Ch 3. Resolving Conflict in the Workplace Flashcards
Industrial relations
The quality of the relations that exist between the managers and the employees in an orgainisation
Benefits of good industrial relations (4)
- Easier to recruit and retain high quality staff
- Low levels of absenteeism and labour turnover
- Happy staff are more productive
- Fewer industrial disputes
An industrial dispute
A legal term referring to any conflict between workers and employers
Industrial disputes causes (3)
- Pay and working conditions
- Redundancies or dismissals
- Discrimination of staff
Industrial relations made worse by (5)
- Poor communications
- Unrealistic employees
- Excessively demanding employers
- Aggressive behaviour, autocratic managers
- Lack of trust
Good industrial relations can be promoted by (6)
- Good wages and working conditions
- Open communication
- Keeping promises, trust and respect
- Treating staff fairly
- Having a clear grievance procedure, simple, fair and quick method
- Fair dismissals
Grievance procedure
The rules agreed between employers and staff when raising workplace issues
Trade unions
Organisations that represent the views and interests of employees in matters concerning pay and conditions of employment
A shop steward
A spokesperson elected by employees in a workplace to act as their local union representative
Benefits of union membership to employees (5)
- Protect employees rights
- Look for better pay and conditions
- Negotiate with employers
- Provide advice
- Provide a national voice through ICTU
Benefits of union membership to employers (5)
- Simplifies communications
ICTU
- Irish Congress of Trade Unions
- Speaks and acts for all unions in the ROI
Roles of ICTU (4)
- A negotiator for all unions
- Promotes the benefits of union membership
- Resolves disputes between different unions
- Provides training, education and research
Pay claims (4)
- Cost of living claim
- Comparability claim
- Relativity claim
- Productivity claim
Cost of living claim
Arises when employees want their wages to keep up with inflation
Comparability claim
Arises where employees want similar pay and conditions to workers doing comparable work in a different company
Relativity claim
Occurs where one group of workers want to maintain higher pay than another group
Productivity claim
Occurs where workers seek improved pay and conditions as a reward for increasing their output and efficiency
Individual bargaining
Occurs when the employer negotiates individually with an employee
Collective bargaining
Occurs when the employer negotiates collectively with a group of employees, usually through a trade union representative
Social partners
Comprise representatives of the government, employers, and employees
Social partnership
The process whereby the government, employers and employees agree pay and conditions nationally
Industrial Relation Act 1990
Law that sets out the rules concerning industrial disputes and strikes
According to the Industrial Relations Act 1990
- Disputes must be legitimate
- Unions must hold a secret ballot
- Unions must give at least one week’s advance notice
- Official disputes - have ICTU support
- Immunity to being sued if its an official dispute
- Unofficial disputes - don’t have ICTU - illegal
- Primary picketing allowed, Secondary picketing illegal
- LRC helps with resolving disputes
Secret ballot
How a person votes remains confidential
Official dispute
Legitimate trade disputes that have received the approval of a majority of workers in a secret ballot, along with trade union and ICTU support