XLRI, Jamshedpur Pranabesh Ray

SOME TERMS AND THEIR EXPLANATIONS

1. Craft Union:

An organisation of workers bound by a common occupation, skill, or trade or a

group of closely related skilled tasks. Organisation may be purely local or national
in scope. For example, Pilots Union of Indian Airlines; Guards Union of S.E.Rly;
Crane Drivers’ Union in some Steel Plants, etc.

It is an organisation of workers employed in a particular craft or trade or in a single

or two or three related trades/crafts/occupations. Such organisations link together
those workers who have similar skills, craft training and specialisation.
“Historically speaking, it were the craft unions that lent stability to the trade union
movement because of their relative stability in employment and higher earnings,”
The craft unions are mostly found amongst non-manual employees and
professional workers. Ahmedabad Weavers’ Union, the International Wood
Carvers’ Association and the Indian Pilots’ Guild are the outstanding examples of
such unions. Others are the trade unions of employees in the commercial and
banking industry, government establishments, and of the journalists, teachers,
engineers, actors, barbers, doctors, mechanics, etc.

The members are generally craft-conscious rather than class-conscious. They

derive their strength from the strategic position of their workers. Such unions are
horizontal in character, for they enroll workers engaged in one or a single group of
processes, such as spinning, weaving, warping, watch and ward; or carpenters,
joiners, frame-makers.

2. Industrial Union :

A term used to describe the structure of a particular union in relation to company

operations. Workers in an industrial union are organised essentially on the basis
of the product for example, workers in rubber, steel, automobile, mining, etc. In
this, generally all the workers in a plant or industry, unskilled, semiskilled, and
skilled are included in the industrial union. This type of structure is also referred to
as vertical unionism. Similarly the craft unionism is sometimes referred to as
horizontal unionism.

It is an organisation of workers which links all craftsmen and skilled workers in

any one industry (such as coal, engineering, plantation, textiles) regardless of the
differences in craft, skill, grade, position, or sex. The common bond here is the
industry in which the workers are employed. It is organised upon an industry-wise
rather than a craft-wise basis. The membership is large: and it makes workers
class-conscious and increases the feeling of solidarity among them.
 The Textile Labour Association of Ahmedabad, the Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh,
Bombay, the Engineering Mazdoor Sabha, Bombay, the Labour Mines Mazdoor
Sangh, Udaipur, are important examples.

3. General Union :

A term generally applied which accepts into membership all those desirous of
joining. It embraces all workers, from the unskilled to the skilled. It is distinguished
from the craft unions, which are confined to a group with homogeneous needs
objectives.

It is that organisation which covers various industries and labourers having

different types of skills. The objectives of these unions are all-embracing in
character. They have numerical superiority, for they are open to all classes of
workers; and this is the source of their strength. From the point of view of
solidarity, this type is ideal. The Jamshedpur Labour Union, Jamshedpur, the
National Union of Municipal and General Workers, the Transport and General
Workers’ Union in the UK are examples of this type of unions.

4. Closed Shop :

A union-security arrangement where the employer is required to hire only

employees who are member of the Union. This practice was outlawed in USA as
per the Taft-Hartley Act 1946. In UK, “closed shop’ is still prevalent though certain
restrictions have been put according to Employment Act of 1982. This is not
prevalent in India.

Under it the employer employs only union members; and the union often acts as
an employment agency for the industry. This type of security exercises control
over the supply of labour and thereby strengthens the union organisation. The
closed shop enables the union to ration job opportunities among members of the
union on some equitable basis. It eliminates factional strife within the working
force by giving a union exclusive recognition and an assured status. Further, it
improves discipline and brings about a greater feeling of responsibility and
interest in their jobs on the part of employees because they have a voice in
determining their working conditions. As employment is made contingent upon
the maintenance of good standing in the union, the commitment of the employee
to permanent union membership is secured. Closed shop also brings benefit to
the employers in so far as such arrangement puts an end to periodic, short but
troublesome interruptions in operations; besides putting an end to the frequent
demands by the union for concessions from the employer for the sole purpose of
holding membership. Wage costs are also standardized.

But as against these benefits, the closed shop is criticized on several counts. By
creating a labour monopoly, the employer is deprived of the privilege of selecting
 a worker of his choice. It diminishes the powers of foremen and supervisors and
thus creates a problem of discipline in the plant because a closed shop exercises
great influence on the employees. Finally, the employee is obliged to accept the
decisions of the union, and in case of non-agreement or non-observance of the
decision, he runs the risk of losing the job, through expulsion from the union.

5. Closed Union

A Union which through various methods seeks to protect the job opportunities of
its members by limiting those who may enter the trade and become members.
Membership is restricted through unusually high initiation fees and dues, and by
laying down certain restrictive terms and conditions.

6. Union Shop :

A form of Union-security which lets the employer hire whomever he pleases but
requires all new employees to become members of the union within a specified
time, usually 30 to 90 days.

Under which all the employees in the bargaining unit must be or become members
of the union after a specified date. A union shop is desirable for the contribution it
can make to stabilize industrial relations. A union whose security is beyond
question can afford to be more reasonable on other matters such as promotions,
lay-offs and other points on which discrimination is possible against union
members.