Scribd
Upload
97 views5 pages

Human Resource Management: Topic: Labor Relations

This document provides an overview of labor relations and unions. It begins by defining labor relations and noting that it typically refers to dealings between management and unionized workers. It then discusses the roles of unions such as negotiating agreements and representing members. Several definitions of labor unions are also provided. The document outlines different types of unions including craft, industrial, syndicalist, and company unions. Reasons why people join and do not join unions are explored, such as unfair treatment, compensation/benefits, work conditions, safety, lack of compelling reasons, identification with management, and distrust/corruption of unions.

Uploaded by

Shani Khan
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
97 views5 pages

Human Resource Management: Topic: Labor Relations

This document provides an overview of labor relations and unions. It begins by defining labor relations and noting that it typically refers to dealings between management and unionized workers. It then discusses the roles of unions such as negotiating agreements and representing members. Several definitions of labor unions are also provided. The document outlines different types of unions including craft, industrial, syndicalist, and company unions. Reasons why people join and do not join unions are explored, such as unfair treatment, compensation/benefits, work conditions, safety, lack of compelling reasons, identification with management, and distrust/corruption of unions.

Uploaded by

Shani Khan
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

Human Resource Management

Topic: Labor Relations

Submitted To Sir Abbus Sattar Khan

Submitted By Muhammad Zeeshan MPA (Previous)

Department Of Public Administration, Gomal University

Labor relation
Labor relations can refer broadly to any dealings between management and workers about employment conditions. Most commonly, however, labor relations refer to dealings between management and a workforce that is already unionized, or has the potential to become unionized. Labor relations are frequently a subarea within human resource management. Courses in labor relations typically cover labor history, labor law, union organizing, bargaining, contract administration, and important contemporary Labor relations are a broad field encompassing all the myriad interchanges between employers and employees. While labor relations are most often used to discuss this exchange as it pertains to unionized employees, it may also refer to non-union employees as well. Labor relations are dictated in a large part by the government of a nation and the various regulations it provides to industry regarding the treatment of employees.

Unions Role:
negotiate agreements with employers on pay and conditions discuss major changes to the workplace such as large scale redundancy discuss their members' concerns with employers accompany their members in disciplinary and grievance meetings provide their members with legal and financial advice provide education facilities and certain consumer benefits such as discounted insurance

Labor union Definitions:


An association, combination, or organization of employees who band together to secure favorable wages, improved working conditions, and better work hours, and to resolve grievances against employers. An organization intended to represent the collective interests of workers in negotiations with employers over wages, hours and working conditions. Labor unions are often industry-specific and tend to be more common in manufacturing, mining, construction, transportation and the public sector. An organization of wage earners formed for the purpose of serving the members' interests with respect to wages and working conditions. an organization of workers formed for the purpose of advancing its members' interests in respect to wages, benefits, and working conditions An organization of wage earners or salaried employees for mutual aid and protection and for dealing collectively with employers; trade union.

There are different types and forms of labor unions. While they are all labor unions, craft, industrial, company and syndicalist unions have different histories, organizational methods and purposes. Understanding the differences among the types of labor unions gives insight into the history of the labor movement as a whole.

Types of Unions Craft Unions


Craft unions are the oldest type of labor union, descended from the guilds of medieval Europe. Craft unions organize members of a single trade or craft, which is an example of horizontal organization. Historically speaking, craft unions are relatively conservative both socially and politically compared to other unions. While some exceptions exist (for example, the Laborers' Union), craft unions generally organize more skilled workers. Examples of craft unions include building trade unions, plumbers, boilermakers and operating engineers. The American Federation of Labor was the umbrella organization for craft unionism in the United States prior to the formation of the AFL-CIO.

Industrial Unions
Industrial unions organize workers in an entire industry, regardless of the trade practiced, an example of vertical organization. Industrial unions rose to prominence in the United States during the Great Depression. Some early industrial unions include the United Auto Workers, United Steel Workers and International Long shore and Warehouse Union. Industrial unions are, generally speaking, more politically liberal than craft unions. In fact, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (the organization that represented industrial unions before the AFL-CIO merger) expelled 11 unions for alleged communist ties.

Syndicalist Unions
Syndicalist unions don't have much presence in the United States anymore. However, they continue to carry some sway in certain parts of Europe and were a driving force of the labor movement in the early part of the 20th century. Syndicalist unions seek to organize workers into one union representing all workers. They generally have a very liberal political bent, going as far as anarchism. The Industrial Workers of the World aren't the powerful force in the labor movement they were in the early 20th century, but they still exist. Sweden, France and Spain currently have noteworthy syndicalist unions.

Company Unions
Company unions were essentially barred by the Labor Relations Act passed by the Roosevelt Administration during the Great Depression. However, company unions continue to exist in altered form to this day. Company unions generally take the form of employee organizations within companies that are experiencing unionization drives. The term "company union" is not necessarily pejorative; however, the synonymous term "yellow union" is.

Why people join the Unions?


Unions and the act of unionization are not gone forever. People are still joining unions and with the uncertainty facing the American labor market in the future there is a good chance that unionization may increase in the near future. Therefore, employers need to know why people want to join a union. Employers desire to avoid unionization as much as possible. Unfortunately many employers don't start worrying until it is already too late and the union organizers are embedded within their company. Being proactive and knowing what your workers want will help you in the long run. Unfair: People join unions because they feel that management is unfair. When managers engage in patronage, promote their friends, terminate the employment of people without cause and have poor management skills people are not going to trust them. This low worker-to-management trust is a primary reason people choose to be unionized. Compensation: As wages are declining in many industries due to global competition and a slow down in U.S. manufacturing, workers desire to have higher wages. Wages can be considerably low in the hospitality environment which is ripe for unionization and is part of the reason why unionization has been growing in this industry. The goal is to get wages affixed and raise them higher through joining a union. Benefits: Unions often have a strong benefits package which they are able to extract from the employer. Workers have seen declining benefits levels, increased co-pays and a squeezing of drug prescription plans. Few want to worry about whether their families will have medical coverage. Retirement: Traditional retirement plans are gone and workers would like to have something to live off of when they become too old to work. Even though nearly half of all workers don't put any money way for their retirement they do want company matching. Joining a union helps them to not only install a 401K program but also company matching. Work Conditions: If the workplace is dirty, poorly lit, and simply a nasty place to people there is a good chance that workers will want to unionize. They do so because through the union's health and safety committees they can lobby for more improvements to the conditions of their work areas as well as the conditions associated with their employment.

Safety: Nothing damages the credibility of a company more then having either a major injury or death at the workplace. If the workers assume that this is the sole cause of the employer many workers will want to join a union. They will feel as though the company is trying to make as much money as possible; even at the expense of the workers.

Why some workers do not join trade union? The Reasons are:
The Lack of a compelling reason. They identify with management. They distrust Union. They fear the corruption in Union.

You might also like