Guilds (Urcea): Difference between revisions

 

A '''guild''' in [[Urcea]] is an association of every firm within an industry which represents the interests of both capital and labor. The guild is designed to ensure a level "playing field" for firms, both extant and newcomers, and also designed to eliminate class antipathy by mutual collaboration and decision-making between capital and labor. The guilds, through the [[Gildertach]], are also responsible for approving trade agreements with foreign countries.

Guilds serve as the primary self-regulator of labor conditions and labor law within [[Urcea]], including the establishment of workplace conditions, wages, and other standards related to labor. Each guild provides for the basic workplace conditions within its industry, establishes a minimum wage and working hours, and establish all other standards necessary for a safe and productive work environment. The guilds also determine the number of [[Culture_of_Urcea#Festivals_and_Holidays_in_Urcea|second class holidays]] its members may take, as well as choosing which third class holidays its members will take. A critical responsibility of the guild is to provide for arbitration between its members, typically a labor union and employer of the same business. Guilds also provide resources to its members from both labor and capital on conflict resolution. Many guilds provide for pooled benefit programs for its members, with all guilds providing for retirement programs and some guilds providing private health insurance. Guilds were the largest provider of health insurance in [[Urcea]] before the establishment of the [[Healthcare in Urcea|King's Health Aid]] program.  

Each guild has a national, provincial, and local structure. On the national level, each guild is governed by their National Guild Authority, which of comprised of a "''Gilder Assembly''" which is made up of elected representatives of vested members, and the "''Governing Board''", which holds some executive decision-making power within the Guild. The Gilder Assembly's members are elected from each province by each province's vested members and seats are apportioned based on how many vested members there are per province. In the Guild Law, no distinction is made among [[Urcea]]'s three [[Government_of_Urcea#Subdivisions|kinds of subdivisions]] and are all referred to as "provinces". According to the Guild Law, each province must send an equal number of members representing capital and labor to the Gilder Assembly, and under the Guild Law these two groups form a "Labor Caucus" and a "Capital Caucus" respectively within the Gilder Assembly. Elections are typically held annually, with most vested members voting either at their labor meeting, their chamber of commerce meeting, or at the workplace. In addition to being the overall governing body of a guild, each guild's Gilder Assembly is responsible for appointing individuals to serve on Provincial Investiture Boards. The Governing Board of the guild nominates individuals to serve at the Provincial Investiture Board, in consultation with each caucus, and the Gilder Assembly is responsible for confirming the nominees. The Gilder Assembly is also responsible for electing members of the [[Gildertach]], which serve at the pleasure of the Guild. These members are typically chosen from among the Assembly's own membership, with five members representing each guild.

Vested members are individuals nominated by local businesses or labor unions and appointed by Diocesan Investiture Boards to serve in decision-making capacity in various guild roles and, in the case of [[Government_of_Urcea#Local_Government|guild communes]], local government. While they make up a small percentage of overall guild membership (with the ratio depending on specific guilds), they are expected to be representative both of their original firm of labor union, but also for the concerns of whichever party they represent and the local economy as a whole. Members who are invested by the guild remain so for the time that they are employed at or own a firm or until retirement.