The inadequacy of skilled and other
specialised labour during the industrial revolution in the 18th century
diverted bargaining power almost completely to employers alone.
This exposed a lot of workers to
maltreatment, abuse and underpayment by their paymasters. To avert the
situation, workers, mostly in Europe, came together to form associations to
fight for their interests and rights.
As such, trade
unions became popular with the common aim of representing and advocating
improvements in pay and working conditions.
Undeniably,
over the past 300 years, trade unions have metamorphosed into a number of
forms, predisposed by diverse political intentions in order to fulfil their
needs through peaceful negotiations, but sometimes through rough and tough
paths in the forms of strikes, go slow, picketing, work to rule and in overtime
bans.
Trade unions
are organised on the basis of crafts unions, industrial unions, general unions
and on white-collar unions. Craft unions are made up of workers having similar
type of skills and engaged in a number of industries.
Examples
include weavers, carpenters and plumbers. Industrial unions on the other hand
characterise workers of the same industry and this may include those in the
rail industry.
General unions
are also formed by the groupings of workers from different industries and have
diverse array of skills. White-collar unions embody all the office workers with
higher posts in particular professions and this ranges from teachers, nurses
and pharmacists.
Tentatively,
unions in a country often belong to or affiliate with a national union
organisation which also belong or affiliate at the international level.
In Ghana, most
of the unions are organised on industrial lines and function virtually
completely within the confines of the formal sector of the economy.
Nevertheless, some unions have organised few workers in the informal sector.
The unions belong
or associate with the Ghana Trades Union Congress (Ghana TUC) which is also
affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
Hence, a trade
union is an association of workers with the aim of promoting and protecting
their economic and social interests; and according to the Ghana Labour Act
2003, (Acts 651), two or more workers employed in the same undertaking may form
a trade union and register it through the chief labour officer.
Roles of trade unions
Subliminally,
trade unions have the authority to carve out their own constitutions and
regulations, elect officers and representatives and also organise their
administrative activities and programmes.
They again
have the right to control their finances without any external influence or dictates
from a political party or institution.
Aptly, the
existence and the functions that the trade unions play, indeed demonstrate
positive benefits for workers, as the main aim of forming the association is to
prevent the workers from being exploited by their senior officials.
If workers are
not happy with their pay, they can negotiate their way through and collectively
raise their voices to get the pay that they deserve.
Thus in broad
terms, the trade unions propitiate their needs through peaceful negotiations to
get their requests met.
Through a collective
bargaining process, they are able to negotiate on behalf of their members with
their employers on working conditions, promotion prospects, holidays, maternity
and paternity rights, basic pay and overtime payments and on job security and
health and retirement packages.
Trade unions
yet again offer a wide range of benefits to their members.
This includes
sickness pay, unemployment pay and strike pay.
Rightly, they
are able to collaborate with institutions and other pressure groups to compel
their governments to adopt a legislation which will yield positive overturns
for their members in general, including fixing an appropriate and realistic
national minimum wage.
Once more,
depending on the conditions prevailing, unions possibly will try to protect or
improve workers’ rights.
They also make
available information on a wide range of issues for their members; for example
on job vacancies, end-of-service benefits and pension schemes.
They help with
education and training programmes and also partake in measures intended to
increase demand for their workplace product and services produced; and,
therefore, for labour.
Furthermore,
unions provide the avenue for legal advice on employment and personal
issues. They go as far as defending members at the courts on job
threatening and interdiction issues.
Unions also
help members to enjoy welfare packages on financial aids in times of
bereavements, loss of property, natural disasters and in times of unemployment
and hospitalisation. They again help members to enjoy financial discounts on
mortgages, insurance and loans.
On
productivity covenants, trade unions help to negotiate better terms of
productivity to help the firm shore up on its production. This empowers the
firm to afford higher wages for its staff. This really has a long way to induce
workers to work efficiently and effectively.
Indeed, trade
unions can be central for executing new working practices which increased
productivity at the workplace.
Last but not
least, trade unions help in the economic growth and development of the economy
in many ways.
Assuredly,
they help in the settlement of industrial disputes, thereby promoting and
maintaining national integration for peaceful co-existence for national
development in a rational manner.
Thus, huge
labour and turnover costs are reduced and rather turned into increased
production for the economy.
Challenges
fronting trade unions
It has always
been a bother to employers to meet workers’ wage demands either in the public
or in the private sector. Wage increases are seen to induce wage inflation on
the balance sheet of firms.
Undeniably,
unions would bargain above the rate of inflation so as to cushion its members
to stay afloat to keep body and soul together. This phenomenon always impedes
the union’s progress and can take a longer time in arriving at better terms.
Anytime the
labour markets are competitive, higher wages result in unemployment.
Trades unions
may demand higher wages through the threat of work to rule, go slow and
strikes. When these prevail and wages are higher, industry and producers will
not be able to pay for more. This may result in unemployment and layoffs and,
thus, affect union members.
Furthermore,
productivity is also affected whenever circumstances trigger strikes, leading
to lost sales and output. These lead to the closure and collapse of companies.
Jobs are lost as a result and this affects livelihoods.
One criticism
faced by trade unions is the ‘look within attitude’. Trades unions are thought
to consider only their needs without a thought for the needs of those outside
of their membership or the unemployed. This is indeed painstakingly regarded as
one of the inequalities in the economy.
In spite of
these shortcomings, trade union activists continue to address new issues and
acclimate their organisational structures accordingly.
Conclusion
Certainly,
unity is strength. Unions afford workers with a collective and powerful voice
to communicate to management their grievances and frustrations.
They offer a
platform for better job security with members earning an average of 10 per cent
more than non-unionised members.
In fact, as
trade unions offer a troposphere to protect workers’ rights, some see it as a
negative force to distort gains made by employers.
However, it is
only through this wonderful platform of industrial relations that both
employers and employees can bring industrial peace, productivity and
development to any economy. — GB
Source : http://www.graphic.com.gh
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