Introduction
Unions, also commonly referred to as labour unions or trade unions, are an important part of the workplaces of most nations. The objectives and structures of these organisations vary widely in response to the economic and political environment in which they function. However, the definition of a union first proposed in 1920 by the scholars Sidney and Beatrice Webb is still widely accepted as accurate. The Webbs defined unions as “continuous associations of wage earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their working lives” (1920).
The union movements of each country have their own distinct history, forms and structures, but there are also common issues and challenges that labour ...
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