WHY HAVE UNIONS WITNESSED A DECLINE
IN MEMBERSHIP IN RECENT YEARS?
ITRODUCTION
WHAT ARE UNIONS?
UNIONS ARE INFLUENTIAL AND BROADLY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS WHICH REPRESENT IT'S MEMBERS, WHO
ARE USUALLY EMPLOYEE'S. THEY HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR
A LONG IN AUSTRALIA AND EXPERIENCED MIXED
RESPONSES FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL AS
EMPLOYER'S.
OBJECTIVES OF A UNION: THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE
OF A UNION IS TO PROVIDE OR IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING
OF IT'S MEMBER'S. IT WAS FORMED TO COUNER THE
SUPERIOR ECONOMIC POWER OF EMPLOYER'S. IT'S MOST
IMPORTANT FUNCTION IS TO MAXIMISE WAGES AND
SALARIES SUBJECT TO CERTAIN EMPLOYMENT
CONSTAINTS AND TO RAISE THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
UNDER WHICH WORK IS DONE.
WHY DO EMPLOYEE'S JOIN UNONS?
AN EMPLOYEE CAN BE MOTIVATED BY INSTUMENTAL
CONSIDERATIONS, IDEOLOGICAL BELIEFS OR SIMPLY
COMPULSION, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE 3 MAJOR FACTORS
THAT LEAD EMPLOYEES TO BE UNIONIZED:
DISSATISFACTION WITH THE ECONOMIC ASPECTS
OF THE JOB
DESIRE TO INFLUENCETHOSE ASPECTS OF THE WORK
ENVIRONMENT THROUGH UNION ORIENTATED
MEANS
BELIEF THAT BENEFITS OF UNIONISM OUTWEIGH
EXPECTED COSTS
MOST COMMONLY, EMPLOYEE'S JOIN BECAUSE OF THEIR
COMMITTMENT TO THE VALUES OR PRINCIPLES OF
UNIONISM. (INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS- A CONTEMPORARY
ANALYSIS, DEERY S., PLOWMAN D., WALSH J. P 7.16)
WHY ARE UNIONS WITNESSING DECLINE?
THERE ARE MANY POSSIBLE REASONS TO SUGGEST THE
DECLINE IN MEMBERSHIP BUT 3 FACTORS STAND OUT:
1.) CHANGING COMPOSITION OF
EMPLOYMENT
- PRIVATE AN ...