Unionism is a movement and at the same time a system that allows the representation of workers through an institution called a union. This movement aims to optimize the situation of workers within the labor market, it is for that reason that its leaders are in charge of elaborating and planning in detail, negotiations with the government labor authorities, as well as with companies, in order to obtain improvements in work, such as increased wages, decrease working hours, greater social protection, among others.
There is no less doubt that unionism has been one of the main achievements that workers from all sectors of the economy have achieved since industrialization was installed in the labor market, this is because unionism came to order and claiming the rights of workers after the Industrial Revolution was introduced and the intensification of their tasks were abused by their employers.
Despite the fact that the work of unionism is linked to politics, its primary objective is not to represent workers politically since unions are not political parties. The thinking of unionism lies in the defense of the class interests of the workers within the workplace.
Regarding the development of trade unionism, this is linked to industrialization. During the first half of the 19th century, workers began to organize to assert their rights against large industries, something that, for various reasons, had no place among peasants. In this way, what today is called trade unionism began to form. With the passage of time, various currents of unionism began to develop. There are groups belonging to trade unionism that are close to the government power and therefore act as a containment of the proteststhat workers can carry out in masses, providing employees with superficial improvements to avoid such a fact. On the other hand, there are also aspects, of a revolutionary type, which are therefore opposed to the State and the employers.
