Modernization of trade union activities from the perspective of the human rights function of trade unions: international experience

This article analyzes contemporary challenges and perspectives on the modernization of trade union activities through the integration of the human rights concept into their protective functions. The study examines how recent economic changes, characterized by the deregulation of labor relations, the spread of non-standard employment forms, and the privatization of social risks, have significantly weakened traditional mechanisms of worker protection. In this context, trade unions face the necessity to reconsider their roles and operational strategies, as classical instruments of collective bargaining and centralized regulation of labor relations have lost some of their effectiveness. The analysis is based on the international experience of countries with varying models of trade union organization, such as the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Scandinavian countries, and Canada. The article explores three primary models of trade union activity: representative, service-oriented, and organizing. The representative model involves delegating the protection of workers’ interests to professional union representatives through formal negotiation processes at enterprise and sectoral levels. The service-oriented model focuses on providing union members with diverse services, including legal protection and consultations, yet this model may foster passivity among workers. Conversely, the organizing model activates grassroots structures by engaging workers in self-organization and collective actions to defend their rights through mass campaigns and social movements. Additionally, the article emphasizes the importance of trade unions adapting to new employment forms, specifically engaging workers in the gig economy, migrant laborers, and other vulnerable groups traditionally excluded from union protections. Particular attention is devoted to successful examples of trade union modernization in the United States and Europe, where the organizing model has halted declines in union membership and enhanced the protection of labor rights. Thus, the article offers both theoretical and practical justification for transitioning trade unions from narrow forms of representation toward broader human rights organizations capable of effectively addressing contemporary socio-economic challenges.