Organizations experience labor disputes from time to time. The labor disputes are the result of a myriad of factors. These factors are either direct or indirect causes. Delayed payments or lack of payments entirely is one of the immediate causes of labor disputes. In formal organizations, employees are paid at a given time of the month. Organizations experiencing poor economic times may fail to pay their employees in time. This could potential cause labor strife. Occupational accidents that result from the lack of protective material and equipment also cause labor disputes directly (Shen 167). Employers are ethical and legally required to provide safe working conditions for the employees. The failure by the organization to make these provisions can spark labor disputes. Actions by management that result in the loss of jobs such as retrenchments and closures also result in labor disputes. Shen (167) argues that even though the factors discussed above directly cause labor strife, other factors such as corruption and poor management practices also contribute towards labor strife.
Different approaches are used for resolving labor disputes. The most common include arbitrations and litigation. Arbitration entails dialog between the employees and the employers. A mediator may be used to help the employees and employers reach a compromise. Alternatively, the two parties can seek legal redress through litigation (Tan 107). This is often costly, and also takes too long to resolve the standoff (Tan 107). These challenges make labor unions a necessary option in the resolution of labor disputes. Labor unions give the employees a collective voice through which they can negotiate and bargain with the management of the organization (Tan 107). Labor unions also serve to safeguard the rights of the workers, thereby preventing the occurrence of some of the factors that result in labor disputes (Tan 107).
Works Cited
Shen, Jie. The characteristics and historical development of labor disputes in China, Journal of Management History, 14, 2 (2008):161 – 173.
Tan, Quixia. Study on Settlement Mechanism of Collective Labor Dispute in China. Journal of Politics and Law, 7,2 (2014):107-112.
