2.6 Industrial/ Employee Relations

Question 1

Employee representatives

Answer 1

individuals/ groups (trade unions) who act as a collective voice for the workforce

Question 2

Employer representatives

Answer 2

individuals that represent the management team in the collective bargaining process

Question 3

Role of employee representatives

Answer 3

• make the views of the employees known to the management
• represent the employees during negotiations or conflicts

Question 4

Role of employer representatives

Answer 4

• negotiate on behalf of the employers
• inform employees of developments in the business (redundancies, takeovers, relocation)

Question 5

Industrial/ employee relations methods used by employees

Answer 5

collective bargaining
slowdowns (go-slows)
work-to-rule
overtime bans
strike action

Question 6

Collective bargaining

Answer 6

Industrial relations method where the employee (trade union) and employer representatives negotiate the terms and conditions of employment with the intention of reaching a mutually beneficial outcome

Question 7

Slowdowns (go-slows)

Answer 7

Industrial relations method used to work at the minimum pace allowable under their employment contract to reduce productivity of the workforce - yet employers will find it difficult to discipline staff who are contractually well-behaved

Question 8

Work-to-rule

Answer 8

Industrial relations method used to strictly work by the company rulebook and not doing anymore than is absolutely necessary with the intention of disrupting production

Question 9

Overtime bans

Answer 9

Industrial relations method where representatives disallow any of the union’s members to work overtime to disrupt productivity

Question 10

Strike action

Answer 10

Industrial relations method involving employees refusing to work to show disapproval of management actions

Question 11

Industrial/ employee relations methods used by employers

Answer 11

collective bargaining
threats of redundancies
changes of contract
closure
lock-out

Question 12

Threats of redundancies

Answer 12

Industrial relations method used to pressure or threaten employees to settle out of fear of becoming redundant if industrial action continues (can’t exploit employees as they are protected by employment laws)

Question 13

Changes of contract

Answer 13

Industrial relations method used to alter the employment contract for employees who cause industrial unrest

Question 14

Closure

Answer 14

Industrial relations method involving closing and stopping all business operations in response to the uncooperative union, leaving workers without pay and encouraging them to compromise

Question 15

Lock-out

Answer 15

Industrial relations method involving temporarily closing the business to prevent employees from going to work, leaving them without pay and encouraging them to compromise

Question 16

Sources of conflict in the workplace

Answer 16

1. Perceptions (when people have different views on a situation or what is considered fair)
2. Values (clash of values/ beliefs)
3. Power (exploitation/ abuse of authority to control employees)
4. Communication (poor communication leading to misunderstandings)

Question 17

Approaches to conflict resolution

Answer 17

• conciliation and arbitration
• employee participation and industrial democracy
• no-strike agreement
• single-union agreement

Question 18

Conciliation

Answer 18

Conflict resolution strategy where the two parties agree to have an independent mediator to help in the negotiation process to solve the dispute

Question 19

Arbitration

Answer 19

Conflict resolution strategy where an independent mediator decides on an appropriate outcome to a dispute and the decision is legally binding

Question 20

Employee participation and industrial democracy

Answer 20

Conflict resolution strategy where employees are empowered and given responsibilities and decision-making power leading to higher levels of morale and productivity

Question 21

No-strike agreement

Answer 21

Conflict resolution strategy where members in a trade union agree to not take strike action provided the employer keeps to their obligations

Question 22

Single-union agreement

Answer 22

Conflict resolution strategy where the employers agree to participate in collective bargaining with a single trade union that represents the workers

Question 23

Reasons for resistance to change in the workplace

Answer 23

1. Self interest (more interested in the implications of change on themselves rather than the benefits it will bring for the organization)
2. Low tolerance (lack of open-mindedness because people are uncomfortable working outside comfort zones + fear of uncertainty)
3. Misinformation (reasons behind change not communicated properly can lead to employees believing it is not necessary)
4. Interpretation of circumstances (different interpretations of the consequences of change)

Question 24

HR strategies for reducing the impact of change

Answer 24

1. Getting agreement/ ownership (allowing workers to be involved in the decision making process can prevent misunderstanding the purpose of change)
2. Planning and timing (rapid change is poorly executed, it requires careful planning to be implemented well)
3. Communicating (educate and inform about the need and benefits of change)