The movement started in the late 19th century – but its roots go way back into the mediaeval period, to the tradesmen’s guilds. People with something in common – their work, their location, their religion – have banded together for effectiveness – to exchange working methods, concepts, tools – and protection.
In the industrial age, when workers moved into cities and endured unspeakable hardships, it was not enough for one person, or two people, or even five to complain about their conditions. Workers came together to give strength to their pleas for better conditions of service.
Women also, for example, banded together in the early 20th century as suffragettes. Only because of their dedication and fearlessness do women have the vote today – they paved the way for gender equality in 21st-century western society.
In the same way, workers form unions to give them some kind of strength, visibility and a voice in the face of potential exploitation by employers. Their goal is to preserve workers’ rights and dignity. In an ideal situation, both parties bring their knowledge and expertise of their working environments to the table in order to find the most mutually advantageous and prosperous path for their common business. A dialogue of mutual trust and vested interest results in a stable, harmonious and most effective workplace.
If these conditions pre-existed, we wouldn’t have a need for a trade union. But they don’t. And we do.
These values of working together, trust, integrity are the same that teachers engender in their students in the classroom and every educational interaction. These are the values that we prize in every aspect of our working lives.
Let us create a shining example for our children, our students. Let’s go to the table in a spirit of mutual regard and respect, let’s work together and be all right.