation Techniques

What Can a Trade Union Do For You?

As redundancies are announced, companies go into administration, and job losses increase, Trade Unions have been mentioned in the media a lot recently.

Trade Union Representatives speak on behalf of their members. These can be workers who are in danger of losing their jobs, or workers in industries that have few rights or low pay. As there are currently many sectors affected by job cuts and many other suppliers and those who rely on companies in these sectors, it is not surprising that Trade Unions are getting involved as much as they are.

Trade Union members have a louder voice when their voice is a combination of many of the affected employees. Rather than one person going to management and voicing their concerns, if a Union Representative meets management, then management will know that there are many members of the workforce that are affected and unhappy. This means that management is much more likely to do something about it.

Trade Unions also help to ensure that Workers’ Rights are adhered to. Discrimination in any form is not tolerated in the workplace. Trade Union members can ask for Union help if they have been discriminated against because of their skin color, sexuality, race, religion, age, gender or any other reason. Workers also have the right to expect to work in safe and disease free environment. If this isn’t the case, the Trade Union may want to get involved.

Trade Unions campaign to raise awareness of issues that affect their members. These campaigns are carried out at local, national and sector wide level. A regional campaign could involve the closure of a chain of local stores in a region, or the opening of a new office block that will create more jobs. A national campaign could be to do with pensions, working hours, minimum wage or retirement ages. A sector wide campaign could affect all those workers in a particular industry, such as car manufacturing, retail, agriculture, or financial services.

Local issues are covered as well. This could be something like a company announcing redundancies, or reducing overtime, or losing out to a cheaper competitor overseas. Local issues will also be specific to that area. Issues that are affecting Cornwall, will not be the same as those that affect the Midlands, or Norfolk. By breaking down the country into regions, it is easy to allocate resources where they are needed, so that workers in these regions have the support they need.

Now you know more about Trade Unions, is it time you thought about joining one?

Find out more about what a Trade Union can do for you, and see how to Join a Trade Union Online.