WHAT DO UNIONS DO? WHY DO EMPLOYEES JOIN UNIONS? “Union n.1. The condition of being united, the act of uniting, or a conjunction formed by such an act. 2. An association, alliance, or confederation of individuals or groups for a common purpose, esp. political.” When talking of the subject of Industrial Relations, the type of union that is most prevalent is that of a trade union. This main focus of this essay will be to define what a trade union is, outline its main functions and define why employees join trade unions. Conflict is an important word when one thinks of Industrial Relations. It can be argued that conflict is everywhere and inevitable in today's society. When one looks a