Union Activities Research Articles

AXIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND LEGAL MECHANISM FOR THE CONVERGENCE OF EU ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF HEALTH POLICY

Abstract. The article addresses the issues of developing and implementing a unified strategy in the field of health policy and medical law in the European Union. The main focus is on analyzing differences between national legislations, assessing the institutional capacity of member states to adapt European standards, and studying the impact of a unified strategy on pan-European health effectiveness. Particular attention is given to the role of the European Parliament in shaping health policy and the potential of technological innovations to improve the quality of medical services. The purpose of the research. The purpose of the research is to determine and summarize the axiological aspects of the convergence of the European Union's activities in the field of health policy. Methodology. The methodological basis of the research includes an axiological analysis of national and European legislative acts, a comparative analysis of national approaches to medical standards, and an assessment of the institutional capacity of EU member states to adapt European standards. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the comprehensive analysis of the convergence of health policy in the EU and the study of the impact of a unified strategy on pan-European health effectiveness, with a focus on the harmonization of medical standards and regulations. Conclusions. The effective implementation of the EU's convergence strategy in health policy is a key factor in improving public health, preventing diseases, and eliminating threats to physical and mental health at the pan-European level.

The Impact of Trade Unionism on Staff Welfare in Nigerian Public Institutions: A Focus on Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU)

Public institutions in Nigeria, including universities, had long faced persistent challenges related to staff welfare, such as poor working conditions, inadequate remuneration, and limited career advancement opportunities. These issues had led to frequent industrial actions and strained relationships between university management and staff unions. This study investigated the impact of trade unionism on staff welfare in Nigerian public institutions, with a particular focus on Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU). The study addressed three main objectives: examining the effect of trade union activities on working conditions and benefits at AKSU, assessing the relationship between lobbying efforts and staff welfare, and evaluating the impact of strikes on staff welfare at the university. The findings revealed that trade union activities significantly impacted the working conditions and benefits of employees at AKSU. Unionized staff reported better access to resources, improved remuneration, and more favorable working environments compared to their non-unionized counterparts. The study also found a positive relationship between lobbying and staff welfare in AKSU, as effective lobbying efforts by trade unions contributed to the implementation of policies and programs that enhanced staff welfare, such as salary reviews and career development opportunities. The study concluded that trade unionism played a vital role in shaping staff welfare in Nigerian public institutions, as exemplified by the case of Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU). The findings highlighted the importance of constructive engagement between university management and trade unions to address staff welfare concerns and foster a conducive work environment. The study recommended that the university management and the state government establish regular dialogue and collaborative platforms with trade unions to address staff welfare issues proactively. AKSU should also develop comprehensive staff welfare programs that address the diverse needs of its academic and non-academic staff and strengthen its internal dispute resolution mechanisms to minimize the frequency and impact of strikes.

Reflecting (on) power?Critical reflections by healthworkers in Germany on racial power and privilege

Abstract Background Healthcare users have increasingly reported on experiences of racial discrimination in healthcare encounters in Germany (Aikins et al. 2020). While research on the experiences of racialised users predominates, examining the perspectives of white professionals, especially those holding positions of authority, regarding their internalised stereotypes and discriminatory practices is also crucial. This study therefore investigated the prevalence of conscious or unconscious biases related to critical whiteness and anti-racism among healthcare workers (doctors, nurses and therapists) and how these attitudes shaped their professional practice. Methods Problem-centred expert interviews (Döringer 2021) with 20 healthcare professionals from medicine, nursing, and therapeutic professions working in hospitals or rehabilitation facilities across three German federal states. Data were analysed using documentary method (Bohnsack 2002). Results Respondents exhibited varying degrees of reflective abilities, and there are limited opportunities for structured self-reflection focused on recognizing and addressing racism. The research interview constituted a much-needed space for such reflection. Those who are sensitised about their own positions of privilege often are so due to external influences and personal trajectories (teenaged children, trade union activism) rather than through the values or structures of their institutions. Unconscious racism nonetheless still manifests, demonstrating the need to create more inclusive environments where critical self-reflection on racism is encouraged. Conclusions To effectively combat racism, German healthcare institutions must systematically implement anti-racist and intersectional interventions. This also entails creating spaces for reflection where staff can openly examine and acknowledge their own biases, fostering an environment conducive to collective action for promoting anti-racist workplace practices. Key messages • Opportunities for self-reflection critical of racism should also be offered across institutions in order to ensure trusting, non-hierarchical spaces. • Reflections on one’s own social positioning and privileges are not common in all circles, so the necessity of this attitude should be communicated in an error-friendly manner.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SOFT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT THROUGH EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN VIETNAM

<p>In this day and age, extracurricular activities play an important role in the full development of university students by enhancing their soft skills, which are basically for their occupations and social calendar. In the face of significant benefits, numerous students face obstacles in meeting the demands of the job market due to a lack of soft skills. More than 83% of students are unable to accomplish job requirements due to skills deficiency, according to statistics from the Vietnam Institute of Educational Research. This paper reports the findings from an investigation into students’ perceptions of the necessity and development of soft skills through extracurricular activities, particularly focusing on Youth Union activities by conducting a questionnaire survey of foreign language students. The findings show that foreign language students are fully aware of the essential soft skills. The findings also point out why they choose to participate in extracurricular activities to develop these skills.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0875/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Rankings and the Organizational‐level Implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Case Study

ABSTRACTThis article examines the organizational‐level implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in higher education institutions, with a particular emphasis on the roles of rankings in this context. Drawing on translation theory and a case study of a Saudi Arabian university, the article shows that rankings played a central role in motivating our case organization to implement SDGs and in navigating the implementation process. The article moreover shows that the reliance of rankings on self‐reported data allowed for gaming and manipulation, as the case organization was, for example, able to present politically compliant staff associations as evidence for trade union activity, and a segregated college for female students as evidence for the empowerment of women. The article, however, also argues that the flexibility this reliance on self‐reported data affords higher education institutions can play a crucial role in adjusting the transnational SDG framework to the political, social, and institutional realities of the many different contexts in which it is implemented. Without this flexibility, the entire SDG framework, including the genuine sustainability advances it brought about, might have been rejected outright in the Saudi Arabian context.

Specifics of the Constitutional Right to Establish and Operate the Trade Unions

Introduction. In the framework of the legal regulation of the trade union activities in Russia, a number of regulations cause certain contradictions with regard to establishment of the social and labour relations. Difficulties in interaction of the trade unions with the employers and the state, supplemented by the competition with the private labour, arise the problem of preserving the institution under study as the one aimed at the formation of a system of social partnership, development of the labour environment, national economy and social equality. Therefore, the research strives to investigate the constitutional requirements for establishment and operation of the trade unions to enable harmonization of the social and labour relations. By finding the legislative gaps in the process of implementing the rights of citizens to establish and operate the trade unions, it is possible to modernize the regulatory legal institutions in this field. The aim of the research is to study the specifics of the constitutional right to establish and operate the trade unions.Materials and Methods. The methodological framework was organised based on the selection, analysis and systematisation of the relevant regulatory and legal data and research works in the subject area. The use of a set of general scientific (dialectical, logical, systemic) and specific scientific methods of cognition (comparative legal, dogmatic legal, sociolegal) made it possible to study the principles of state regulation of the trade union activities, identify the gaps in their work and shortcomings due to be eliminated, as well as to summarise the factors of applicability of the constitutional operational procedure to the activities of the trade union organisations in Russia.Results. The constitutional right to establish and operate the trade unions has been analysed. It has been acknowledged that determination of the legal advantages of the trade union members does not correlate with the process of declining the popularity of this institution in the Russian Federation. It has been revealed that this trend is caused by the several problems, i.e.: the multiplicity of the legislative requirements creates a number of contradictions in the relations between the trade unions and employers preventing the full freedom of organisations’ activities; the process of establishing the trade unions is complicated by the need to incorporate the legal entity, the legislative predetermination and formality do not give freedom to the organisations in compiling the charter and making changes to it without permission of the state; the principles of the internal relations regulation must comply with the standard provisions of the Labour Code of the Russian Federation, which also limits the trade union activity; the court defence of the rights of the trade union members needs to be revised and modernized to eliminate the ambiguous provisions and reduce the bureaucratic processes. The use of the variable collective agreements and principles of social partnership aimed at harmonisation of the social and labour relations have been proposed as the solutions to the identified problems.Discussion and Conclusion. The study has identified the key issues and underdeveloped aspects of the constitutional regulation of the trade union activities in the Russian Federation, which could be solved through the optimisation of the excessive legislative requirements, issuing the updated provisions on court defence of the trade union members, establishing the full independence and autonomy of such organisations in the matters of internal regulation, as well as through the development of the system of social partnership. The theoretical and practical conclusions drawn in the paper could be used for further research in the field of improving the legal literacy of the trade union members.

The Artists and BAM: “Come and Draw, Again and Again”

Soviet fine art contains a large number of works with industrial themes, including those devoted to the great construction sites of socialism. The construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) influenced the country’s development not only in economic and social aspects, but also had a direct impact on the cultural background, giving a new impetus to the activity of creative unions and the emergence of works of various types of art. The BAM theme is talentedly reflected in the creative field of Soviet fine arts. The appearance of numerous pictorial, graphic, sculptural, decorative and applied works was facilitated by the travelling format of artists’ work — creative business trips. Artists travelled to BAM construction sites, witnessing and participating in everyday life and holidays. Thanks to their inclusion and immersion in the environment, the masters of fine arts created works of various genres that accurately and vividly reflected the moments of the construction of the railway. Subsequently, the works were presented at various exhibitions. Nowadays, preserved in museum and private collections, they are an invaluable aesthetic and historical contribution to understanding the spirit and character of that era. The study of the activities of the Union of Artists of the USSR (as a whole as a regulator) and its branch represented by the Irkutsk Organisation of the Union of Artists of the RSFSR (as one of the local executors) is essential for understanding the effective mechanism of fulfilling the social order related to the representation of the global events of the 1970s for the Soviet state. The Irkutsk organisation of the RSFSR Union of Artists was territorially connected with the western section of BAM, and the archival documents provide an opportunity to comprehend the peculiarities of the microstructure’s activity in the conditions of the targeted work of the entire Union of Soviet artists on the BAM theme.

The Role of Integration Associations in the Fight against Pandemics on the Example of the European Union and Eurasian Economic Union

INTRODUCTION. The academic value of this article lies in augmenting the scientific understanding of the role of integration unions in healthcare and the methods and means of combating pandemics and epidemics at an integration level. This is achieved by addressing the research objective: to identify the legal and institutional structures and mechanisms existing at the level of integration unions for combating pandemics and their consequences, and to assess their effectiveness. The research objectives are defined as follows: to examine the actions of integration unions in combating the pandemic from legal and material- economic perspectives; to determine the actual role of integration unions in combating pandemics and similar threats to public health for the further improvement of international cooperation and Eurasian integration; to evaluate the compliance of the actions of integration union institutions with their founding documents; and to develop ways to improve integrations in the field of health protection based on the experience gained.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The methodological basis of the research is grounded in the general philosophical method of dialectics. Special and specific scientific methods applied include: the comparative legal method (comparing the legal systems and regulations of different integration unions, and the various measures taken in response to the pandemic), the sociological method (examining the impact of pandemic conditions on society in different integration environments), and the axiological method (studying values as the foundation of integration unions, their reflection, and influence on making internationally significant decisions).RESEARCH RESULTS. In determining the effectiveness of the institutions, structures, and mechanisms of integration unions in ensuring epidemiological wellbeing, a significant role of integrations in counteracting pandemic and epidemiological threats to health has been identified. This is evidenced by the actions and measures taken by the EU and the EAEU during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Aspects of cooperation between member countries (transport communication, coordination of sanitary measures, support of the economy and social sphere, information and experience exchange) and the institutions of these integration unions (European Commission, European Parliament, Eurasian Economic Commission) were dictated by their founding acts (TEU, TFEU, Treaty on the EAEU) and other documents.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. During the crisis, not only challenges requiring solutions in ensuring well-being (balance of freedoms and restrictions, rational allocation of resources, balance of national and integration interests) emerged, but also prospects for the future development of integrations (NextGenerationEU Plan, the emergence of a Global Digital Health Certification Network). Judicial practice was formed (lawsuits by the European Commission, work of the EAEU Court). Conclusions highlight the need to increase the resilience and centralization of EU healthcare systems, prepare the budget for potential future threats, which serves as a useful experience for Eurasian integration, and the importance of deepening integration, reforming existing institutions, and establishing interstate dialogue for the EAEU. The crisis became a catalyst for the development of integrations, the cause of the emergence of new conflicts and contradictions, the solutions of which determined the direction of evolution in the future.

Estimating Determinants of Contractualization of Workers in Organized Sector in India

The structural adjustment programme adopted in 1990 led to the removal of all existing pre-reform regulations and restrictions imposed on the Indian industries. This radically transformed India’s trade relations with international markets. The liberalization of Indian economy on one hand accelerated foreign capital as well as technology influx while on the other hand increased competition for the domestic economy. Thus the increased openness and flexibility arising from the economic transformation prompted the domestic producers to resort to alternative informal routes of employment thereby leading to increased contractualization of employment substituting of regular workers by contract workers in the manufacturing industries. Thus this paper is an empirical study which focuses on exploring and identifying the industry specific factors which are affecting the degree of casualization in Organized manufacturing sector of India. Panel regression using STATA has been used and the econometric analysis reveals that average firm size, value of output, capital intensity, profit per worker and welfare benefits for workers have considerable favourable effect on the employment of contractual workers while trade union activity and the ratio of male to female workers employed have significant negative impact on contract worker employment in the manufacturing industries of the organized sector in India. Keywords: contractualization, capital intensity, trade union activity, feminization, panel regression JEL Classification: C33, J21, L60

The Periodicals that Puzzled Dickens: The Weekly Balance Sheets of the Preston Lock-Out, 1853–1854

Charles Dickens was puzzled and intrigued by a type of print publication which was central to the Preston strike and lock-out of 1853–1854 and hundreds of other industrial disputes in the nineteenth century, the strike balance sheet. This first academic study of the periodical genre summarises its structure and contents (a stirring opening address, long lists of donations sent in support of the locked-out workers featuring meaningful and allusive nicknames, snatches of verse, and threats against those who refused to contribute) and examines how it was produced, received and interpreted. Strike balance sheets demonstrated the collective and financial power of the unions, while their creation of an independent, worker-controlled public sphere of print reduced the imbalance of cultural power between workers and masters. They are also significant for what they tell us about the size, spread and consistency of the financial and moral support for the Preston workers, and as snapshots of broader trade union activity across the nation. They reveal intraclass debates and conflicts, and the rhetoric and values of the union leadership and lower-tier district delegates. Most intriguing of all, they make up a large body of print material in which nineteenth-century working-class voices are heard. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

The measurement of rural community resilience to natural disaster in China

Comparing with cities, rural communities especially those declining rural communities have become vulnerable to natural disasters owing to their backward socioeconomic conditions. Taking Xun County of China’s Henan Province as the study area, the paper aims to evaluate rural community resilience to flood by unveiling the connection between individuals’ cognition, follow-up actions and the community resilience. Research results show that: (1) The logic chain exists as individual’s cognition to disaster leads to their constructive actions to cope with disaster, which contribute to community resilience. (2) At the cognition dimension, individual’s knowledge reserve of disaster prevention and their recognition to local authority are playing an important role in their decision making and follow-up behaviors when disaster occurs. (3) At the action dimension, individual’s familiarity with the disaster preparedness, efficient information transmission when disaster occurs and villagers’ following order and their unity of action all contribute to community resilience to disaster. The paper proposes ways to improve rural community resilience to disasters based on the research findings.

Niche-Making in Intersectional Spaces: Narratives of a Mathematics Teacher Union Activist

In a world of rigid social norms that have shaped women’s lives, there are those who have broken stereotypes and advanced the field. This qualitative research investigates the narratives of Kaisog, a mathematics teacher whose strategic and deliberate decisions created within intersectional spaces brought about a negotiation of a mathematics teacher’s professional identity in the eventual creation of a new professional category: that of a mathematics teacher union activist. This paper explores the three categories of intersectionality namely structural, representational, and political, that were present in the life of Kaisog. Thematic analysis of the data revealed three themes of intersectionality: Neglecting the Vulnerable, Selective Mathematics, Women in the Workplace, and Being Queer in Society. It also argues how these intersectional spaces created niches for Kaisog: The Designated “Mother” Role, Decolonizing the Mathematics Curriculum, and Social Justice through Mathematics Education. Kaisog’s empowering structures include quality basic education, brilliant teachers, a matriarchal Ilonggo culture, and supportive family. Kaisog used mathematics as a tool for liberation and for achieving social justice and thus, creating a new niche for herself, that of a mathematics teacher union activist.

Conflict among the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Akure, Nigeria: causes, consequences and management strategies

This study examined the causes, consequences, and strategies for managing organizational conflict among the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Akure, Nigeria, to achieve sustainable peace and harmonious relationships among union members, and actualize better transport service delivery to the larger society. A survey design was adopted to elicit primary data through questionnaires and in-depth interviews with NURTW members. Desk research was also used to gather relevant information from the literature. Hundred (100) questionnaires were purposively and randomly administered to commercial drivers who are members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Akure. The survey was done across three major parks in Akure: Cathedral Park, Ondo Road Park and Benin Garage Park. They were selected because they are mostly dominated by the members of NURTW, and mostly patronized by passengers. The data collected were analyzed using simple descriptive and inferential statistics; in the form of frequencies, percentages, bar charts, and logistic regression. The study found that most of the NURTW members were males, and were majorly in the economic productive year between the ages of 35 and 45. Findings further revealed that government or political interference is a major cause of conflict among NURTW members. The aftermath of conflict among the union usually resulted in disruptions of the union activities and destruction of lives and properties. The bargaining approach in managing conflict is the most effective strategy for addressing conflict among NURTW members in Akure, Nigeria.

European Union Military Missions and the War in Ukraine: Moving beyond the Jus ad Bellum Framework

European Union Military Missions and the War in Ukraine: Moving beyond the Jus ad Bellum Framework

Enhancing equity, diversity and inclusion in the European Union military schools and academies through collaborative initiatives and gender policy reform

AbstractThe European Union Military Schools and Academies (EUMSAs) have long grappled with persistent gender imbalances among their student body, indicative of an entrenched male‐centric culture within these institutions. In recognition of this issue, the collaborative Military Gender Studies initiative was launched under the auspices of the Erasmus+ program. This project involved partners from Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal and Romania, each offering unique insights shaped by their diverse socio‐political contexts. This research aims to go beyond mere acknowledgment of disparities and instead seeks to identify actionable strategies that can foster genuine equity, diversity and inclusivity within the EUMSAs. To this end, a comprehensive data‐gathering approach was employed, incorporating various qualitative methods including face‐to‐face interviews, face‐to‐face focus groups, direct observations and analysis of official documentation sourced from the referred EUMSAs. The resulting insights highlight the need for substantial improvements in institutional gender policies. Particularly, while efforts have been made to instill gender sensitivity within fitness assessments, their impact has been disappointingly limited. Furthermore, the practice of assigning military roles based solely on gender has been found to undermine both effectiveness and fairness within the schools/academies. Conversely, an encouraging sentiment pervades among the student body, advocating for a curriculum that incorporates gender‐related subjects into the EUMSA educational framework (curriculum). This suggests a growing recognition of the importance of addressing gender issues not only in policy but also in practice, signalling a promising shift towards a more inclusive and equitable environment within the EUMSAs.

PHÁT TRIỂN NĂNG LỰC TỔ CHỨC HOẠT ĐỘNG TRẢI NGHIỆM CHO SINH VIÊN SƯ PHẠM

The 2018 General Education Curriculum identifies experience and career-oriented as compulsory educational activities carried out from grade one to grade twelve. These activities replace extracurricular activities, but with changes in name, objectives, content, methods, and regulations for testing and evaluating outcomes. This raises the question of what measures teacher training institutions need to take to develop the competency of organizing experiential activities for pre-service teachers, ensuring they meet practical requirements immediately after graduation. By examining curriculum documents and drawing on practical research results, this article proposes measures to develop the competency of organizing experiential activities for pre-service teachers during their training. The proposed measures emphasize integrating and embedding the development of this competency through the teaching of specialized subjects, pedagogical subjects, and Youth Union activities. Keywords: Experiential activities; competency in organizing experiential activities; competency development; pre-service teachers.

Solidarity and Suppression: The Power Struggle Between Labour and the State in Canada, 1914-24

During and after the First World War, labour groups in Canada mobilized to ameliorate their position as members of the working class. In their struggle to secure better hours, improved working conditions, and the right to collective bargaining, union activists resorted to increasingly radical measures to achieve their goals. These actions, however, were soon met with swift opposition from the state. Through restrictions on unions, crackdowns on strikes, and surveillance of their activities, labour faced formidable opposition from the economic and security apparatus of the state in the immediate postwar years. Since then, the struggle between workers and the state has called into question the collective solidarity of the Canadian labour movement. To answer that question, this article comparatively evaluates the strength of the labour movement to the strength of the state in Canada from 1914 to 1924. In so doing, it demonstrates that while the state was successful in its efforts to suppress labour, the extremity of this reaction testifies to the power that labour ultimately commanded at this time.

Contextualizing the Resurgence of U.S. Housestaff Union Activity.

There is a growing trend of resident and fellow physician unionization in the United States, with 14 new housestaff unions formed at private employers since 2022. This resurgence of housestaff union organizing parallels the last era of housestaff activism in the 1960s. Today's housestaff organizing takes place within the context of longstanding challenges in medicine, including the burnout and systemic inequities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and an increase in national activism and labor organizing. Housestaff unions offer opportunities for residents and fellows to negotiate for improvements across multiple issues.In this Commentary, the authors focus on common bargaining topics: poor working conditions, undercompensation, and inadequate representation in an increasingly corporatized health care landscape. The authors also discuss the role of collective bargaining for improving the housestaff experience and address common concerns about unionization. Finally, the authors explore the limited evidence of the impact of unions in health care settings and outline key considerations for future scholarship.The current generation of housestaff started their medical careers with an awareness of systemic challenges to the profession and have responded through collective organizing. While the short- and long-term ramifications of housestaff organizing need further study, the authors express optimism that unionization will lead to improved working conditions and thus improved health care delivery.

The role of the labor movements in the colonial spaces: trade unionism in Palestine and Lebanon in the colonial era (1920-1948)

ABSTRACT This article aims to demonstrate how the working class evolved and was organised in Palestine and Lebanon between 1920 and 1948. Palestine and Lebanon, which share characteristics such as being a part of the Ottoman Empire and being governed by mandates, also share similar experiences in combating sectarianism based on nationality or religion. The establishment of British rule in Palestine and French administration in Lebanon after World War I also influenced the trade union movement in these two countries: Nationalism flourished, trade unions became tools of politics, and the divide and rule policy of the colonial administration made organization difficult. Although these administrations were referred to as ‘mandates’ of the League of Nations, they actually experienced a colonization process and its effects similar to those in Africa. In this study, particularly the concept of colonization will be used, and the activities of trade unions in colonial regions will be examined through two Middle Eastern countries. While the Palestinian trade unions, which struggled against both British colonization and settler colonialism, were effective in preserving Palestinian identity, the Lebanese trade unions, dealing with French colonization as well as sectarianism, also managed to significantly preserve working-class unity.

Профсоюзы: от насильственного социального протеста к мирным акциям

The article discusses the evolution of the activity of trade unions, which is manifested in their desire to give the protest movement not a spontaneous and often destructive character, but to see a peaceful and creative meaning in the expression of the demands of workers, to form not only among their members, but also in society a kind of culture of social protest . This explains the understanding by the authorities of the need to legalize the activities of trade unions. It is also shown that trade unions are assisted in the formation of such a culture of social protest by authoritative international organizations, in particular, the ILO and the UN, and the very activity of trade unions is based on the rights of workers enshrined in the International Bill of Human Rights.