Chapter 26 - Industrial Relations

Question 1

Industrial relations

Answer 1

Refers to the relationship that exists between employers and employees in a particular workplace

Question 2

What are the benefits of a good industrial relationship to the employer?

Answer 2

○Workers won’t go on strike because problems will be solved quickly. So the firm won’t lose money or customers
○The employees will be happy in their work and happy workers work harder, leading to higher profits
○The firm will have a good name among the general public so sales and profits will increase

Question 3

What are the benefits of a good industrial relationship to the employee?

Answer 3

○Workers won’t have to go on strike because problems will be solved quickly so the employees won’t lose wages or their job
○The employees will be happy in their work and their will be a good atmosphere in the work place
○The firm will have a good name among the general public and employee morale will increase

Question 4

Trade union

Answer 4

An organisation of workers whose main objectives are to protect the jobs of their members and improve their pay and working conditions

Question 5

What are the functions of a trade union?

Answer 5

○Protect the jobs of its members
○Try to improve members working conditions
○Try to increase members’ pay
○Stand up for members if they are involved in a trade dispute with their employer and try to solve this problem

Question 6

What are the four types of trade unions in Ireland?

Answer 6

• Craft Unions
• Industrial Unions
• General Unions
• Professional (White-Collar) Unions

Question 7

What are craft unions?

Answer 7

Members of these unions usually have a particular trade, craft or skill, such as an electrician or a carpenter

Question 8

Give two examples of Craft Unions

Answer 8

○The Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU)

○The National Union of Sheet Metal Workers in Ireland

Question 9

What are industrial unions?

Answer 9

Unions whose member all work in the same industry. They are popular in Europe but not so common in Ireland

Question 10

Give an example of an Industrial Union

Answer 10

Irish Bank Officials Association (IBOA)

Question 11

What are general unions?

Answer 11

Unions whose members come from many different industries. They tend to be very large

Question 12

Give two examples of General Unions

Answer 12

○Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union (SIPTU)
○Irish Municipal Public & Civil Trade Union (IMPACT)

Question 13

What are professional (white-collar) unions?

Answer 13

Unions whose members have professional qualifications or work in the service industry

Question 14

Give two examples of Professional (White-Collar) Unions

Answer 14

○The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI)

○The National Union of Journalists (NUJ)

Question 15

Shop Steward

Answer 15

Person elected by the trade union members to represent them in the workplace

Question 16

What are the main functions of the shop steward?

Answer 16

►Encourage workers to join the trade union
►Collect trade union membership fee
►Help workers solve problems they may have with their employer
►Give information from the head office to the members

Question 17

What is an industrial dispute?

Answer 17

When a serious disagreement happens between management and workers, it is called an industrial dispute

Question 18

What are the main causes of an industrial dispute in Ireland?

Answer 18

○Worker is sacked
○Workers are denied an increase in pay
○Workers are not happy with their conditions of employment
○Not happy with working conditions
○Workers feel they were treated unfairly
○Worker is being asked to do the work of another worker
○Employer refuses to allow their employees to join a trade union/refuses to talk to the shop steward

Question 19

What is it called when one worker is asked to do the work of another worker?

Answer 19

Demarcation dispute

Question 20

What are the different types of strikes?

Answer 20

• Official strike
• Unofficial strike
• Sympathetic strike
• Wildcat/lightning strike
• Work to rule

Question 21

Official strike

Answer 21

Has the support of the ICTU

Question 22

What steps must be taken for a strike to be called an official strike?

Answer 22

• Trade union organises a secret vote in which members decide if they want to strike
• If they vote yes, the trade union asks the ICTU for support
• The employer is given a weeks notice of the worker’s intention to stop work and strike

Question 23

Unoffical strike

Answer 23

Workers decide to go on strike without agreement of the trade union or ICTU

Question 24

Why are unofficial strikes bad?

Answer 24

○Usually no vote, so the views of all workers have not been listened to
○No notice given to employer so they have no time to find a solution
○No strike pay for workers

Question 25

Sympathetic strike

Answer 25

Workers who have no problems with their employer go on strike to support their colleagues who do

Question 26

Describe a wildcat/lightning strike

Answer 26

○A.k.a a go-slow ○Workers come to work as normal ○Workers refuse to do overtime ○Workers refuse to perform certain task, however they do still do their other duties outlined in their contract so they can't be dismissed or have their wages stopped ○So, management is forced to act to solve problems

Question 27

How would you solve a trade dispute?

Answer 27

1. Employee should discuss the problem with the shop steward who should bring it to the attention of management 2. HR manager should discuss the problem with the shop steward to see if a solution can be found 3. If no solution is found, shop steward should pass the problem on to the Trade Union head office. Trade union employs specially trained people who'll contact the firm and try and solve the problem

Question 28

What does the Labour Relations Commission do?

Answer 28

* Set up by the government to help solve trade disputes * LCR provides trained person who will bring the employer and employees together to discuss the problem * Both parties are given a chance to tell their part of the story

Question 29

Conciliation

Answer 29

Process of bringing two sides of a dispute together to discuss the problem and try to reach a solution they both accept

Question 30

What is the Labour Court and what is is for?

Answer 30

* If the LRC doesn't solve the problem, it may be investigated by the Labour Court * There are 3 people on each Labour Court committee who listen to both sides then make a decision

Question 31

Arbitration

Answer 31

Where an independent person listens to both sides of a dispute and makes a decision about how the dispute should be solved

Question 32

Equality officer

Answer 32

Investigates disputes where the employee is complaining of being unfairly treated at work

Question 33

What does the Rights Commissioner do?

Answer 33

* Investigates disputes that involve only one worker in a firm * If the employee is not happy with the decision, they can take the complaint to the Employment Appeals Tribunal

Question 34

What does the law say about unfair dismissal?

Answer 34

``` Workers can't be dismissed because of: ○Worker's political/religious beliefs ○Race/colour ○Pregnancy ○Being a member of a trade union ```

Question 35

What does the law say about fair dismissal?

Answer 35

Dismissal is fair if: ○The worker has a bad behaviour ○The worker's not qualified or able to do their job ○There's no work for them to do i.e made redundant

Question 36

What does the law say about equality in the workplace

Answer 36

1. All employees who do the same work must get the same pay, unless they have been with the firm longer of have better qualifications 2. Everyone must be treated equally when it comes to hiring new workers, training staff and choosing staff for a promotion

Question 37

What is the ICTU?

Answer 37

○Irish Congress of Trade Unions ○Governing body for Trade Unions in Ireland ○Voluntary organisation and it represents the trade unions who join it

Question 38

What are the main functions of the ICTU?

Answer 38

* Provide advice and training to trade unions and their members * Help trade unions solve disputes they may have with their employers * Try to improve pay and working conditions of all trade union members

Question 39

What is IBEC?

Answer 39

* Irish Business and Employers Confederation * Organisation to represent employers and give them advice and information * It is the national umbrella organisation for businesses and employers in Ireland * Most employers are members

Question 40

What are the main functions of IBEC?

Answer 40

○Give advice to member firms ○Be an important source of knowledge, influence and connections for its members ○Represent member firms at Labour Court and LRC