Role of Trade Union in Employment Relations in Italy and China

This essay explores the role of trade unions in employment relations in Italy and China, focusing on their impact on employee rights and workplace dynamics.

Trade Union

Table of Contents
Title: Role of trade union in employment relations in Italy and China...........................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Role of trade union in employment relations in Italy and China................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

Title: Role of trade union in employment relations in Italy and China.
INTRODUCTION
Due to change in social, educational environment, political in context of awareness of
right, trade union is one of the important component within the employee relation. The main
reason behind this is that trade union play a significant role in protecting the interest and rights of
its employees (Quain, 2019). In addition to this, trade union is also known as labour union which
is one of the important part of organisation that contributes in creating a harmonious workplace
where in workers are perform their best without any kind of complexities. One of the main target
of trade union is to effectively negotiate along with employers about the matter that affecting the
employee at working area. Current essay is based on the role of trade union in employee relation
in context of China and Italy.
MAIN BODY
Role of trade union in employment relations in Italy and China
Trade union is consider as an organisation or a group that join by workers so that they
can have their goal well represented. As it being able to resolve workplace issues with the help of
being a voice for workers and also act as a bargaining representative at the time of bargaining
negotiations for workers within the business organisation. Along with this, it also work with
organizational management with the aim of providing them better working environment and at
the same time also work for workplace issues (Regalia and Regini, 2018). As both Italy and
China countries having trade union that work for providing proper protection to employees who
are join the same. The main role of trade union within these countries is that it being an advocate
for workers and also ensuring that employees are meeting their minimum obligations. In this
context, the relation between labour union and employer has been contentious but other hand
labour union is refers to the way in which workers and employer are work together in order to
create a healthy workplace.
Union revitalisation is refers to the important and desirable aspects in various countries.
As role of trade of unions in labour market and society. Along with this, trade union are also
converting into similar strategies of revitalisation. As the particular share of the revitalisation
strategy is formed by the specific aspect of the challenges that union were faced. Moreover,
developing as well as organising efforts, internal innovation, social partnership, political
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campaign activities and extension. Revitalisation includes various strategies of unions in
different countries and at the same time also outlines the different insights that put their efforts in
developing or arising from employee relation within the specific countries and organisation as
well. In this regards, various revitalisation strategies can be evaluated and determined as pee
efforts that aims at redistributing power and resource by appropriate stepped-up political
activities, effort to diverse range of people (Arduino, 2016). All these efforts are build a union
movement of grass roots membership activities within the business organisation. Every country
has their own industrial relation system that contributes in protecting workers at working area. In
context of Italy, Italian union are seems to pay less attention to implementing as well as
organising strategy. As they have also improved their service capacities in order to attract new
members.
In Italy, there are more trade union as compare to other countries in EU. But, other side,
around half of the membership is made up of pensioners. In context of this, more than 12 million
employers are in Italian trade union as a huge dimension of all the members are retired. As per
ICTWSS data base of trade union membership put union density at 34.4% in 2018 (TRADE
UNIONS, 2016). Moreover, in Italy, there are three main trade union whose work for employee
rights and also protect their interest as well. Although there are also others in this nation but
these are the curial and biggest trade union confederations (Tassinari and Maccarrone, 2017).
From these trade union, CGIL is one of the largest labour union which has around 5,518,774
members in which around 2,772,928 are employed. In addition to this, second largest trade union
is CISL that include approx 4,079,490 members of whom around 2,379,871 are employed and on
the other side another largest union is UIL that has 1966301 are members and 1395235 are
employed (Namuth, 2013). As per past scenario, these union had fairly clear political affiliations
as CGIL was related to the communist party, CISL was develop through Catholic trade unionists
which were work in the Christian Democratic party and on the other hand UIL was active for
Socialist Party. In context to this, there are some important role of these union for employee
relation are as follows:
Collective bargaining is consider as an important role of trade union as it support in
protecting employee interest within the company. As per agreement of 2009, it accept that
pressure from the employer an organisation or group of people allow to business in order to deals
with undercut national and regional agreements (Ibsen and Tapia, 2017). In this CGIL had
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refused to agreements with CISL and UIL in context to evaluating the new flexibility negotiating
system. It also includes decentralised collective bargaining agreements that support in enhancing
the productivity level of employees as it increase it at the expenses of real wages. Mainly,
collective bargaining also take place into two levels like sectors and workplace as well.
This union is also play their role with employees to resolve the labour issues in which
they focus on evaluating the disputes that workers are faced at the time of performing their
activities (Durazzi, Fleckenstein, T. and Lee, 2018). In this, trade union of Italy act like
intermediary between business owner and employer also. As they have enough experience and
knowledge at resolving the issues with the help of formal arbitrations and grievance process
implement by union to protect workers at working area.
Along with this, trade union of Italy is also help in saving employer time by using
collective bargaining as it may assist in providing fair wages, flexible working hours, other
benefits and also includes appropriate standards for increasing wages at working area (Whittall
and et. al., 2017). With the help of appropriate collective bargaining, trade union in Italy can
protect employees are are joined in this and also protect them from any kind of litigation. In
addition to this, implementing collective bargaining agreements also refers to a important evil as
it support in saving time and money of company by increasing further benefits to employees.
Trade union also works for making employee productive by keeping them protect from
any kind of negative influences. In this regards, one of the main role of trade union is to reduce
the conflicts with company as its also focus on ensuring that all the workers are treated fairly and
at the same time also feel comfortable and safe at the time of working at workplace.
Furthermore, union employee or its members also earn around 30% more in their wages as
compare to non-union employees (Leonardi, 2017). Along with this, approx 92% workers who
are member of trade union also have health insurance. This is the reason that employee join trade
union and protect their interest as well. It directly contributes in improving the positive employee
relation and also enhance their productivity level within the business organisation.
In context to China trade union, the economy of this country has rapidly develop due to
this, the issues of labour relations have also increased. In this regards, Independent unions are
consider as a illegal in China in which only the All China federations of trade unions is allow to
operates as it work for improvement and benefits for employees. Mainly, the main focus of this
trade union is to keep Chinese workers protective and safe at working area where they are
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worked. In context to this, All- Chine Federations of Trade Unions is one of the largest trade
union in the whole world along with around 302 million members in which approx 1713000 are
primary trade union (Wrest, 2017). As ACFTU, is also divided into 31 regional federations and
10 national industrial unions. This type of trade union is sole legally mandated trade union that
mus be affiliated by enterprise. In relation to this, ACFTU is the only one trade that is legally
allowed and also exist in the country as it help in determining or highlighting the gap between
employee and their representation that present across all types of industries in China. It also
claims that it is world's largest union organization that focus on maintaining positive relation
among employee and employer as well as it help in reducing the possibilities of arising any kind
of issues. ACFTU is also reform with the aim of strengthen its credibility and the effectiveness
of the employees performance at working area. This trade union also put efforts for benchmark
of core labour rights on freedom that is related and collective bargaining. The main target of
ACFTU reformers are on labour market as unproductive (Leung, 2002). Reason behind this is
that industries were continuously overstaffed in order to fulfil the socialist goals and also provide
them proper job security. By this workers are effectively perform their duties. In this type of
ACFTU, membership is not much important or crucial but other side of unions, the role of social
benefits distribution, the pressure of economic is great for employees to join.
ACFTU is founded in 1925 as it has around 170 million of members. Mainly, it is the
effective and largest trade union that legally recognised but at the same time its membership is
shrinking in which it is privately owned companies as it has higher share of the economy of
nation. This trade union is also responding towards all the challenges that faced by employees in
working environment with the help of mounting as well as maintaining campaign within the
private sector from the foreign owned. This is the reason that Federation focus in increasing
membership to 200 million by 2008 September. It also expects to announce completion of 100
day with bold unionisation efforts (Bai, 2011). Mainly, ACFTU is a successful roots for
organising campaign that may assist in building positive employee relation within the business
organisation. In relation to this, ACFTU is also has official website that reveals its cooperation
along with management as foreign trade union also invested organisation in China that have
firmly focused on business operations and its production as per the laws. As educated employees
are the also responsible for following al the rules and regulation of the company. As a result, it
may enhance the productivity level of workers in business organisation and at the same time also
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contribute to the development of the enterprise. In this, business have been consulted on the basis
of level of wages that they offered to its employees. As they have not proper collective
bargaining and also not have enough with the same. This trade union of China also includes the
parties and at the same time also promoting the production level of the workers. For attaining the
same, they also includes some roles in context to enforcing the employee discipline. As per the
view points of membership in ACFTU trade union, the significant aspect is focused on the social
and welfare services for employee to protect their rights at the time of executing their activities
in the specific business organization. Therefore, it is stated that the trade union have also looked
at the employee safety, develop or manage social and cultural activities that contributes in
engaging the workers with business activities in an effective way. They also provide old age
pensions, insurance to workers, provide benefits to disable employees and other welfare
schemes.
Both Italy and China has their own trade union in industrial relation as ACFTU is work
for China that focus in managing employment relation within the business organisation. As, it do
not have any political and socio-economic impact as it reform initiative that not only beneficial
for China's workers but also bolster the political legitimacy of the communist party. It is
uniquely placed to improve the pay and at the same time also develop a better Woking condition
for China's workers. As it also made some efforts for defend workers right at working area and
make employees productive (De Marchi, Di Maria and Gereffi, 2017). On the other, when talk
about Italian trade union there are three union like CGIL, CISL and UIL. These are work for
protecting workers rights and had fairly clear political affiliations. These union are politically
aligned as it focus on managing employee productivity by making them secure at working
environment. These union are also assist in providing welfare benefits to people. It includes
bargaining system that allow sectoral agreements that implement and modified at company. The
main challenge that faced by Italian company is that the trade union work in context to
fragmented economic structure.
CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned report it has been concluded that trade union play a significant
role in business organisation and country as well. In relation to China and Italy, there are
different trade unions that has their specified role for developing a positive employee relation.
All of these trade union are work for betterment of employee as they focus on providing them
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proper safety environment at working area, includes appropriate collective bargaining, positive
relation with employee and employer. All these can be beneficial in managing proper employee
relation and at the same time also make workers more productive towards the company. These
trade union also provide various benefits including save time and cost of business, reduce
employee turnover, positive and healthy relation, safe and motivated working environment
wherein all the employees give their best efforts for attainment their targets. In addition to this,
trade union in Italy are also managed as per the industry basis that protect the worker in non
standard jobs. As it may also build positive relation and at the same time also keep them
productive so that they can easily perform their job duties.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Regalia, I. & Regini, M., (2018). Trade unions and employment relations in Italy during the
economic crisis. South European Society and Politics. 23(1). pp.63-79.
Tassinari, A. & Maccarrone, V., (2017). The mobilisation of gig economy couriers in Italy: some
lessons for the trade union movement.
Whittall, M. & et. al., (2017). Workplace trade union engagement with European Works
Councils and transnational agreements: The case of Volkswagen Europe. European Journal of
Industrial Relations. 23(4). pp.397-414.
Leonardi, S., (2017). Trade unions and collective bargaining in Italy during the crisis. Rough
waters European trade unions in a time of crises, p.83.
Ibsen, C.L. & Tapia, M., (2017). Trade union revitalisation: Where are we now? Where to
next?. Journal of Industrial Relations. 59(2). pp.170-191.
Durazzi, N., Fleckenstein, T. & Lee, S.C., (2018). Social solidarity for all? Trade union
strategies, labor market dualization, and the welfare state in Italy and South Korea. Politics &
Society, 46(2), pp.205-233.
Arduino, A., (2016). China's One Belt One Road: Has the European Union Missed the Train?.
De Marchi, V., Di Maria, E. & Gereffi, G., (2017). Industrial districts, clusters and global value
chains. Local Clusters in Global Value Chains: Linking Actors and Territories Through
Manufacturing and Innovation.
Online
Bai, R., 2011. THE ROLE OF THE ALL CHINA FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS:
IMPLICATIONS FOR CHINESE WORKERS TODAY. [Online]. Available
through:<https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1743-4580.2010.00318.x>.
Leung, T., 2002. ACFTU and Union Organizing. [Online]. Available
through:<https://clb.org.hk/content/acftu-and-union-organizing>.
Wrest, S., 2017. Trade Union Law and Collective Bargaining in China. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.chinabusinessreview.com/trade-union-law-and-collective-bargaining-in-
china/>.
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Quain, S., 2019. The Role of Trade Unions in Industrial Relations. [Online]. Available
through:<https://smallbusiness.chron.com/role-trade-unions-industrial-relations-65197.html>.
ICTWSS: Database on Institutional Characteristics of Trade Unions, Wage Setting, State
Intervention and Social Pacts in 34 countries between 1960 and 2014. [Online]. Available
through:<http://www.uva-aias.net/en/ictwss>.
Namuth, M., 2013. Trade Unions in Italy. [Online]. Available through:<https://library.fes.de/pdf-
files/id-moe/09590.pdf>.
TRADE UNIONS. 2016. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.worker-participation.eu/National-Industrial-Relations/Countries/Italy/
Trade-Unions>.
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