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The Pros And Cons Of Trade Unions

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The Pros And Cons Of Trade Unions
A union is an organized group of workers who are dedicated to protecting members’ interests, negotiating with businesses and corporations on their behalves, to improve their wages, working conditions and hours.
Trade Unions ensure that workers receive fair treatment, protection and various other benefits in the workplace. These include, - but are not limited to- social security payment, overtime pay and minimum wage. Its role is not only confined to protecting employees, but also stabilizing economic activity by increasing the share of national income that goes to wages rather than profit. This thus, leads to greater expenditure on the worker’s behalf leading to an increase in consumerism and job opportunities, stimulating its growth.
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Many are parents, primary caregivers, or are helping their family, and those who aren’t, are students under the crippling weight of high tuition fees, student debt and education cuts. Therefore, they tend to work two or more jobs at the same time to stay afloat, which have meagre wages, where more often than not, they are target of exploitation due to their tight position. In regards to this, unions are a reliable asset to ensure that the minimum, if not the suitable wage requirements are being met with, due to the fact that they are regulated by federal and provincial legislation in Canada. Not only are they required by law to be financially accountable to their members, but since they get their funds only from their members, the chances of divided loyalties are close too …show more content…
In a unionized workplace they have a voice and an advocate, which play a role in fighting for workers’ right to safety in the workplace. It is in the process of struggling for basic rights and improvements where the workers not only get collective rights through union membership, but also develop and deepen their sense of being part of a larger movement and gain an understanding of capitalism. There are also examples of new initiatives and successful approaches unions use to organize and involve younger members. This includes reaching out to the people to attend leadership trainings, and organizing youth conferences and engaging them in recreational ways. Other benefits include, retirement plans, health insurance, vacation, educational or sick leave, and tuition

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