Chapter 4 TRADE

UNION1
CONCEPT,STRUCTURE AND TYPES
 Trade union
Meaning & Definition
An organisation of employees formed primarily for the purpose of the
pursuit of the common interests of its members.

Trade union is an instrument of defense against exploitation and provide a

forum for collecting the forces of working class.

According to Sydney and Beatrice Webb, “Trade union is a continuous

association of wage earners for the purpose of maintaining and improving
the conditions of their working lives.”
 FEATURES/NATURE OF TRADE UNIONS

● It is a voluntary association of employees.

● TU’s are generally permanent combinations and not temporary or
casual.
● It’s formed by the collective actions of their members.
● The basic objective of any trade is to protect and promote
economic, social and vocational interest of their members.
● The origin and growth of trade unions have been influenced by a
number of socio-economic and political ideologies.
● Trade unions are adaptable to the changing
socio-economic-legal-political environment.
● Trade unions are designed to eliminate the exploitation of the
workers through workers’ participation in management.
Concept of union philosophy
● Union is. “what it does” or “what it is”
● Trade union is emerged due to ‘group philosophy’
● It is focal point of functional organization
● Represent the interest of its members
● Regarded as an institution for overcoming managerial
dictatorship to strengthen individual worker
● Prevent the exploitation of employees in the hands of
employees
● Unionism help them to collectively press for their genuine
demands & improve their position
 Objectives/Need of trade union

❏ TU provide job security to workers.

❏ TU can negotiate with management on industrial conflicts.
❏ The workers interest can be safeguarded by the strength
of unionism.
❏ TU ensure workers’ participation in management.
❏ The rights of workers viz. wages and conditions of work
can be protected by the TU”s.
❏ TU also helps in maintaining good industrial relations.
Different theories of trade unions.
★ Industrial democracy approach of Sydney Webbs
★ Social-Psychological approach of Robert Hoxie
★ Capitalism approach of Frank Tannenbaum
★ Anti-capitalism approach of Karl Marx
★ Sarvodaya approach of Gandhi
★ Protest approach of Kerr,Dunlop,Harbison & Myres
★ Control approach of G.D.H Coleole
★ Work traditions approach of S H Slitcher
 1. Industrial democracy approach:Sydney Webbs
● Webb considered TU as “institutions for overcoming managerial
dictatorship,to strengthen individual labourers and to give them some
voice”
● They didn’t consider TU as an instrument of revolution to overthrow
capitalist order but to equalize the bargaining power of labour and
capital.
● Webb considered it as an obligation on the part of the employer to
improve the economic status of the worker by paying minimum wages
and to provide minimum working conditions etc
2 Social-psychological approach: Robert
Hoxie
● According to Robert Hoxie TUs have emerged due to group
psychology and not purely because of economic reasons.
● According to him “Unionism affects not only production but also the
established rights, ethical standards, distribution, law and order in
the matter of legacy theory exercise general power over social
welfare.
● Unionism is a result of group psychology which grows out of
environmental conditions and temperamental attributes of its
members.
 3 Capitalism Approach: Frank
Tannenbaum
● Tannenbaum believed that the fundamental cause of exploitation of
workers is the use of machines. The machine threatens the security of
the individual workers and they react in self-defence, through the
union to control the device.
● According to Tannenbaum, trade unions are the by-products of an
industrial society in which automation (machines) has destroyed the
old way of life and robbed the worker of his identity, purpose and
creativity.
● Trade unions are a spontaneous reaction in the growth of capitalism.
 4 Anti-capitalism Approach: Karl Marx
● Karl Marx represented trade unions as an instrument for destroying
the capitalist class. The trade unionism becomes necessary to ring
about a revolutionary and fundamental changes in the social order
of the workers.
● Max considered trade union as an instrument to overthrow
capitalism.
● According to Marx, the workers begin to form tade unions against
bourgeois, they club together to keep up the rate of wages,they
found permanent associations in order to make provisions
beforehand for this revolts(revolution)
 5.Sarvodaya Approach : Gandhi
● Mahatma Gandhi’s approach to the growth of trade union was contrary
to those of Karl Marx..
● Gandhi's principles is based on the philosophy of ‘Sarvodya’ principles
of truth trusteeship and non violence.
● He believed trade unions as economic institutions in which capital and
labor are not antagonistic but are supplementary to each other.
● Gandhi considered trade union as moral institutions who can uphold
the dignity of labour by following the principles of equality and
trusteeship.
6.Protest Approach of “ Kerr”,Dunlop,Harrison&
Myres
Here Tarde union is formed with as a means to protest an expression of the
workers.

7.Control Apporach of “G.D.H.Cole”

As per Cole ,the ultimate objective of trade union is to have control of workers
over the industry

8. Working traditions Apporach of “S.H.Slitcher”

Workers should develop system of rules & traditions - ‘ a system of industrial
jurisprudence ’ through their trade unions.
Classification of trade union