After taking HRMT last semester, I have a positive view towards labour unions. On the contrary, majority of the people (Pakistanis of course) I have come across are against it. They think it’s a form of business where union reps/leaders take money from you and don’t give you much if anything at all in return.
How has your experience been with unions?
Are you for or against them?
Do you have any interesting stories to share related to unions?
Re: Unions... good or bad?
Unions are harmfull to the economy of a country through making the labour force less flexible. Capital will prefer to flow to countries with greater labour force flexibility. This is because a flexible labour force is more productive at lower cost.
Re: Unions... good or bad?
What utter bull**** medic. Unions are a good thing.
Re: Unions... good or bad?
My stance on labor unions is neutral… I belong to one right now...
Overall I believe that unions have served workers well by helping them avoid being exploited by employers.
On the other hand, they also seem to have helped workers exploit employers. They have the power to hinder a company's ability to compete and thrive. Even though a firm might be in desperate trouble, yet its unions may be unwilling to bend or compromise in order to help the company survive.
Secondly, it is my personal feeling that unions have affected a decline in the value of merit. In a unionized environment, employees can't advance as much as they would be able to based purely on their merits – instead employees progress within the limits defined by union contracts. For example, in order to warrant a promotion, I need to have a predefined number of years of experience and my professional qualifications and individual achievements wouldn’t matter as much.
Re: Unions... good or bad?
Unions are absolutely necessary on developing and under-developed economies.
On a different plane, unions are a God send in non-democratic countries.
Re: Unions… good or bad?
Unions are only good for protecting the rights of workers. They are, on the other hand, damaging to the national interest. Truly patriotic workers would not be part of a union - only those who value themselves more than their country would join one.
Re: Unions... good or bad?
Explain to me how labour unions damage national interest? What national interest lies not in its people eh?
Re: Unions... good or bad?
So I gather...
Pros - good for workers' protection
Cons - bad for the economy & cause problems when it comes to promotions
I guess people who only like to get their work done and cherish job security would be more happy and satisfied with unions, whereas individuals who seek to excel and perhaps get promoted within the same organization would prefer non-union environment.
Has anyone here accepted or rejected a job offer partially or solely on the basis of a company's policy towards union or non-union work enviornment? Or would it be wise to accept or reject jobs on such a basis?
Re: Unions... good or bad?
Absolutely not bad for the economy. Its great for the economy. Well paid workers are well paid consumers. Well paid consumers buy products and consume more. Industry likes a high consumption rate. They thus produce more as there is more demand for their products. Companies and industries in turn make more money and in turn provide a miniscule percentage to the workers in the form of higher wages.
Labour unions make sure that they get their share.
Re: Unions... good or bad?
Jeez CM, when did you become such a socialist? :p
Well paid workers may be better consumers, but when a company shuts down a factory in a country because the union workers won't work as many hours as workers else where will work for less money - that just means bye-bye jobs.
Volkwagon's trouble in Germany comes to mind. Because German unions refuse to work as many hours for as little money as workers elsewhere (clearly protecting German workers' rights) , VW were considering shutting down those factories and moving production abroad.
Workers with no jobs because of labour market inflexibility are poor consumers.
Re: Unions... good or bad?
In other words, wages must increase everytime the CPI goes up.
The only negative feeling I have towards unions (for now) is that it could become an obstacle when it comes to getting promotions, as Umar Talib pointed out.
Re: Unions... good or bad?
You coming back with a response or what :p Or to busy day dreamin :p
Re: Unions… good or bad?
I edited in a response 
And I’ll daydream at my desk tomorrow, thankyouverymuch.
Re: Unions… good or bad?
Good argument. Problem is German workers have a higher productivity rate than anywhere else in Europe. They work harder better and in a shorter period of time. VW cars are still VW cars. They work less hours. They are happier and they can buy VW cars and make their employer happy.
Re: Unions... good or bad?
Unions are bad.
They help set safety standards and pay scales and restrict child labor.
Re: Unions… good or bad?
And all that, as I mentioned, is great for workers’ rights but creates labour market inflexibility that leads to a flight of capital to other countries.
Re: Unions… good or bad?
If all that was true, then VW would not be thinking about shifting its assembly lines to other countries.
The fact is, the beer-drinking, sauerkraut eating fat German worker is overrated and cannot compete with an Eastern European sweatshop.
Re: Unions… good or bad?
So does anti-slavery laws.
Re: Unions... good or bad?
VW does not think of productivity. They thing of profit margins. They can easily work in Eastern Europe invest in manufacturing equipment and other things that need to upgraded and then pay people zipo for the next 20 years. Only they would have to move in like 5 years again. Labour standards everywhere are increasing. In 20 years you wouldn't be able to do what you do now.
It is plain stupid to say labour unions are bad for an economy or a country. They are bad for companies. Never for an economy.
Re: Unions... good or bad?
^ CM, do you want to read your last sentence again..I will give you a little while to edit. tick tock..