Assignment 2
Assignment Submission
Name: Samantha Platts
Student Number: MD1133307
Address:
22 St Marks Grove
Rawcliffe
York
Postcode: YO30 5TS
Course: Human Resource Management
Assignment Number: 2
Date Submitted: 30th July 2014
Number of pages: 11
Email: s.platts1986@googlemail.com
What is a Trade Union?
The Trade Union came into fruition in 1867 where it was realised that employees where submitted to long working hours, low pay and no benefits. Employees had no rights within the work place and little influence on how the workforce was run, yet a better more balanced, fairer system was required. It was viewed that as Rod Coombs writes ‘a group of people is likely to be more effective than an individual (Coombs, 1987: 259). To be able to influence change and publicise an issue, the idea that a group had more power than one person inspired a collaboration of workers to join together to fight for their rights and this is where the idea of a Trade Union was established.
A Trade Union is a group of workers in a trade who make joint decisions to protect their rights and interest within their working environment. As stated on the Unison website ‘the main activities of a trade union include providing assistance and services to their members, collectively bargaining for better pay and conditions for all workers, working to improve the quality of public services, political campaigning and industrial action’ (Unison, 2014). They fundamentally provide support and assistance to employees of an organisation and bargain on behalf of the union members. Due to the early union bargaining in 1867 employees are now able to benefit from better pay, 8 hour working, benefits, health and safety and a much more workforce focused environment.
Many trade unions are independent of their employer but aim to keep a close working relationship in order to identify common interests and objectives. Unions train and organise workplace representatives that
Name: Samantha Platts
Student Number: MD1133307
Address:
22 St Marks Grove
Rawcliffe
York
Postcode: YO30 5TS
Course: Human Resource Management
Assignment Number: 2
Date Submitted: 30th July 2014
Number of pages: 11
Email: s.platts1986@googlemail.com
What is a Trade Union?
The Trade Union came into fruition in 1867 where it was realised that employees where submitted to long working hours, low pay and no benefits. Employees had no rights within the work place and little influence on how the workforce was run, yet a better more balanced, fairer system was required. It was viewed that as Rod Coombs writes ‘a group of people is likely to be more effective than an individual (Coombs, 1987: 259). To be able to influence change and publicise an issue, the idea that a group had more power than one person inspired a collaboration of workers to join together to fight for their rights and this is where the idea of a Trade Union was established.
A Trade Union is a group of workers in a trade who make joint decisions to protect their rights and interest within their working environment. As stated on the Unison website ‘the main activities of a trade union include providing assistance and services to their members, collectively bargaining for better pay and conditions for all workers, working to improve the quality of public services, political campaigning and industrial action’ (Unison, 2014). They fundamentally provide support and assistance to employees of an organisation and bargain on behalf of the union members. Due to the early union bargaining in 1867 employees are now able to benefit from better pay, 8 hour working, benefits, health and safety and a much more workforce focused environment.
Many trade unions are independent of their employer but aim to keep a close working relationship in order to identify common interests and objectives. Unions train and organise workplace representatives that
Bibliography: Coombs, R., 1986: Economics and Technological Change. United States: Rowan and Littlefield Unison, (2014) About Trade Unions. Available at https://www.unison.org.uk/about/our-organisation/about-trade-unions/ (Accessed 26 June 2014) Gov.uk, (2014) Working with Trade Unions: employers. Available at https://www.gov.uk/working-with-trade-unions/collective-bargaining (Accessed 26 June 2014) HSE, (1999) Safety cultures: Giving staff a clear role’, Report by Public Concern at Work for HSE. Available at www.hse.gov.uk/research/crr_pdf/1999/CRR99214.pdf (Accessed 26 June 2014) Osiegbu, P, (1983) Effective Communication as a tool in Supervision Management in Nigeria 19(2) Feb Reil, V., Fombrum., C, (2007) Essentials of Corporate Communication: implementing Practices for Effective Reputation Management. United Kingdom: Routledge Meintjes, C & Steyn, B. (2006). A critical evaluation of the Downs Hazen Instrument (CSQ) by measuring employee communication satisfaction at a Private Higher Education Institution in South Africa. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis Group Hughs, P., Ferret, E, (2011) Introduction to Health and Safety at Work. London: Routledge