Union busting

Workers have formed unions for a variety of reasons, but primarily, to improve wages, hours, and working conditions. Many employers may prefer to prevent unions from organizing because unionization can cause higher labor costs, reduce profits, and interfere with the operations of the organization. 

Employers have historically sought help to counter union activity. Agencies assisting such efforts have included security and quasi-police groups such as Pinkertons and Baldwin-Felts, government resources such as military or national guard forces and, more recently, labor relations firms experienced in labor law. 

Because employers and governments did little to address these issues, labor movements in the industrialized world were formed to seek better wages, hours, and working conditions. The clashes between labor and management were often adversarial and hostile and were deeply affected by wars, and court proceedings.

Union busting is a term used by trade unions and others to describe a wide range of activities undertaken by employers, their proxies, which hinder workers from joining and maintaining trade unions. While the right to join and form trade unions is recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights .