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O LevelEconomicsCambridge (CIE)Revision Notes3. Microeconomic Decision Makers3.4 Trade UnionsTypes of Trade Unions

Types of Trade Unions (Cambridge (CIE) O Level Economics)

Revision Note

Steve Vorster

Written by: Steve Vorster

Reviewed by: Jenna Quinn

Types of Trade Unions

  • A trade union is an organisation that represents the interests of its workers in negotiations with a firm’s management or owners

  • The interests of the worker include

    • Wage and non-wage benefits of employment

    • Health and safety in the working environment

    • The reduction of discrimination and worker exploitation

  • Trade unions are usually formed by the members of specific industries

    • Airline pilots have a pilots' union

    • Rail and sea workers have a rail and maritime union

  • If there is no specialist union for an industry, most economies have a number of general unions which any worker can join e.g. In the UK, UNISON is the largest trade union, and it represents workers from across the public sector including those working in local government, education and health

  • All trade unions can be classified into one of four categories
     

Types of Trade Unions

Type of Union

Explanation

General Union

  • These represents skilled and unskilled workers in any industry e.g. truck drivers, football referees, musicians and gardeners

Industrial Union

  • These represents workers in the same industry. Anyone in the industry can join, irrespective of skill level or seniority e.g. The Fire Brigades Union in the United Kingdom

Craft Union

  • These represent skilled workers with a specific trade e.g. painters, electricians

White Collar Union

  • These represent professional office-based (‘white-collar’) workers e.g. financial advisors, teachers, architects, designers

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    Author
    Reviewer
    Steve Vorster

    Author: Steve Vorster

    Expertise: Economics & Business Subject Lead

    Steve has taught A Level, GCSE, IGCSE Business and Economics - as well as IBDP Economics and Business Management. He is an IBDP Examiner and IGCSE textbook author. His students regularly achieve 90-100% in their final exams. Steve has been the Assistant Head of Sixth Form for a school in Devon, and Head of Economics at the world's largest International school in Singapore. He loves to create resources which speed up student learning and are easily accessible by all.

    Jenna Quinn

    Author: Jenna Quinn

    Expertise: Head of New Subjects

    Jenna studied at Cardiff University before training to become a science teacher at the University of Bath specialising in Biology (although she loves teaching all three sciences at GCSE level!). Teaching is her passion, and with 10 years experience teaching across a wide range of specifications – from GCSE and A Level Biology in the UK to IGCSE and IB Biology internationally – she knows what is required to pass those Biology exams.