ABSTRACT
In the context of the Dunlop model referred to in Chapter 1, trade unions are one of the major actors in the system. They exist in order to both protect and further the interests of their members but, like other interest groups and institutions in society, the trade unions have to operate within contexts that constrain their freedom and their power and ability to pursue their interests selfishly and, of course, they have to interact with other interest groups and achieve an accommodation, commonly requiring compromise.
