According to G.D.H. Cole, a trade union means, “an association of workers in one or more professions – an association carried on mainly for the purpose of protecting and advancing the members’ economic interests in connection with their daily work.”
Indian Trade Union Act, 1926 defined trade union as “any combination whether temporary or permanent formed primarily for the purpose of regulating the relations between workmen and employers or between workmen and workmen, between employers and employers or for imposing restrictive conditions on the conduct of any trade or business and include any federation of two or more trade unions.”
Why do Workers Join Trade Unions?
Workers join trade unions to achieve their objectives which they could not achieve individually. Specifically workers join trade unions due to the following reasons.
1.To attain economic security. In other words, securing permanent employment with higher salary and benefits.
•2. To improve their bargaining power and balance it with that of management. Workers would like to restrain or resist the management’s irrational, illogical and discriminatory actions. Workers can resist the management by improving their bargaining power which in turn requires joining in trade unions. Management’s decisions regarding promotions, transfers, work assignment, grievance redressal, disciplinary issues can be challenged by a group of workers rather than any individual worker.
•3. To ventilate the workers’ grievances to the management.
•4. To inform workers’ views, aims, ideas and dissatisfaction/frustrations to the management.
•5. To secure protection from unexpected economic needs like illness, accidents, injury etc.
•6. To satisfy their social and psychological needs.
•7. To secure power.