The Place and Importance of Associations in Strengthening Trade Unions

• Main Author: Ali Ihsan Çelen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Felix-Verlag 2017-12-01
• Series: ILIRIA International Review
• Subjects: Trade Unions; Associations; Organizations; New Strategies; New Functions
• Online Access: http://iliriapublications.org/index.php/iir/article/view/338

Developments in the globalization process play an important role in the power loss of trade unions. This situation reveals the problems of unionization in the current industrial relations system. At this point, associations with aspects similar to the trade unions and important non-governmental organizations (NGOs), have an important place in terms of understanding the position, the importance, and the functions of today's industrial relations system where different ways of solutions are sought for unionism. In this context, this investigation focuses on the role, importance and functions of associations in the protection and reinforcement of the existing forces of the trade unions. The investigation aims to evaluate the position, importance and the potential functions of the associations in development of new strategies for strengthening the trade unions, and to suggest new ideas on this direction. The topic (in the direction of the determined purpose) was evaluated under the titles of ‘change and transformation in trade unionism’, ‘new strategies discussed and developed in the process of strengthening the trade unions’, and ‘the associations in development of new strategies’. According to basic findings, in the process of the re-empowerment of trade unions, associations are emerging as important NGOs in the realization of positive scenarios and taking precautions against negative scenarios. In conclusion; besides unionization, importance should be attached to association in every matter. In this process, associations should function in the independent status, in the dependent status, and in the core status.