The article considers the importance and role of trade unions in protecting labor rights and workers’ interests. The activity of the trade union movement should be an element of the social protection, contribute to the solution of issues of social justice, observance of the labor rights of the working population, the involvement of citizens to work with official employment. At present among wage workers there is a need for strengthening of the social protection, in particular, it is an issue of inadequacy of measures stipulated by the legislation to ensure protection of social and labor rights of citizens, shortcomings in the practical implementation of guarantees at the enterprise level. Today, trade unions play a big role in the lives of employees. Trade unions have been and are one of the special guarantees of respect for the rights and interests of employees.