From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The labour movement (or labor movement)
is a broad term for the development of a collective organization
of
working people, to campaign in their own interest for better
treatment from their employers and political governments, in
particular through the implementation of
specific laws governing labor relations.
Labour unions and trade unions are common names for the
specific collective organizations within societies, organized
for the purpose of representing the interests of workers and the
working class. Many elite-class individuals and political groups
may also be active in and part of the labour movement.
In some countries including the
United Kingdom and
Australia the term is widely used to describe both a
"political wing" and an "industrial wing". In Britain these are
the
Labour Party and
Trades Union Congress (TUC) collectively. The Labour Party
was created, as the
Labour Representation Committee as a result of an
1899 resolution of the TUC, though in modern times,
particularly since the election of
Tony Blair as leader of the Labour Party in
1994, the alliance is seen to be much looser and a number of
unions have broken their formal ties with the party.
History
In
Europe, the labour movement began during the
industrial revolution, when agricultural jobs declined and
employment moved to more industrial areas. The idea met with
great resistance. In the
18th century and early
19th century, groups such as the
Tolpuddle Martyrs of
Tolpuddle,
Dorset were punished and deported for forming unions, which
was against the laws of the time.
Throughout the world, action by the labour
movement has led to reforms and
workers' rights, such as the 2-day
weekend,
minimum wage, paid
holidays, and the achievement of the
eight-hour day for many workers. There have been many
important labour activists in modern history who have caused
changes that were revolutionary at the time and are now regarded
as basic. For example, Mary Harris Jones, better known as
Mother Jones, was central in the campaign to end
child labour in the
United States during the early
20th century. An active and free labour movement is
considered by many to be an important element in maintaining
democracy and for economic development.
A popular bumper sticker in the United States in
the
1990s was, "The labor movement; the folks that brought you
the weekend."
Development of labour movements
within nation states
Historically
labour markets have often been constrained by national
borders that have restricted movement of workers. Labour laws
are also primarily determined by individual nations or states
within those nations. While there has been some efforts to adopt
a set of international labour standards throughout the
International Labour Organization (ILO), international
sanctions for failing to meet such standards are very limited.
In many countries labour movements have developed independently
and reflect those national boundaries. The
Australian labour movement is an example of a labour
movement that has grown and existed in a particular national
context.
Development of an international
labour movement
With ever increasing levels of international
trade and rising influence of multinational corporations, there
has been debate and action within the labour movement broadly to
attempt international co-operation. This has led to renewed
efforts to organise and collectively bargain internationally. A
number of international union organisations have been
established in an attempt to facilitate international collective
bargaining, to share information and resources and to advance
the interests of workers generally.
Literature
-
Robert N. Stern, Daniel B. Cornfield, The
U.S. labor movement:References and Resources, G.K. Hall
& Co 1996
-
John Hinshaw and Paul LeBlanc (ed.), U.S.
labor in the twentieth century : studies in working-class
struggles and insurgency, Amherst, NY : Humanity Books,
2000
-
Beverly Silver: Forces of Labor. Worker's
Movements and Globalization since 1870, Cambridge
University Press, 2003,
ISBN 0-521-52077-0
-
St. James Press Encyclopedia of Labor
History Worldwide, St. James Press 2003
ISBN 1-55862-542-9
List of national labour
movements
|
