1. Introduction
Labor relations deal with the fair, effective, and professional relationship between the management and the employees. The labor relations cover employees union, labor laws, labor history, collective bargaining, settlement, and the contract administration. The labor unions are organizations in which people’s works together to achieve common goals. The unions are democratic bodies of employees. They are legally recognized as representative bodies of workers in many countries. The purpose of these organizations is to maintain and control working conditions in a better way. There are certain goals to organize labor unions that include protection of the rights of workers, improve working conditions, better pay, and other benefits. The focus of this report is to investigate the role of labor unions for the level of their influence on shaping up corporate policies and procedures regarding human resource management. The labor unions are created to accomplish employees’ demands with collective bargaining over salary, wages, employee rights, better work conditions, employee’s security, retirement, and other benefits. The labor unions are playing an important role in most of the countries because workers expect certain standards for basic pay, wages, compensations, training, education, work hours, and skills. If employees’ demands are not met, then trade unions perform general strikes and boycotts (Ryan 1). In this report, different trade unions operating in Spain are discussed for their contribution and role in the labor market.
2. Labor Unions in Spain
Historically, the working conditions in Spain were not favorable. Therefore, workers created labor unions to raise their voice collectively for their rights. Later, trade unions were banned, and the use of strike right was not allowed during Franco’s dictatorship in 1939-1975. After the death of Franco, the scope of trade unions was increased. The trade union culture was promoted in the last decade of the nineteenth and the first of the twentieth century. Some trade unions were created during new labor movement in the 1960s (U.S. Library of Congress 2). The workers were not agreeing with working conditions and created trade union to use their democratic rights and meet their demands through collective bargaining with the management of companies. Presently, there are around 2.9 million members of trade unions in Spain (Fulton 2).
The trend of trade unions membership increased significantly after the end of Franco’s dictatorship, and they are making efforts together to improve working conditions. All members raise their voice through trade unions to meet their demands, but when their demands are not met then, they go on strikes to negotiate on their terms and conditions. There are leaders or representatives in every labor union who negotiate with the management on behalf of all workers and reach an agreement or settlement. The strike can be finished after reaching the final agreement. Due to a major change in the world resulting from globalization, modern technologies, and innovations the labor unions in Spain have faced various critical issues. The labor union’s memberships have decreased in last few years due to the unemployment crisis in the country. High unemployment level and poor economic conditions are affected directly to trade unions (Hamann 198).
Several trade unions are working in Spain out of which two are dominant trade unions including Confederacion Syndical de comisiones obereras CCOO and Union General de trabajadores UGT. Both unions represent workers and hold more than 70 percent of trade union memberships (Fulton 4). Both unions are working at the national level, and their representatives are actively participating in collective bargaining agreements, labor disputes, and share a unity of action. The number of memberships of both labor unions is almost same. There are other unions at the regional level including Union Sindical Obrera USO, Confederacion Nacional del Trabajo CNT, Confederacion General del Trabajo CGT, Confederacion Intersindical Galega CIG, Eusko Langileen Alkartasuna ELA, Langile Abertzaleen Batzordeak LAB and others. (Nikolai and Tietje 371).
3. Confederacion Sindical de Comisiones Obereras CCOO:
It is a prestigious, democratic, and biggest trade union in Spain that was founded in 1976. It is affiliated with the European Trade Union and Confederation and the International Trade Union Confederation. With more than one million members it is the most successful union in Spain. The organizational structure of Confederacion Sindical de Comisiones Obereras is based on 11 industrial federations. It defends exploited workers and tries to create a good working condition for all workers. The federations are elected together to organize a general strike against the management policies on many occasions. They are committed to building fair, free and equality-based society. The prime objectives of Confederacion Sindical de Comisiones Obereras are to enhance workers power, protect employees, and promote quality of employment. It is an independent democratic trade union struggling for better employment conditions in different industries of Spain. It is trying to improve health and safety at work, promote sustainable development, and maintain a system of social practices, pensions, and education. Currently, Confederacion Sindical de Comisiones Obereras Union is not able to perform well. It is facing severe membership crisis (Kohler and Jimenez 2).
4. Union General de trabajadores UGT:
Union General de Trabajadores is one of largest and oldest Spanish trade unions established in 1888. It is the institution of organized and productive workers with more than one million members who are together for workers’ rights, supporting unemployed people, and maintaining good labor conditions. The union is trying to promote better working conditions and equal opportunities and treatment for all workers. If discrimination takes place against any worker at the workplace, it takes immediate action against the organization or individual responsible for it. It is promoting awareness about women’s role in organizations and preventing cases of sexual and moral harassments. The Union General de trabajadores is a founding member of the European Trade Union and Confederation and International Trade Unions Confederation. It remained committed, democratic, demanding, and kept together for achievements of worker rights. The goal of Union General de Trabajadores is to do settlement and consensus with the management through collective bargaining and negotiations. It has defended workers in many cases and has successfully negotiated over 4,500 collective agreements. It supports and protects workers, provides trade union training, and also helps others trade unions. Currently, the Union General de trabajadores is facing difficulties and problems due to low economic growth. The level of unemployment is increasing which is directly affecting the youth and increasing poverty (Kohler and Jimenez 2).
The relationship between Union General de Trabajadores and Confederacion Syndical de Comisiones Obereras remained good. They are working together for the improvement of wages, salary, working conditions, and other benefits for workers. Beside these two organizations, there are several other smaller unions working in Spain (Nikolai and Tietje 372).
5. Union Sindical Obrera USO:
Unión Sindical Obrera was a third largest union in Spain that was created in 1961 as a clandestine organization. It has almost 120,000 members and 10,000 union representatives. The Unión Sindical Obrera (USO) is a member of the European Trade Union and Confederation and International Trade Unions Confederation. The objectives of Unión Sindical Obrera are to protect every worker, negotiate with the management, protect rights of workers, and ensure participation of all workers in every activity arranged by USO. Unión Sindical Obrera managed the new workers movement and it participated in the first underground workers’ commission (Goddeeris 1).
6. Confederacion Nacional del Trabajo CNT:
National Confederation of Labor is trade union was founded in 1910, which is affiliated with the International Workers Association. The prime objectives of Confederacion Nacional del Trabajo are to build unity among all members, sense of togetherness, confidence to improve works conditions, and make strategic plans. It has strongly focused on improving workers’s confidence, self-management, freedom of expression, and mutual aid (Tom 267).
7. Confederacion General del Trabajo CGT:
The General Confederacion of Labor is a Spanish trade union that was created in 1979. It was one of the largest trade unions with around 80,000 members. It is playing an important role in the autonomous community of Spain Catalonia. It is supporting its members working for the state-owned railway company, RENFE, Spanish automobile manufacturer company, SEAT, and other companies in Catalonia. The General Confederacion of Labor is independent labor union and rejected some agreement negotiated by others labor unions through collective bargaining (Kohler and Jimenez 2).
8. Confederacion Intersindical Galega CIG:
It is a labor union that was founded in 1993 and is located in Galicia, Spain. The Confederacion Intersindical Galega was created after the merger of two famous trade unions the National Inter Union of the Galician Workers and Confederacion Xeral de Traballadores Galegos Intersindical Nacional. It has more than 80,000 members and also arranged rallies and workers’ strikes on six different occasions when management ignored their demands (Dudek 167).
9. Eusko Langileen Alkartasuna ELA:
Basque Workers Solidarity Labor Trade Union was a very effective organization formed in 1911 and was located in the Basque county. It had more than one million members and created very close relationships with the Basque Nationalist Party. Eusko Langileen Alkartasuna was an independent trade union that was banned during Franco’s dictatorship as it was found to be involved in the Spanish Civil War. It was reformed in 1976 with new rules and regulations Kohler and Jimenez 2).
10. Langile Abertzaleen Batzordeak LAB:
The National Workers Committees were part of the Basque National Liberation Movement known as the Basque Union that was created in 1970. It has approximately 45,000 members, and it is affiliated with World Federation of Trade Union. Langile Abertzaleen Batzordeak (LAB) has 18 percent workers committee seats in the Basque county and is the most efficient trade union in the region. It is helping all members and participants in collective bargaining agreements with organizations (Kohler and Jimenez 2).
11. Sindicato Andaluz de Trabajadores SAT:
It is also known as the Andalusian Workers Union and is present in the autonomous community of Andalusia Spain. Sindicato Andaluz de Trabajadores was created in 2007 on the basis of internationalism, Andalusian nationalism, and anti-capitalism. It has arranged many protests and strikes in Robin Hood style (Pablo 10).
12. Organization Sindical Espanol OSE:
Organization Sindical Espanol OSE is a Spanish trade union that was established in 1940. It was once the only legal trade union in Spain. It has played an important role in representing and controlling the labor force. It was dissolved in 1976, and a vertical trade union was created to control the labor relations. The main objectives of the vertical trade union were to control and maintain discipline and unity among workers.
13. Conclusion:
The trade unions are playing a crucial role in many organizations because they are working for providing good working conditions, salaries, wages, and other benefits that could help employees fulfill their needs. They are safeguarding workers from discrimination, racism, and sexual and moral harassments at workplaces. The trade unions are providing powers to workers to fight for their rights and meet their demands through collective bargaining and discussion with the management. Currently, the situation of trade unions in Spain is not well because their memberships have reduced. The trade unions are facing very difficult situation in Spain for the last three or four years due to the slowdown in the economy and labor market. The unemployment ratio has increased, and economic growth is low. Some trade unions are also caught and trialed in corruption cases such as Confederacion Sindical de Comisiones Obereras in which their several members are involved. In Spain, the investment by the private sector is not sufficient, and the risk of greater poverty is also increasing. The agreements through collective bargaining are decreased. Overall, the popularity of train unions in Spain is decreasing.
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