Trade Unions As The Representatives

Question: Recognising that trade unions are the representative of employees, identify the benefits and drawbacks of such unions to employers. Do trade unions still have a role in contemporary employment relations? Answer: Introduction: As a unit of workers, a trade union allows worker, employer and its member to come together and to achieve organizational goals, so that the employees and employer both can get benefit. Trade unions protect trades integrity, ensure the achievement for higher payment, benefits on retirement and health care, increment of number of employees in order to assign task for the smooth flow of work. Trade unions impose the safety standards for the employer to handle the demands and other issues related to employees and to improve working condition. Recognition of trade unions as representatives and their benefits and drawbacks to employers: Trade unions are independent of any employer. Trade unions try to build close working relationship between the employer and employees. This scenario some time takes as a partnership agreement between the trade union and employer to identify the common objectives and interest between them. To set an example, a real life scenario is included here on the trade union movement of South Africa. Trade union of South Africa is considered as a most disciplined and largest in the continent of Africa. It played a crucial role as a representative of the employees to the employers. It determines the policies, relations within the industry in country, in order to make employer-employee relationship better and to give the better environment to work together. The COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions) is the largest amongst the three with large number of membership of 1.8 million. Others are- ANC, FEDUSA and NACTU. They are affiliated to ITUC (Cosatu.org.za, 2015). Benefits: A trade union is recognized formally by an employer, it negotiates with employer over certain terms and conditions. This negotiation is known as collective bargaining. This is where, the bargaining councils are formed to solve the arguments of labor, collective agreements, making proposal on laws and policies for the labors. They also manage sick pay, training and unemployment schemes, pension funds, employment by the employer and other different benefits (Gordon and Maharaj, 2014). Trade union also passes collective agreement between the employers and employees, which regulate the terms and condition at workplace for the betterment of the organization. Collective agreement helps to manage duties of the employer, so that the tasks are done accordingly and organizational goals must be achieved. It can be seen as a result of the collective bargaining between the workers and an employer (Sahistory.org.za, 2015). Challenges/Drawbacks: Employers may face the demand of the higher wage from the trade union, on behalf of the employees. This trade union can cause strikes on behalf of employees, in order to fulfill the demands of the employees, which are not fulfilled in earlier stage by the management. Although employers may agree to operate while the strike is going on, as a result of this employer may need to replace the employees. This results knowledge loss, decrement in productivity and causes unemployment (Arnold, 2012). Another disadvantage occurs, when unionized worker gain more benefits and wages than the non-unionized worker. This propagates the message to those who have joined the union, can get more benefits than other employees. Though being unionized gives no guarantee that the employees will be well-trained than the non-unionized employees (Sahistory.org.za, 2015). Trade unions and their role in contemporary employment relations: New economic policies introduced a number of important changes in the position of the trade unions. Still, trade unions have the role to play between the employer and employees to have smooth flow of work and to reduce the gap between the employer and employees. Trade unions are aware of employee rights and they justify the need/ requirement of an employee to the organization or to the employer. (Masiya, 2014). Conclusion: The purpose of trade union includes negotiation of wages, complaint procedures, work rules, benefits, safety at the work place and policies. Being originated in Europe, trade unions came out as a popular group of members in many countries during industrial revolution. LRA (Labor Relation Act) guides the registration of trade unions with the employer. References Arnold, N. (2012). Leadership model for appraising employees readiness within solidarity trade union in South Africa. 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