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this site is for 8 to 17 year olds whereby careers and information can be found to help with your future. Understand about communities, government, unions, groups, organisations and working together for best results. working and Living in partnership can achieve the best results to enhance communities.
Planting for the future
What are Trade unions ?
Here on this page Trade unions are explained, including what all trade unions are about and what the benefits of being a trade union member could be. It is important to understand as to WHY you need to be part of a collective organisation.
For example, did you know that trade unions will try to negotiate with your employer about your employment terms and conditions?
What is a trade union? im often asked.
A trade union is an organisation made up of members (a membership-based
organisation) its membership must be made up mainly of workers.
Importantly One of a trade union's main aims is to protect and advance the interests of its members in the workplace.
Most trade unions are independent of any employer. However, trade unions try to develop close working relationships with employers.
This can sometimes take the form of a partnership agreement between the employer and the trade union which identifies their common interests and objectives.
Trade unions:
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negotiate agreements with employers on pay and conditions
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discuss major changes to the workplace such as large scale redundancy
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discuss their members; concerns with employers
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accompany their members in disciplinary and grievance meetings
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provide their members with legal and financial advice
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provide education facilities and certain consumer benefits such as discounted insurance
Trade union recognition
Employers which recognise a union will negotiate with it over members' pay and conditions.
Many recognition agreements are reached voluntarily, sometimes with the help of the Labour Relations Agency.
If agreement can't be reached and the organisation employs more than 20 people, a union may apply for statutory recognition.
To do so, it must first request recognition from the employer in writing. If this is unsuccessful, the union can apply to the Industrial Court for a decision.
In considering the union's application, the Court must assess many factors including the level of union membership and the presence of any other unions.
Often, the Court will organise a ballot among the affected workforce to decide whether recognition should be awarded. Throughout the process, the emphasis is on reaching voluntary agreement
Collective bargaining
If a union is formally recognised by an employer, it can negotiate with the employer over terms and conditions. for example further agreements like this can be found in Agenda for Change for public
services. This is known as 'collective bargaining'.
For collective bargaining to work, unions and employers need to agree on how the arrangement is to operate.
They might, for example, make agreements providing for the deduction of union subscriptions from members' wages, who is to represent workers in negotiations and how often meetings will take place.
Both these agreements on procedure and agreements between employers and unions changing the terms applying to workers (like a pay increase for example) are called 'collective agreements'.
Your contract of employment will probably set out which collective agreements cover you.
It's possible that a union may negotiate on your behalf even if you're not a member
Joining a trade union
Why join a union?
Some workers join a trade union because they believe that a union can:
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negotiate better pay
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negotiate better working conditions, like more holidays or improved health and safety
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Heath and Wellbeing
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provide training for new skills
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give general advice and support which is highligted more below
Union members have the right to be accompanied to a discipline or grievance hearing by a trade union representative All employees, regardless of whether they are union members or not, are entitled to be accompanied by a work colleague. unions assist and help with Debt advice, Obtain benefits for you, some
may offer a free will service. Some deal with Education and many more.
How do you join a union?
If you want to join a recognised union in your workplace, you could approach a representative for information like the shop steward. Otherwise, contact the
relevant Trade Union for your Trade. to find out which union is relevant to you go to the Trade in your community and the Union will be in that area. . In addition click on the Union in the Seedlings area.
