Question

Give three reasons workers join unions. What three factors may cause workers to leave a union?

Answer 1

Introduction:

Trade unions are membership based group of workers with aim to protect employees or workers’ rights and to provide each of them with equality in their pay and it also aims to provide healthy and unbiased working conditions.

Reasons behind joining unions:

• Fair wages and healthy work conditions:

Employee alone cannot fight against the management for better pay and work conditions but if all employees comes together as a union then it is easier for them to protest against low pay and unhealthy work conditions like hygienic environment, short breaks, and working hours etc..

• Strong bargaining power and protection against discrimination:

As a union employees come in groups so their bargaining power increases. When employees are not satisfied with their pay and demand higher pay, they alone cannot leave huge impact on management but actions from unions can affect decisions of management and demand of employees can be fulfilled.

Salary and wages, work life balance, working environment, working hours, promotions, pension, gratuity etc are very important for employees. To get equality in all these matters union helps workers and tries to protect their interests and rights.

• Sense of belonging and medium of expression:

Many employees joins trade union because their colleagues have joined, here they will feel respect and belonging in eye of their co-workers.

Unions can be the medium of expression for employees, they can share their ideas feelings, needs and demands. In most cases workers cannot talk directly to management alone but through union they can communicate with management.

Factors may cause workers to leave a union:

• Changes in government:

Many times employees joins union because government rules and regulations fails to protect their rights but after government changes they may feel good governance who works to protect interests and rights of workers in country and forms strong rules for fair wages and working conditions, in this situation workers will no longer feel need to be with any type of union. So here they withdraws union membership.

• Sense of discouraging environments:

Many unions are influenced by big political parties in country, they may try to impose their demand on unions to leave strong impression, but many employees who are loyal to their work and management do not like this. So they will leave the union to continue their work peacefully, sometimes union leaders also have problems with management and this conflict may discourage worker to continue their union membership.

• Fees:

There are unions who charges membership fees, and also charges some amount from workers’ pay-checks, but many time employees who don’t feel worth paying from their earnings, this may encourage workers to leave the union.