To get a response to their labor demands, unionism usually promotes strikes, stoppages and protests.
Unionism is the movement and system that allows the representation of workers through an institution known as a union (an organization that brings together workers to defend their interests).
Trade unionism aims to optimize the situation of workers in the labor market . In this way, its leaders carry out negotiations with the government 's labor authorities and with companies to achieve improvements in work (increased salaries, reduction of hours, greater social protection, etc.).
Although the work of unionism is linked to politics , its purpose is not to politically represent workers since unions are not political parties. The essence of unionism lies in the defense of the class interests of workers in the workplace.
Development of unionism
The development of unionism is linked to industrialization . In the first half of the 19th century , workers began to organize to defend their rights in the new industries , something that, for various reasons, did not happen among peasants. In this way, what we know today as unionism began to form.
Over the years, multiple currents of unionism began to emerge. Some trade union groups are close to political power and act as a containment of workers' protests, providing workers with superficial improvements. Other aspects, however, are revolutionary and fight the State and the bosses .
Stoppages and strikes
It is important to highlight that, through the action of unionism, workers often declare stoppages and strikes to exert pressure and achieve responses to their labor demands.
At this point we can talk about revolutionary unionism , a current that considers it a fundamental institution for the protection of workers against the abuses of their employers and the State itself, but also to help them improve the organization of their lives at a productive level in the framework of the society to which they belong.
Revolutionary unionism is committed to the organization of workers to protect themselves from labor and state abuses.
Characteristics of revolutionary unionism
In general, any radicalized union current that is opposed to the democratic parliamentary system and, on certain occasions, to the subjection of employees is considered within the group of revolutionary unionism. One of its most notable features is that it defends the autonomy of workers' liberation, as manifested in the motto of the International Workers' Association , according to which they themselves must be the sole architects of their struggle.
In the history of unionism, some of those who have felt part of this revolutionary current have denied belonging to any party, unless it was a Trotskyist, communist, Maoist, Guevarist, or revolutionary socialist party.
Other currents
In certain parts of the world, revolutionary syndicalism served as a source of inspiration for anarcho-syndicalism , and there came a point in history when people came to relate the two concepts. So much so that even today they are considered synonyms in several countries, for example, in Western Europe.
On the other hand, we have unitary unionism , a trend that emerged in France and some South American countries based on Marxism, to give rise to a series of unions that had autonomy from political parties and that gave rise to the coexistence of several unions. ideological currents.
Peronism , also known as Justicialism , is a movement that emerged in Argentina during the 1940s around former president Juan Domingo Perón who placed great importance on social justice . Well, one of its greatest influences was revolutionary unionism. Also in Argentina, Guevara communism was enriched by these ideas, and that is why they can be seen in some organizations and unions related to Che Guevara .