2.6 Employer-Employee Relations

Question 1

What is “collective bargaining”?

Answer 1

Collective bargaining refers to the process in which work conditions and salary or wages are negotiated between employers and employees, usually through their respective agents (a union and a management team, for example).

Question 2

What is “go-slow”?

Answer 2

Involves an instruction from the union to its members to work at a slower pace. A slow-down reduces productivity and can be an effective strategy if, for example, there are sales orders that will fail their delivery time frame as a result.

Question 3

What is “work-to-rule”?

Answer 3

In a work-to-rule action, employees work at the minimum level required by their contract.

Question 4

What is “overtime ban”?

Answer 4

In an overtime ban, employees are instructed by their union to refuse to work beyond their contracted hours.

Question 5

What is “strike action”?

Answer 5

Strike action means that employees refuse to work. This is usually the result of major disagreements within large organisations over pay, benefits and working conditions.

Question 6

What are some industrial/employee relations used by employees?

Answer 6

1. Collective bargaining
2. Go-Slow
3. Work to rule
4. Overtime ban
5. Strike action

Question 7

What are some industrial/employee relations used by employers?

Answer 7

1. Collective bargaining
2. Redundancies
3. Contract changes
4. Closure
5. Lock-out

Question 8

What do employers do to affect “collective bargaining”?

Answer 8

Management attempts to use pressure by trying to enforce time deadlines for an agreement.

Question 9

What is “threats of redundancies”?

Answer 9

Means that a business organisation cuts back on personnel where their roles are no longer necessary or there is no longer any work available.

Question 10

What is “contract-changes”?

Answer 10

May result when an employee ends their contract and a new contract needs to be negotiated. At this point, terms can be altered. This may include changes in pay structures, benefit packages and fringe benefits.

Question 11

What is “closure”?

Answer 11

Occurs when management shuts down the business in response to employee strikes. This is extreme and is not often used because it creates animosity between managers and employees.

Question 12

What is “lock-out”?

Answer 12

Occurs when an employer locks out its employees, thus literally preventing employees from coming to work. If they can’t go in to work, then they cannot work. This can have the effect of disuniting the union and turning employees against one another as some employees may need the work more than others.

Question 13

What are some approaches to conflict resolutions?

Answer 13

1. Conciliation
2. Arbitration
3. No-strike agreement
4. Single union agreement

Question 14

What is “conciliation”?

Answer 14

Conciliation is where the two parties agree to have an independent third party act as a mediator to help resolve the dispute.

Question 15

What is “arbitration”?

Answer 15

Arbitration is where the two parties agree to have an independent third party act as a mediator to help resolve the dispute but the final decision is legally binding.

Question 16

What’s the difference between conciliation and arbitration?

Answer 16

With arbitration, the final decision is LEGALLY binding

Question 17

What is a “no-strike agreement”?

Answer 17

A no-strike agreement is the promise by employees not to strike as a way to settle disagreements.

Question 18

What is a “single union agreement”?

Answer 18

In a single union agreement, the employer only negotiates with a single labour union.