Managing Employee Relations – Pros And Cons Of Trade Unions For Workers And Employers

Good aspects of Workers to Join the Trade Union

Describe about the Managing Employee Relation?.

There are different approaches to the employment from the side of the employers and the workers. These two parties come to an agreement when there is a union. Union has played a dialogue between the role of the worker and employer, but the business has changed a lot. If the changes in the business environment is considered then it is imperative to understand how the union fits into the present business scenario and the roles played by the union. Union is an organization that tends to negotiate with the businesses, corporation on behalf of the trade unions members (Blanpain et al. 2012). The effect of the labour union can have both the benefits and the negative aspects for the workers. This paper will show that despite the good aspects of the union there are many things, which do not appeal the labour union.

It has been found that the trade union in a nation helps the employees to get a premium wage. The employees or the workers both tend to enjoy a higher bargaining power.  The bargaining power of the individual employee is little in relation to the employer. Once the employee is not satisfied, then they move on to another job, but such movement would not continue longer. This is the time when the role of the trade union is considered as important. The union can ask the management to design the personnel strategy for the based on equal treatment of all the employees.

The employees feel that joining the union would help in getting the adequate amount of protection from the income security and the hazards like the unemployment, illness and much more. The trade union secures the retirement benefit of the employees, and they force the management to provide welfare services (Moore, McKay and Veale 2013). As a trade union member, the workers they would be able to participate in the matters of management.

An employee might join the union, as there are co-workers also present in the union. There is an external pressure that the workers have to face when they do not join trade union or might have a difficult time is faced during the work. Despite the good aspect, the next section will analyse the reasons for the workers not to join the trade union.

The union is considered the best thing that can happen to people who works without it there would arise a dangerous condition. There are some reasons for which the people do not want to enter into trade unions and do not want the industry to be unionized. The relevance of the importance of the trade union is dying. In the 1940s, 35% of the European workers belonged to the trade union, but now the memberships in the private sector are less than that of 7% (Ledwith and Hansen 2012). The main reason for this is that in reality, the worker they lose their freedom when working in a trade union (Platzer, Mueller and Burgess 2012).

Reason for the Workers to be Reluctant to Join the Trade Union

The negotiation with the employer for the compensation is not something that the employees like to do (Keune and Marginson 2012).  This is done when there is a demand, which would include joyful agony so that the best offers are decided and what is the amount that needs to be paid. There is both pain and joy involved, as the pay would be dependent upon the work. This will also reflect the entire lifestyle pattern. The payment and the form of payment both is a problem.  It might be that there is a demand for more cash by the employee, or there is a demand for more days off, employees may demand paid lunches rather than money, and many criteria that are more significant will be judged when pay is considered (Curran and Quinn 2012). The problem with the union is that the demand for the correct pay will be under their control. There is no way the employee will be able to negotiate. The union management takes all the powers away; the employees are only left with hope.  Under the best scenario as well, the union will be negotiating with the lowest common denominator. The union will try to fix a wage that is average but in the real world; nobody is average. In the case of a union, there is no doubt in a union there is a need to compromise with the employer and other workers as well.

There is only average that is provided to the workers, and it is diluted by the benefits the corporate management and union management negotiate. Employees lose power, and there is no bargaining regarding the ideas, quality, efforts and the unique traits (Ravenhill-Johnson and James 2013). A worker may try to work hard so that they can earn more or might try to ensure job security (Goerke and Pannenberg 2012).  There might be a motive for employees to work that he excels.  The union is not concerned how well an employee performs in the work, but the concern is regarding the how many years that the employee services in an organization.  This type of payment will be affecting the employees, and the customers of the organization as the quality will fall which could be bad for the company as the profit of the organization will be dependent upon the quality of the workers. Workers effort might also be treated as meaningless in this regard. Money can be earned more by the employees as long as they are stuck in their job for a longer period. (Fairbrother, Hennebert and LeÌÂvesque 2013)  The effort big or small is irrespective from a lay off when there is a typical type of union contract. The efforts do not count.

Pay is Important

Three groups are harmed by the activities of the union i.e. the consumers, society, and companies. These groups are affected by the increase in the price, low quality, inefficiency, unemployment, reducing the pay of non-union workers, which is generated through the union. The employees or the workers, on the other hand, have to cover the dues of the union forcefully whether someone likes it or not. The employees they contribute to the pay for the government officials in the form of bribe and there is no way to object. There is a lingering tyranny of majority government on the employees in the form of the crony management of the union. Union tends to reduce the real household income.  The employees or the workers they need to protect their rights as earn the pay as per their worth and not according to the seniority and provide with the meaningless compensation that takes away majority (Egger and Etzel 2012).

There is an adversarial relation to the unions with the employers. This creates a less cooperative environment with employers and the unionized members. The supervisors they might treat the unionized workers less as partners and more as subordinate (Heywood and Jirjahn 2013). There might be a feeling by the workers that their employers do not trust them.

Conclusion

The willingness and the unwillingness of the workers to join the union depends on whom it is asked.  The union have shown that they have been able to increase the rate of wage, improve the condition of work and creates an incentive for the employees who are in their training. The critics have countered saying that the productivity changes and the competitive labour market are the reason for the wage adjustment. There is a risk that the wage increase may come at the expense of the non-unionised workers who are not represented formally to the management. There is a greater degree of unwillingness towards joining the union, as the effort of a single worker is not recognized rather an average pay is given to the workers.  This would also reduce the real income of the household. It is quite difficult to avoid the influence of trade union in shaping the political and the business environment.

References:

Blanpain, R., Klebe, T., Schmidt, M., Waas, B., Bellace, J. and Weiss, M. (2012). Trade union rights at the workplace. Alphen aan den Rijn: Kluwer Law International.

Curran, D. and Quinn, M. (2012). Attitudes to employment law and the consequent impact of legislation on employment relations practice. Employee Relations, 34(5), pp.464-480.

Egger, H. and Etzel, D. (2012). Union wage setting and international trade. Munich: CESifo.

Fairbrother, P., Hennebert, M. and LeÌÂvesque, C. (2013). Transnational trade unionism. New York: Routledge.

Goerke, L. and Pannenberg, M. (2012). Trade union membership and sickness absence. München: CESifo.

Heywood, J. and Jirjahn, U. (2013). Variable Pay, Industrial Relations and Foreign Ownership: Evidence from Germany. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 52(3), pp.521-552.

Keune, M. and Marginson, P. (2012). Transnational Industrial Relations as Multi-Level Governance: Interdependencies in European Social Dialogue. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 51(3), pp.473-497.

Ledwith, S. and Hansen, L. (2012). Gendering and Diversifying Trade Union Leadership. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.

Moore, S., McKay, S. and Veale, S. (2013). Statutory regulation and employment relations. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Platzer, H., Mueller, T. and Burgess, P. (2012). Global and European Trade Union Federations. Oxford: Lang, Peter, AG, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften.

Ravenhill-Johnson, A. and James, P. (2013). The art and ideology of the trade union emblem, 1850-1925. London: Anthem Press.