ABSTRACT
It was pointed out at some length in the previous chapter that the relative earnings of workers in different employ ments is determined by the supply of, and demand for, labour in that particular employment. The worker, therefore, can only influence earnings in so far as he can affect supply. He can, of course, withhold his own labour, but that will be, as a rule, such a small part of the supply as to be ineffective. If, however, the workers in any particular employment unite, they can, as a body, obtain considerable power. Trade Unions exercise this control in two ways. The most common is by withholding the labour of all the members until a rise in wages is agreed to by the employer; in other words, by a strike. The members are supported during the strike out of funds previously accumulated.
