Trade unions are voluntary organisations of workers formed to promote and protect the interests of workers through collective action. Workers use trade unions as their representative voice to demand their rights and improve their living and working conditions.
The formation of trade unions was a reaction against the mechanisms of pauperisation, low pay, long working hours, child labour and generally appalling working conditions. Thus, the role of trade unions is to fight against poverty of workers, exploitation and the violation of their basic human dignity and to promote social justice in the global economy.