The word Trade-Unions in translation from English means "union of workers". This is how the first trade unions were called three centuries ago. They appeared in England in the middle of the 18th century. In other languages, such workers' associations have their own names.
Instructions
Step 1
The first trade unions originated in England during the industrial revolution. They united the weavers. Then representatives of other professions formed their unions. England at that time was one of the most economically developed countries in Europe. The capitalist division of labor began to take shape in the British Isles earlier than in other regions. At the same time, the amount of remuneration for labor in a particular industry has not been determined. Wages were entirely dependent on the employer's wishes; they were not regulated by any legislation. The first trade unions set themselves the task of achieving adequate wages for labor. The trade unions, later called the "old trade unions", united workers of the same profession. The medieval guild traditions had not yet been completely eliminated, therefore, the principle of the formation of workers' unions was guild.
Step 2
In the 19th century, workers of various professions constantly fought for their rights. Accordingly, the trade unions also developed. In the late 1980s, new trade unions emerged in England. The principle of formation has changed - it has become a production one. The trade union could be joined by people of different professions working in the same industry. The difference from the "old" trade unions was that the new ones accepted workers of any qualification, including unskilled ones. Both types of alliances existed simultaneously until the beginning of the last century, when the differences between them were completely erased.
Step 3
Trade unions were created in other countries along the lines of the English. In mid-19th century Germany, there were several professional workers' associations. In the United States of America at the same time there was a trade union "Knights of Labor", built on the principle of a trade union. At the beginning of the last century, this organization was replaced by another - the American Federation of Labor, which exists to this day. The number of workers who make up trade unions varied over the years. On average, at the end of the 19th century, just over half of all those employed in the manufacturing sector were members of such unions.
Step 4
At first, trade unions were unions with purely economic demands. Political slogans appeared at the very end of the 19th century, and became common shortly before the First World War. The strongest political influence on workers' organizations was exercised by Marxists and anarchists.
Step 5
Throughout the 19th century, the trade unions sought to unite. For the workers' struggle for their rights, a coordinating center was needed, and it appeared in 1868. It was the Trade Union Congress. At the beginning of the 20th century, international trade union associations began to appear. One of the first was the Industrial Workers of the World union formed in Chicago in 1905. In 1925, the International Workers' Association was formed. Anarcho-syndicalists had a strong influence on her. The Profintern existed for almost twenty years. Its center was Moscow. This organization was influenced by the Comintern. Trade unions still exist, and their main task is to fight for decent working conditions.
