Are Trade Unions Suitable for Organizations in the 21st Century?

Abstract

Trade unions are an association of workmen or employers who are temporary or permanent in nature, and they play an important role and are helpful in ineffective communication between the workers and the management. Also, trade unions not only negotiate wages for their members but also affect fringe benefits, productivity, work allocation, job security, and employee participation practices. Accordingly, this study attempted to analyze the trade union statistics and movements of the Sri Lankan context as well as the international context and determine whether trade unions are suitable for organizations in the 21st century. Accordingly, the findings revealed that the existence and sustainability of trade unions had been gradually decreasing over the 21st century due to the individualistic behavior of workmen and employers and the prevalence of labor tribunal and labor departments to obtain protection and reliefs under unfair labor practices.