Introduction
The quest to promote ideal working conditions for employees has been ongoing in the UK and the world at large for over centuries. While it remains to be seen whether a universally satisfying working conditions can be reached that wholesomely settles the long-raging battle between management and the worker’s union, several companies have continued to exercise colloquial and outmoded management practices on the employees and even attempted to bar them from seeking for their rights. There is a growing trend of many organizations’ management attempting to abuse the employees in a bid to maximize the output. All over the world, there are concerns here and there about how the management teams in various companies are according to the employees what they deserve regarding what serves their wellbeing. However, Trade Unions have been at bay in an attempt to put the necessary pressure on the management to serve justice to their hardworking employees, the goal thus far being to create conducive environment enables every part to feel contented on the working condition. Since time memorial, trade unionists have been on record championing the rights of workers at different capacities to help secure better terms of work as well as improve their relationships with the management (Bernaciak et al., 2014, 4-25). It is within the confines of the law that organizations offer agreeable terms to employees so that they can engage their efforts fully to help the organization achieve its goal. Proper management practices require that both the organization and the individuals grow together over time. However, this has never been the case as management often turns blind eyes to the need for employees to grow. It is thus essential for the organization to consider providing better-working terms to the employees to help boost their motivation and zeal to perform their duties and meet the organizational goals. In the case, the everyday management practices is a culmination of continued abuse and discriminative practices witnessed in the UK companies as other parts of the world. The trend of imperative gains against the worker welfare is common in organizations all over the world, especially in the developing world. In these places, employees are hardly allowed to join trade unions so that the employer can exercise oppressive terms over them as well as spew authoritarian conditions to the workers.
Discussion
Moreover, employers are equally benefiting from the unionization of organizations in different capacities. Therefore, it is critical that every party in work environment views the unions through the optical lens of progress that comes with it rather than an impediment to company progress as witnessed in several cases. The benefits of the organizations through unions have led to the growth of numerous companies as a result of proper worker organization (Bernaciak et al., 2014, 4-25). In the UK, workers are allowed to champion for better conditions at work through any possible avenue. That might include taking legal action whenever necessary as well as seeking help from unions. However, unions can only come in when you are an authorized member and when the organization upon which one renders services is party to the union. In other circumstances, it remains a war that will hardly be solved if stun actions are not taken against the employers who continually abuse the workers. Despite the availability of labor laws that legalizes the unions, company management remains adamant on the implementation of worker unions. Consequently, workers are entangled in a relentless battle for their rights. In many aspects, the battle has been legal. However, strikes have always been used as a way to advance employee interests especially when the employer has refused to heed to calls for improved working conditions. As a result, many employees have often been sacked unceremoniously, and unlawfully, in what employers consider being incitement (Bernaciak et al., 2014, 4-25). While strikes have been disowned by companies due to its economic repercussions, it remains one of the popular ways workers all over the world use to express disgruntlement with the organization management.
Role of Trade Unions
Trade Unions have played a vital role in restructuring the labor sector and creating a tenable work environment for employees. In the process, several aspects of the workmanship have been altered to fit the interests of the parties under any form of managerial dispute. Employees have been working in handy with the unions in a bid to enhance their working conditions. The following are the roles of Trade Unions;
Negotiate favorable wages and salaries
The motivation of every worker is the reward they get in return for their efforts. The return is always in the form of wages and remunerations. While the company and the individual normally agree to the terms of employee acquisition, many employees have settled for wages that are far below the law-required limits. In many cases, the level of necessity for the job might overwhelm the rational urge for reasonable pay (Conley, 2014, 309-323). Once an employee appends the signature for pay that is not satisfactory to their minimum requirement as stipulated in the labor laws, it becomes extremely hard to renegotiate the terms. The organizations often insert in the employment policy that the terms are subject to review within certain periods. Employees have continued to work for decades without the review of the terms and while the economic situations changes, their pay have remained stagnant forcing many to struggle to cope with the changing living standards. While the dream of every employee is to get improved pay with time, the difficulty in renegotiating makes many employees join unions. Unions have taken measures enhance payment limits of employees especially when employers attempt to exploit the workers due to their ignorance or lack of unionization. In the case study, the employer that happens to be The Lunch Mulch Food Company has thrived by offering low wages to the unskilled workers who find it tempting to accept any pay offered by the company. Many of these employees are often immigrants who are not well conversant with the UK labor laws (Conley, 2014, 309-323). According to the laws, the minimum wage limit should be around seven Pound per hour. However, the company can offer very low wages. Therefore, the Trade Unions often come in to save the ignorant and helpless employees from the meager pays offered by their employers.
Boosting Working Conditions
The health of every worker remains a key determinant of their level of input to the organization. However, many organizations have shown little interest in offering a healthy work environment. As a result, trade unions have been with the aid of the employees negotiating better and healthy working conditions. As evident in the case study, the employees work for several hours in the cold room at the temperature that is way below the healthy condition. As a result, their health remains at stake. Working at -17 degrees is a health hazard. Therefore, the champions change of such conditions to help improve the health of workers. Also, employees are required to operate the working hours limit set by the laws. In the UK, the average working hours is set at 48 hours a week. However, there are few exceptions in the forces where one might be required to go beyond the time directive as provided by the law. However, the law makes it clear for any person less than 18 years of age to work for not to work for more than forty hours in a week. The Union thus works purposely to ensure that favorable working hours is accorded to employees and the working hours plan favors the welfare of the employees and not only the interest of the employer (Conley, 2014, 309-323).
Protect employees against unilateral disciplinary actions
The employers are often on the look for minor mistakes especially when the relationship has deteriorated between the employer and the employees due to the disparity of interests. Under extremities, employees are often victimized by the management through penal transfers, dismissals, and suspensions (Conley, 2014, 309-323). Such managerial unilateral behaviors are atrocious and unlawful. Therefore, the worker is always encouraged to present the case to the Trade Unions to help safeguard them from the deliberate injustices. There is a clear segregation of workers across different factories of The Lunch Mulch Food Company and the unenlightened employees are given inaccurate information and as a result require the indulgence of the Trade Union.
Welfare of workers
Trade Unions are normally meant to promote the worker welfare. In this case, the workers might find it hard to represent their interests to the management. In this case, the Union acts as a consulting authority to the workers and also offers a guiding body to help advice employees on the best way to enhance their wellbeing. Through this, the Unions engage in collective bargaining with the management to enhance the employee welfare (Forth & Bryson, 2015, 5-17).
Work Relations
The relationship between employees and the employer is often at loggerheads due to the unilateral and bureaucratic attitudes showed by the management in many cases. Such attitudes often lead to conflicts with employees. The Trade Union thus takes the responsibility of the promoting the industrial peace by engaging in relentless negotiations as the workers’ representative (Forth & Bryson, 2015, 5-17).
The strategies used by the Union
The Union has engaged in worker mobilization to join them and become legal members so that it can champion for their rights. The attempt to offer different terms to the employees at different factories makes it necessary for the union to bring them on board. While it remains clear that the management is unwilling to meet the employees themselves, the recognition of the union exists within the ranks thus making it for the Union to seek legally better terms for the employees. There are resistance and mismatch in management communication to the employees at different factories. While it is critical to represent the interest of employees, the union should have called for a round-table engagement with the management. The sense of respect would clearly be visible and thus, would make the management conceive to their calls for unionization. Also, the union should have taken legal actions against the management for their unwillingness to allow workers from other factories to join unions (Forth & Bryson, 2015, 5-17). That is a clear infringement of their rights. The courts have the power to compel them to allow employees to join unions for their welfare.
Impact of local, national, and international context of employee-employer relationship
Local context
The local aspect of the fight to sanitize the workforce has been championed by the local workers union that attempts through mobilization and organized strikes to mount pressure on the company to provide a just working environment to the employees. Through its relentless push for equal treatment of workers across all the factories, the union is has been able to gain substantial breakthrough as the employer has given audience to the workers (Forth & Bryson, 2015, 5-17). Despite reluctance by the management to authorize unionization in other factories, the signs and continued pressure by the union cannot be wished away as it seeks to have members registered across all the factories. it will create a level bargaining ground for the employees in a collective manner that ensures no particular individual falls victim to intimidation and unilateral action.
National Context
National organizations like ACAS have been to help when called upon by the employees. The organizations offer resolution to all manner of employment disputes between the employer and the employees. In the case study, the flow of information has enabled employees from the front their concerns and seek for expertise advice from organizations like ACAS that remain a national body that works in hand with the stakeholders to promote industrial peace (Forth & Bryson, 2015, 5-17).
International context
The growing platforms for sharing information remain critical to the shaping of the workplace relationship. In the context, workers share cross-platform information that helps understand what better suits their needs and rights as employees (Forth & Bryson, 2015, 5-17). The availability of the cheap labor from other parts of the world makes it easy for The Lunch Munch Food Company to exercise undue authority over employees due to their lack of information about what their rights as workers are. It has enabled them to be exploited leading to a frantic relationship between them.
Advantages and disadvantages of the modern organization in recognizing Trade Union representation
Advantages of TU recognition
Point of contact
Trade Unions often offer the employer with a single point of contact. It is critical for the employer to create a point of contact to help save time and handle collective interests of employees rather than an individual. In this case, the employer benefits from the having a directive from one source that represents the interest of everyone. It helps have collective bargaining that tends to foster the development of an organization as a whole and not individuals within the organization (Forth & Bryson, 2015, 5-17).
Worker involvement
When terms and conditions are negotiated through a central representative, it becomes easy for employees to feel involved in the process thus creating the need for commitment and trust. It is important to have employees motivated and feeling part of a process. It makes them satisfied, and the results are always reflected in their work ethics (Hayes & Novitz, 2014, 3-31).
Employment relationships and experience
The fact that Unions represents similar organizations brings a wholesome experience of employment issues. Such unions thus offer a broader view of the issues drawing from their pool of experience. As a result, they offer important advisory relationships to the organization (Hayes & Novitz, 2014, 3-31). It will help the organization make informed decisions regarding employees.
Disadvantages
Wage inflation
The motives behind the trade unions are often to maximize the interest of their members by negotiating for the highest possible wages. The result can be the negotiation of wages that are above the inflation rates. As a result, the economy might suffer from inflation as witnessed in 1979 when powerful trade unions were causal for the UK’s inflation (Hayes & Novitz, 2014, 3-31).
Loss of productivity
Recognition of TU is often marred with unrealistic demands and advances by the employees. When the employer is not willing to heed, they organize for strikes and work boycotts which have direct negative impact on productivity (Hayes & Novitz, 2014, 3-31). During the period, sales are lost as well as revenue. It can lead to an unsustainable business that further leads to retrenchment hence unemployment.
Impact on the competitive advantage
The recognition of unions normally makes it difficult for the organizations to create the competitive advantage. TU will negotiate for unsustainable wages thus making it hard to achieve the competitive advantage. The competitive advantage of an organization is often based on the production at low costs. However, recognition makes it not easy to produce at low costs due to increased wages hence the not able to create competitive advantage (Hayes & Novitz, 2014, 3-31).
How organizations without TU can involve employees
It is the responsibility of every employer to ensure that there is the proper relationship with the employees. In this regard, it is essential to understand the basics of managing employees and considering their wellness. In this case, the organizations can achieve this through;
Communication-communication is vital in every management process and any organization that aspires to engage positively the employees must enhance communication on key issues and decisions (Hayes & Novitz, 2014, 3-31). The organization can thus help develop communication structures to facilitate employee engagement.
Consultation- the organization can always consult the employees and their representatives in making key decisions regarding their welfare. It is essential for the employees to take advantage of the existing employee structures like their heads to involve them through consultation (Hayes & Novitz, 2014, 3-31).
Conclusion
According to research, a well-supported employee is often motivated thus commits their efforts fully to help the organization achieve its set goals. Further, organizations that have empowered their employees by providing better terms have benefitted from staff loyalty and stimulation that result in good workmanship. There is numerous aspects management that Unions tend to rectify. Within the UK laws, employees are mandated to join any Union of their liking and choice. The government has been working hard by enacting employment legislations that make it necessary for employees to join trade unions. However, companies have thrived in employees little enlightenment to maintain the status quo. As discussed, organizations should embrace unionization of employees to help repair their relationship employees for productivity. However, the terms should always be in conformity to the equilibrium.
Bibliography
Bernaciak, M., Gumbrell-Mccormick, R., & Hyman, R. 2014. Trade Unions in Europe. Innovative Responses to Hard Times, 4-25. Retrieved from http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/id-moe/10688.pdf
Conley, H. 2014 Trade Unions, Equal Pay and the Law in the UK. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 309-323. Retrieved from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/25950/ 1/trade unions equal pay and the law in the UK - Final.pdf
Forth, J., & Bryson, A. 2015. Trade Union Membership and Influence. National Institute of Economic and Social Research, 5-17. Retrieved April 9, 2016, from http://www.niesr.ac.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Forth and Bryson (2015) Trade Union Membership and Influence 1999-2014.pdf
Hayes, L., & Novitz, T. 2014. Trade Unions and Economic Inequality. Center for Labor and Social Studies, 3-31. Retrieved April 9, 2016, from http://classonline.org.uk/docs/2014_trade_unions_and_economic_inequality_-_Hayes__Novitz.pdf
