Conflict between Trade Unions and Management Essay

consort to shed, a manager should have an alternative frame of reference that allow for booster in analysing employee relations. M either managers practice session phantasmagorical frames of reference that end up distorting the existing facts thus making solutions very elusive. Fox except explains that at that place is the charter to develop an efficient and effective frame of reference that screwing view industrial relation contests in a realistic manner offering proper solutions (1966. Pp. 34).Fox is against some unrealistic ideologies that argon used by managers to serve their interests forgetting the needs of employees. accord to him constituteplace ideologies cannot and go out never figure out conflicts at the feed place. Ideologies should be in a position to persuade, self reassure and legitimise work-related offsprings. It is fleet that Fox was against the Unitarists view and was in support of Pluralism. According to Fox, the ideology that defines Unitarism i s being aban maked because of its incongruent character of reality (1966, pp.38).Unitarism and PluralismUnitarismAccording to Fox, there exist two frames of reference, namely Unitarists and pluralist perspectives. Unitarism view conflict as very supernatural and something out of the ordinary, hence its abnormal nature. The Unitarists, as a result, try to eliminate conflicts that exist in the workplace. Unitarists see clashes in the workplace a machinate receivable to wretched management and lack of proper communicating. Managers with poor communication and administration skills are to blame for any conflicts that result from the workplace. However, another(prenominal) conflicts whitethorn in like manner be as a result of few employees that want to start trouble and chaos at the workplace (1966, p. 17).According to Fox, the main elements of Unitarism include a single authority in a social club that has no opposer at all (1966, p.7). In addition, they agree that the organizati onal managers intention is to encourage employees to remain loyal and connected to the Organization (Budd et al., 2004, pp. 36). Lastly according to Collins et al. (2005, pp. 23), Unitarists believe that organizations mainly race as teams and, as a result, they have mutual goals to achieve. It means that they have no conflicts of interest among them including between managers and employees.Unitarism support the joining of detainment between the managers and employees to achieve shared goals, values, vision and interests as the managers lead by example finished brisk leadership to help in attaining set goals. They believe that conflicts in an brass section negatively affect its operations leading to disloyalty leading to the impairment of many an(prenominal) Companies. They believe that the G overnment is autonomous and should shape the systems in industrial relations.PluralismAccording to Collins et al. (2005, pp.987), Pluralists suggests that an organisation has many stakeho lders involved in decision-making and pushing their interests. appointments, in such environments is shopworn and cannot be keep offed thus the need for managers to get across it in an amic satisfactory manner. Pluralists support incarnate bargaining. According to Fox (1992, p 9), conduct unions do not introduce conflicts in organizations but the conflicts are endemic. If conflicts are handled well, twain stakeholders exit benefit, and collective bargaining is the path to take. Managers can even become creative in containing conflicts by reaching best agreements and creating very efficient methods of addressing the issues.Conflict in the labour marketConflict is specify as a discontent that comes from a perceived collision of individuals or groups interests and desires, when everyone takes a different font or opinion. Conflicts in the labour market are unavoidable, but if well managed by the involved stakeholders, it can lead to improved performance. industrial conflict of ten occurs when the workers are expressing their frustrations with their leaders in management over the way current affairs are being run in the organization. The main causes of conflicts include disagreeing on salary payment, wage increment and remunerations as stated in the employment contracts.Forms of conflictEmployees may require to express their dissatisf exercise either in a formal or informal manner depending on the issue being raised. Formal methods of expressing dissatisf consummation are well planned and organised in advance while daily ones occur spontaneously and have no organisation taking the managers by surprise.Types of organised/ Formal conflictsStrikesAccording to Collins et al. (2005, pp.117), a strike occurs when an employee temporarily withdraws his/her services, an action that is against the employment contract. Strikes are formal industrial conflicts that are organised by respective trade unions that represent workers in various organisations. Trade unions represent the employees to fancy that their work conditions and payments are abiding by the laid raft rules. During strikes, trade unions try to eliminate any possible alternative that employers can use to get services denied by the employees. A strike impart continue until the top leadership in the organisation address the matter at hand, addressing the issues that caused it in the first-year place.Work-to ruleAccording to Budd et al, (2005, pp.44), Work-to rule is a formal conflict in labour relations where the employees commemorate all the legal conditions in their employment contracts and deliberately refuse to use their initiative by playing rigidly and like machines that have already been programmed. An example may include nursing staff who refuses to dish up Doctors calls because it is not included anywhere in the employment contract. Another example may involve a stenographer that refuses to change the grammatical errors committed by her employer because her primary role is nevertheless to transcribe. Work-to rule is not illegal therefore no employee can be punished, despite it slowing down performance progress in the organisationProtests and demonstrationsWorkers may also demonstrate against managements action to undermine their rights. Demonstrations are legal as long as the employees observe the federal laws. Demonstrations may be organised by trade unions representing the employees.Types of unorganised/ informal conflictsAbsenteeismAccording to Collins et al. (2005, pp.124), absenteeism is an informal conflict in the workplace where workers deliberately refuse to go to work. However, absenteeism may not be an industrial conflict because employees may fail to report to work because of many varied reasons for sickness or injury. When employees fail to go to work and they do not give fuzes for the absenteeism either prior or after then it is considered to be an informal conflict. Absenteeism reduces revenue and productivity of organizations , hence management need to come up with strategies that will avoid it.SabotageSabotage is a deliberate damage of employees reputation and production by employees as a means of expressing their grievances. Workers may choose to slow down production, disable machines used in processing, slander the Company or directly destroy the firms property. Most employees that carry out sabotage report themselves but are willing to avail themselves when the pressure hits up.ResignationMany employees may choose to cast off from their positions and even head to the rivalry company as a result of a protest against sealed management practices. It may affect the reputation of the Company or even make the firm freehanded its competitive nature due to losing best employees to their competitor.TheftEmployees may choose to steal from their employer as a protest for poor payment. Workers may organise to steal organisations consignment meant for their clients or Production purposes ruining their reputat ion. court- order of magnitudeed regulation of conflict in the United KingdomThe United Kingdom labour laws describe strikes as illegal and, as a result nobody is allowed to conduct a strike. However, employees can express their grievances through their trade unions or Labour relations as stated in the Consolidation Act 1992 (TULRCA 1992). every employees taking part in a strike are required to give a carte to the affected employee and get its members to ballot if they get a majority vote then the industrial action can go on.Legislations in the United Kingdom labour laws that focus on employee rights are in support for Individualism as compared to collectivism Jurisdictions.Individual ConflictsAccording to Collins et al, (2005, pp.1024), any organization that is aiming at improving its operations need to minimise the individual conflicts at the place of work. Good managers can also turn the individual conflicts to benefit the firm by recording every employee. Managers can conduct feedback and interactive sessions as well as face-face meetings with its employees. In addition, every manager should understand the dislikes and likes of his staff including their strong and debilitated points. Leaders should learn to value their employees opinions to make them feel valued. They can go ahead and give vary days to employees that look frustrated and tired.When an employee is found to have committed an offence it is very crucial for the managers to handle the disciplinary action with uttermost care.How to resolve individual conflictsDiscipline is an action taken against a someone that has failed to confine ton the rules set by a Company of where he works. Grievance on the other hand is a condition on employment terms that appear contrary to the stated rules in individual or collective contracts.It is weighty for the employees to ensure thatEmployees understand what their standard of performance and conduct is and the consequences of weakness to meet the standards .Managers should identify the obstacles that can make employees not to meet the standards and look for solutions.Both employees and employers should agree on objectives and timeframe to achieve.Employer should resolve a dispute using the employment tribunalIf an employee is dismissed the manager should be able to prove to the tribunal that the due process was followed (Clegg, 1979, pp. 21). corporal conflictsAccording to Collins et al., (2005, pp.24), Individual employees face many problems like low wages, lack of incentives and poor working environment. Even though, the workers face the problems individually, they cannot attract the managers attention due to lack of bargaining power. When trade unions address the issues, then it becomes a collective conflict, and it increases the bargaining power of the employees sort of than solving a case by case scenario.Trade unions play a significant role in collective conflicts by increasing the bargaining strength of workers in various empl oyment situations collectively. Collective bargaining assists employees in presenting their grievances and ensures that management does not take a unilateral step or decision.Conflict firmness mechanismIt is burning(prenominal) for management to realize that conflicts at the place of work are inevitable. Employers and employees will always have issues especially in relation to employment contracts and wage payments. Management should come up with an employment tribunal that will deal with the problems whether individual or collective.When some of the conflicts are so complicated, there is the need for mediation to take place as soon as possible. Employers need to address issues at the workplace as quickly as possible. Postponing will only make the situation more complicated. mediation helps a lot in solving conflicts before they become more complex. It provides a neutral ground fro employer and employees to discuss their issues and come up with solutions that are mutual. Mediatio n should encourage open communication and should be done by professionals that can develop solutions.According to Collins et al., (2005, pp.124), leaders should define to their employees what protocols to observe to reduce conflicts. It is important for them to create a framework that will encourage good business practices, team building, and talent management. A manager should understandably state actions that will not be tolerated. In addition, it is important for organisations to hit conflicts go about them head-on. Employers should seek out issues that will bring conflicts and intervene as soon as possible. This will help avoid some conflicts from coming up.Clegg believes that before solving conflicts it is essential for every party to understand the whats in it for me factor. It is very critical for all sides ton understand the motivation of others before try to resolve the conflict. Avoiding conflicts by helping others achieve their objectives will provide a platform to conf lict resolution (1979, pp. 22).Stakeholders in conflict resolution in the labour marketTrade marriages and Employees.According to Trade Union & labour Relations (Consolidated Act 1992) a trade union is an organisation with workers as its members, whose primary function is to find the relationship between employees and employers or Employers Unions. The main purpose of a trade union is to comfort and promote the interests of their workers who are their members.Trade unions try to get highest wage payment for its members and influence the rules and regulations that govern employment. In addition, they work as employees source of power as they control the government to formulate laws that benefit the employee.According to Budd et al. (2004, pp. 26), employers need to recognise trade unions because they provide a mechanism at the place of work that improves communication. It also helps to regulate employee-employer relationship. In addition trade, unions maintain active employment cu lture in labour relations. Most employers, provided resist trade unions because the pose a challenge to the authority of the leaders in the organisation cause potential disruption of work at the firm. Some unions may not be willing to co-operate promoting rise in strikes and strives. Many managers prefer other useful channels of addressing employees grievances than use of trade unions.The GovernmentTrade Union and labour relations (Consolidated) (1992, p. 108), defines the government as a state of the day, including the other agencies that perform their will through implementation of labour policies and their legislation. The government may be an employer, income regulator, rule formulator, manpower moderator or the guardian of employees, thus the wide responsibility.The employerAccording to Fox (1966, p. 6) the employer is responsible for supplying its workforce with employment contracts that are aureate and abide by the labour laws in the United Kingdom. At the same time, they should provide a working environment that is beneficial to the employee. As much as their primary goal is to maximise profits it is important for the employer to mind the needs of a worker. Budd et al. believes that the company should acknowledge trade unions and use them as opportunities to move to the following level. Trade unions push employees agenda and if companies can use the issues raised to benefit the employee then performance will improve automatically as most employees will feel satisfied (2004 pp. 14).ConclusionOrganisational conflict, trade unions, Governments, employers and collective bargaining are critical areas of interest in labour relations. Foxs views on unitarism and pluralism clearly bring out the conflicts that arise at the workplace. According to Fox, the Unitarism perspective explains that what benefits the employee will automatically benefit the employer and conflict should not be taken as a typical phenomenon. According to the Unitarists, many managers a nd workers see their organisation in a unitary shape and are impressed with existing situations.The pluralists have an opposite view, however, debate that what benefits the Company disadvantages the employees with the reverse being true. They believe that the interests of workers are very different from those of the employer. Due to the existence of poor labour laws, powerful Multinationals and desperate competition of employees, there exist weak employment conditions.In order to have a balance among the competing parties in the working relationship, Fox explains that firms need to go for the pluralist view as the most efficient and effective mechanism for solving conflicts that cannot be avoided. The frame of reference developed by Fox embraces the interests of two parties hence its relevance to the present society.Conflicts can either be organised or informal with strikes, absenteeism, sabotage and work-to rule being the most common. Many organisations should come up with mechani sms to solve both the individual and collective conflicts appropriately to avoid affecting their operations. There is the need for the Government, employees, employers and Trade unions to work unitedly to ensure that conflicts are handled in a mature manner.ReferencesBudd, J. et al. (2004), Why A Balance Is Best The Pluralist industrial Relations Paradigm Of Balancing Competing Interests, Industrial Relations Research Association, Research Volume. Pp. 12-48.Clegg, H. A. (1979). The Changing System of Industrial Relations in Great Britain. Oxford University press Blackwell. Pp. 17-37.Collins, H. Keith, Ewing, & Aileen McCoglan. (2005). Labour Law Text and Materials 2nd Edition, Kogan Publishers London. PP 1-1100.Commons, J.R. (1919), Industrial blessing. McGraw-Hill New York. Pp.125-193Flanders, Management & Unions, pp. 172 (08/10/10)Edwards, P. (2010). The Employment Relationship, pp.11-12Fox, A. (1966). 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