Strategic Human Resource Management Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Human Resource Management - Article Example Those working in firms are protected by these unions such that their wages and salaries cannot be altered by the employer at his/her own pleasure. Also, the unions ensure workers work for negotiable hours. In addition, they focuses on workers’ health and safety through negotiating for favourable working conditions (Wilkinson 2014, p. 90). Secondly, the unions represent workers to their employers. Usually, the employers engage in â€Å"collective bargaining† with the trade unions. The unionsnegotiates for workers’ rights during these meetings. Sometimes, disagreements arise, which results to industrial actions such as a strike. In order to prevent workers from negotiating individually with their employers, the trade unions give them adviceandinformation on the best ways to give their complaints and at the right time. Other functions of the unions include resolving conflicts and providing services for the union members.Some of these services include insurance schemes, pension schemes, and discounts on shopping (Wilkinson 2014, p. 99). As stated earlier, trade unions have changed their roles over the past years due to globalization, outsourcing of labour and legal constraints. The role of unions has changed recently where they not only represent workers during negotiations but also recruit new workers in case the employers dismiss them. Due to the fragmentation of the labour market, the trade unions have reduced their role of ensuring the welfare of many workers. In other words, they have shifted their focus from workers to the enterprises.They regulate the workers conditions and payments at enterprise-level unlike before when they acted with workers in fighting for labour rights. The rise of unions that are sponsored by employers have eroded the basic roles of trade unions in protecting labourforce (Wilkinson 2014, p. 100). Most firms have employed the non-union workers as a way of protecting themselves from industrial strikes.Therefore, trade