What is a house union?

Answer 1

In-house Union

1. An in-house union is a trade union whose members are all employed in the same place of employment.

2. The above definition shows that members of in-house unions can and will come from different occupations.

3. In Malaysia, the Government encourages workers to form in-house union compare to national trade union.

4. The Government feels that in-house unions can foster closer employer-employee relations, co-operation and understanding which can help in creating and maintaining industrial harmony.

5. The Government also sees that the national unions, by virtue of their size and influence are stronger than in-house unions, and thus can be a threat to industrial harmony and nation's growth. The big and strong national union can also exert greater pressure which can be a danger to the continued growth and viability of the smaller, newly established industries which are not in a position to fight with the national unions over better terms and conditions of employment.

6. Employers also prefer and encourage the formation of in-house unions in their firms. This will prevent any interference from outsiders (national unions). This will lead to better employer-employee relations.

7. In-house unions will have a better understanding of the company's needs and workplace problems. Thus, in-house unions will be more tolerant in their activities. They are more likely to adopt a cooperative rather than a confrontational approach in settling trade disputes with the employers.

8. However, national trade unions are against the formation of in-house unions. They feel that their existence will prevent the more active national trade unions from demanding better terms and conditions of employment from employers. The trade unions will be divided into small unions which can lead to advantages for employers. This can weaken the trade union movement. The employer can adopt sabotage tactics by engineering rival trade unions to justify non-recognition of existing trade unions.

Answer 2

In-house Union

1. An in-house union is a trade union whose members are all employed in the same place of employment.

2. The above definition shows that members of in-house unions can and will come from different occupations.

3. In Malaysia, the Government encourages workers to form in-house union compare to national trade union.

4. The Government feels that in-house unions can foster closer employer-employee relations, co-operation and understanding which can help in creating and maintaining industrial harmony.

5. The Government also sees that the national unions, by virtue of their size and influence are stronger than in-house unions, and thus can be a threat to industrial harmony and nation's growth. The big and strong national union can also exert greater pressure which can be a danger to the continued growth and viability of the smaller, newly established industries which are not in a position to fight with the national unions over better terms and conditions of employment.

6. Employers also prefer and encourage the formation of in-house unions in their firms. This will prevent any interference from outsiders (national unions). This will lead to better employer-employee relations.

7. In-house unions will have a better understanding of the company's needs and workplace problems. Thus, in-house unions will be more tolerant in their activities. They are more likely to adopt a cooperative rather than a confrontational approach in settling trade disputes with the employers.

8. However, national trade unions are against the formation of in-house unions. They feel that their existence will prevent the more active national trade unions from demanding better terms and conditions of employment from employers. The trade unions will be divided into small unions which can lead to advantages for employers. This can weaken the trade union movement. The employer can adopt sabotage tactics by engineering rival trade unions to justify non-recognition of existing trade unions.