Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
Labor Unions - Statistics & Facts
Labor unions, or trade unions as they are known in Europe, are organizations of workers formed to represent their own economic interests. Unions may operate at the company, industry, or national level, negotiating on the behalf of their members with the relevant counterparties, such as company management or governments. The core idea behind labor unions is that employees have more power to negotiate when they engage in collective bargaining, that is, binding together with other employees to negotiate as a group, rather than engaging with management individually. In most cases, unions are run by their members paying fees, which cover operational costs, while the business of managing the union is split between permanent staff and the elected 'shop stewards'.
