Labor unions have played a key part in the history of almost
every nation. However, not many seem to know about their history. They have
been in existence for a long time now and have been responsible for the rapid
industrialization in many parts of the world. They have also been instrumental
in the formulation of earlier labor laws, the echoes of which are found in the
form of modern day human resources development tools.
Labor
unions trace their history back to the
guild system that was in existence a few centuries ago in certain parts of
Europe. The system saw employees working under someone formulate their own
rules and have a collective bargaining power with their employer. The guild
system could be said to be the frontrunner to the later day labor union movements.
Labor unions became very popular
during the eighteenth century. It all started with the industrial revolution
that erupted in Europe. Suddenly thousands of people were working in factories.
There were organizations needed to take care of their rights and welfare. The
movement soon spread to the United States of America. In fact, the labor union
s played a key role in the independence movement in the country. Protection of
workers soon became a key issue in various parts of the world. Asia too joined
in later on with the boom in industrialization in the continent.
The nineteenth century saw the
formation of the National labor organization in the United States of America, which was a landmark
event. Created in 1866, the membership of the union ran into thousands. Twenty
years later the famous American Federation of Labor , also known simply as AFL
was formed, and from then onwards there was literally no looking back for the
movement.
Trade unions have been gradually
adopting latest technology in recent times in order to serve union members
better. New concepts such as union pensions have been bought in during recent times too. A lot of people felt
that the days of labor unions were over around the world. However, nothing
could be further from truth, since they continue to be of crucial importance in
almost every part of the world. A typical labor organization today works
towards ending worker grievances using the most recent technologies.
Powerful trade unions are still
fighting for the rights of the working class in many countries. They have been
instrumental in bringing in increased wages and more benefits to thousands of
workers. In fact, workers directly owe their rising standards of living to the
trade unions.
