The organising of workers has always been and remains a core function of trade unions. In some parts of the world, trade unions are faced with the enormous challenge of organising workers. It comes somewhat as a surprise that this has emerged as a universal problem. The global environmental and labour market changes can be blamed for the fall-off in the unionisation of workers which is being experienced.
The world has seen a shift which has been brought on by globalisation, and technological, environmental and demographic changes. In the traditional workplace, workers were not made to feel that they were under siege; thus, they were not prevented from joining a trade union. Through the years, there has been the integration of mechanisation and other forms of technology. In their quest to organise workers, trade unions are constantly reminded of the change to the workplace environment, where some employers are choosing not to recognise the collective bargaining unit at the workplace. Such is the nature of the beast. In the contemporary world, it is unthinkable that employers would go as far as to deny workers their constitutional right to join a trade union of their choosing. They seem to have taken a position that, as the employer, they have the right to set the terms of engagement that apply to the employee.
Trade unions are saddled with the arduous task of convincing workers that their employer’s actions are unfair and unlawful. Unionisation can be seen as a right of every employee. With this being the case, workers are left to feel that their rights are being abridged by the employer. Moreover, it may be seen as an act of betrayal on the part of the political directorate, in that no decisive action has been taken to address this concern of workers and trade unions.
The enactment of a Trade Union Recognition Act seems an obvious response to curb the abuse of the privilege that employers currently enjoy. It is a reasonable assumption that workers may have lost confidence and trust in trade unions over their inability to pressure the government in their locale to put a Trade Union Recognition Act into law. This piece of legislation is a formal agreement which requires the employer to enter into the process of collective bargaining with employees through their representative trade union.
The new strategy by employers of offering a contract of employment to individual employees bypasses the collective bargaining unit. It allows individual employees to negotiate the terms and conditions of service, including pay. This seems to be a deliberate ploy that is directed to counteract trade union organising.
Trade unions have a responsibility and task to educate workers on the pros and cons of negotiating a personal agreement. Whereas it may appear that it gives the individual more control, it must be understood that this is only a temporary state. There can be no denying that there is strength in numbers. For example, it should not be overlooked that the individual will be ineffective in seeking redress when it comes to taking any form of industrial or protest action.
Finally, there are other divergent tactics which are being employed. These are in the form of the promotion of entrepreneurship, the third sector and the gig economy. Whereas the focus on these sectors widens the base for trade union organising, there is the distinct possibility that those who are engaged in the informal economy have a vested interest in trade union membership.
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