Workers and the economy

Workers and the Economy WORKERS AND THE ECONOMY Trade unions are organizations that are made up of members. The membership of trade unions is always made up of workers, and therefore trade unions are membership based organizations (Coulter, 2014). Trade unions are supposed to advance, protect and respect the interests of its members in the workplaces. Members who belong to one trade union come together for one reason of achieving common goals. Some of the targets of trade unions include achieving better-working conditions, protecting the trade’s integrity, better safety standards, higher payments and healthcare and retirement benefits. Leaders of trade unions bargain with the employers and negotiate on the labor contracts on behalf of the members. For Trade unions to be strong and effective, they must attain certain modes of equality, democracy, and even ecological sustainability to ensure fair shares of resources (Coulter, 2014).
Trade unions should enhance democracy through union democracy. Union democracy is the governance of any trade unions. Union democracy should ensure equality during elections and also quality and fair elections. Union democracy should also ensure that the executives of that union are representing the interests of the members accurately. Trade unions should, therefore, aspire to create a democratic society because it helps build an independent civil society. An independent society helps the people and members of the union make decisions on the leaders they want (Coulter, 2014). Democracy also helps the leaders to represent the members’ interests, needs and wants. Union democracy is also very important since it aids and trains people on how they should speak for themselves and also express confidence in their communities. A democratic union makes its members free to talk to their leaders about their needs and interests. It helps the members to have a voice in the leadership of their unions because they can challenge any authority.
Since democracy is a system of ruling that is based on a government of the people, by the people and for the people, it protects the people’s freedom and interests. Democracy is also very crucial as it helps to control the leaders of the trade unions. Democracy prevents the leaders from abusing the power that is bestowed on them and using the leadership positions for their gains. Trade unions should embrace democracy as it avoids autocratic leadership and encourages popular participation (Coulter, 2014). All the members of the union, therefore, have equal opportunities to become informed and are directly involved in influencing the process of decision-making.
Trade unions should ensure there is equality among their members. Equality is very important as it helps to develop a democratic and effective society. Inequality in trade unions can be brought about by age, gender identity, disability, faith, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, communication (literacy and language), income and pregnancy or family responsibilities. The democratic unions help to protect and promote the workers’ rights and make unions fight against any discrimination at the workplace. Trade unions should ensure that there is gender equality since gender is an important source of any market discrimination. Trade unions need to ensure that equality is enhanced so as to ensure that all people have similar rights. They should ensure that the people who have any disability, race, sex, and age are treated equally. If the equality is enhanced in trade unions, there will be equal chances for everyone regardless of the situations they have in life (Coulter, 2014).
Ecological sustainability is the biospheres capacity to meet the present generation’s needs by ensuring that the future generations will also meet their needs (Coulter, 2014). Trade unions should ensure that natural resources available are used wisely in the short term so that they can also be available in the long term. Trade unions are responsible for putting forward the social protection and justice, training programs for employment in the green sectors, education and sustainable public procurement. If trade unions enhance the ecological sustainability, ecological disasters will be prevented. It also ensures that the society is safe in the future as it is in the present.
In conclusion, trade unions are very important in our societies as they help to ensure equality, ecological sustainability and democracy are enhanced. It is therefore very important for trade unions to collaborate with unions in other countries. The collaboration will help to share different ideas and exchange working strategies. It will also help in brainstorming ideas therefore problem-solving becomes very easy (Coulter, 2014). Trade union collaboration will also help create a conducive environment. If all trade unions uphold moral integrity and fight for their employees’ welfare, the whole world will be united.

Reference
Coulter, S. (2014). New Labour policy, industrial relations and the trade unions. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.