User talk:Bookandcoffee/Labour

I started trying to rework the trade union article myself, a while ago, but didn't get very far. This was my rewrite of some of the first paragraph. Some of it may be useful. I did like the idea of taking an established definition that we can attribute to someone, rather than writing our own. I chose Sidney and Beatrice Webb's (but I don't know how to do footnotes). Mattley ^(Chattley) 08:23, 19 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A trade union, or labor/labour union, is "a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment" (S. & B. Webb, 1919:1). Unions may organise a particular section of skilled workers (craft unionism), a cross-section of workers from various trades (general unionism), or attempt to organise all workers within a particular industry (industrial unionism). The immediate objectives and activities of trade unions vary, but may include:

Provision of benefits to members: Early trade unions, like Friendly Societies, often provided a range of benefits to insure members against unemployment, ill health, old age and funeral expenses. In many developed countries, these functions have been assumed by the state, however the provision of legal advice and representation for members remains an important benefit of trade union membership.
Collective bargaining: Where trade unions are able to operate openly and are recognised by employers, they may negotiate with employers over pay and conditions.
Industrial action: Trade unions may organise strikes or resistance to lockouts in furtherance of particular goals.
Political activity: Trade unions may promote legislation favourable to the interests of their members or workers as a whole. To this end they may pursue campaigns; undertake lobbying; financially support individual candidates or parties (such as the Labour Party in the United Kingdom) for public office.

S & B Webb, History of Trade Unionism, 1666-1920 (London, 1919), p. 1.

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