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Human Resources vocabulary · Employee Relations

Trade union

Meaning in human resources, with examples

nounCommon term

In human resources, trade union means: An organisation of workers that represents its members in discussions with employers about pay, working conditions and other rights.

In Turkish: sendika, işçi sendikası

How it is used

British English; Americans say labor union or just union. HR works with union representatives (reps), and an employer may recognise a union for collective bargaining. Employees join or belong to a union.

Example sentences

  1. The trade union has asked for a meeting about the new shift rota.

  2. About 60% of our factory staff are trade union members.

Common collocations

  • join a trade union
  • trade union representative
  • trade union membership
  • recognised trade union
  • collective agreementA written agreement between an employer, or a group of employers, and a trade union that sets pay and working conditions for a group of workers.
  • grievanceA formal complaint by an employee about how they are treated at work, for example about pay, workload, a manager's behaviour or discrimination.
  • employeeA person who works for a company or organisation under an employment contract and is paid a salary or wage by it.
  • redundancyThe ending of someone's employment because their job is no longer needed, for example after a restructure, a closure or a fall in work.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Employee Relations

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