They call the tactics union substitution and union suppression . Good pay and conditions are traditionally won by years of struggle and bargaining, and only generally achieved by collective bargaining. With union substitution, when workers are offered attractive pay and conditions, there is little or no incentive to join a union. But when a major conflict arises with management, workers are in a poor position to demand or bargain, as they are normally employed on individual contracts, with no rights to negotiate collectively. Too late to change the situation, they find themselves at the mercy of management.
Suppression is a more obvious and aggressive method to keep unions out.
When workers at such a firm suggest representation by a trade union, managers bombard workers with negative propaganda about unions. In this situation managers routinely argue that a union will actually damage working conditions. The message is constantly advertised at work and even in local and national media. They say that when unions threaten industrial action it will reduce pay and that reduced competitiveness due to increased costs leads to redundancies. Statements that union activists will be sacked are further intentional intimidation.