Types and functions of labor unions in modern Russia

From the beginning of the 2000th years before labor unions there were two questions: what functions to consider priority and what shall be autonomy. May be because of this requirement of labor unions to employers in 100 years of their existence in Russia didn't change. For example, 100 years ago labor unions required the 8th hour working day, pay rise and cancellation of penalties on production, unfortunately, and at present there are employers who violate these rights of workers.

Now, labor unions in Russia can be divided into two types:

• 1.    Alternative labor unions which are guided by accomplishment of classical functions which were characteristic of the West during an industrialization era.

• 2.    Traditional labor unions, heirs of labor unions which were in the USSR, they try to keep in touch with the employer, they are partially similar to labor unions of east type.

The most important difference of alternative labor unions from traditional - it non-state nature, as a rule, employers aren't included labor union. However it’s such feature there is a number of difficulties which the alternative labor union, such as meets:

• 1.    Strong politicization as they will pay the main attention behind political events that in turn affects household care of workers;

• 2.    Orientation to confrontation, alternative labor unions often go on strike as with employers and the authorities;

• 3.    Organizational instability – it is characterized by unstable membership in alternative labor unions. Between leaders there are interpersonal conflicts, and use of financial environments with a mercenary motive.

Now in Russia the main representatives of alternative labor unions are: "Protection of work", Siberian Confederation of labor, All-Russian Confederation of labor, Federation of trade unions of flight dispatchers and many others. However their number isn't so big, as at traditional labor unions. Main form of activities this holding strikes, occupation of the entities, hunger strike, etc.

Among the directions for optimization is development and activities of social partnership and its institutes to which, first of all it is necessary to belong labor union:

• 1.    To create consolidation of workers at all levels of social partnership;

• 2.    To modernize collective and contractual process of employment relationships. Namely to create the representative parties in system of social partnership, to enhance negotiation process, and also to try to achieve complete independence, autonomy of labor unions of the employer;

• 3.    Enhancement of agreements in collective agreements at all levels of social partnership;

• 4.    Improvement of work of pre-judicial institutes on dispute settlement about protection and labor protection;

• 5.    Investment of labor union with more legalized rights for observance of control and supervision of employers in order that they strictly continuously

watched observance of the socially important rights and interests of members of labor union according to regulations of the existing legislation of the Russian Federation [1, 2].