Влияние профсоюзного членства на трудовую жизнь наемных работников (на материалах по Вологодской области)

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Despite the rich history and authority, the trade union movement is gradually losing its influence in the modern world. This is most evident in the decline in unionization rates among workers, driven by a variety of socio-economic and political factors (deindustrialization, scientific and technological progress, the spread of non-standard forms of employment, the reduction of the public sector, etc.). As a result, many experts express an opinion about a crisis in trade unions, whose future is difficult to predict. Under such conditions, issues of employment and decent working conditions acquire special significance. The aim of the article is to analyze the differences in the status of workers who are and are not members of a trade union. This will become the basis for a subsequent study of the effects of its activities using the example of a particular business entity. To reach this aim, I turned to data from a monitoring study in Vologda Oblast, selected a sample of employees, and divided them into those who are and are not union members. A comparative analysis of the resulting groups showed that trade unions have a multifaceted positive impact on the working life. This is reflected in the prevalence of permanent employment contracts, increased access to social guarantees, and opportunities to claim labor rights without the threat of punishment. Union members have higher wages and are more likely to participate in professional development. It is no coincidence that they are distinguished by great optimism regarding professional prospects, including demand and self-realization in a profession with decent wages and career growth. Moreover, employment in such conditions is relatively stable. Despite the widespread dominance of material needs, the work motivation of unionized employees is more strongly associated with an internal interest in work, which involves a desire to acquire new knowledge, achieve success, and gain recognition. Hence the best self-assessments of labor activity indicators: output, quality of work performed, and discipline. In conclusion, the potential of trade unions as a source of labor productivity growth is highlighted, which could be highly relevant for small and medium-sized businesses, whose representatives do not have much interest in this kind of associations. The main limitation of the study is the small sample of respondents who are trade union members, which complicates not only the application of econometric methods of analysis, but also a deep immersion into the specifics of ongoing processes, including in a territorial context.