Labor Relations Issues - Research Paper Example

? Labor relations There have been widespread protests by laid-off and peasant’s workers. These can be commonly seen, even by sympathetic witnesses, as ineffective gestures of desolation. Nevertheless, workers’ tussles have the potential to advance into a mass labor movement that could be more threatening to the government (Beik, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize the actions for of this emergent labor strikes. It will also argue: a powerful workers communication gives the best prospects for genuine democratic change in labor relations. The exclusive history of industrial expansion in China means that, whereas one working class is unmade in the state sector. Predominantly, in the heavy industries of south west and the north east, another get natured in the thriving consumer industries of the east, southern coast provinces (Beik, 2005). This has steered to the rise of two new labor movements. State sector workers have complained and struck to shield their jobs, while in foreign-owned and private factories, dismal conditions and dictatorial management are matters that have provoked insurgency. The largest and the most dramatic labor protests in China get induced by laid-off workers against the regularly corrupt and illegal methods in which their enterprises get sold off, or for owing unpaid benefits, which they remained entitled to. Nevertheless, their radicalism happens at the moment of departure from the working classes when they do not anymore have the power to halt production. However, there has been a rising trend for workers to be against the corrupt conditions in which their enterprises get privatized, and to leap in before they get laid off (Pringle, 2010). Deng Xiaoping agreed as many western academics ostensibly do not, that not only is there no essential connection between political and economic liberalism, but the realization of China’s economic success has been reliant on political repression to subdue the inevitable dissatisfaction (Oxford University, 2011). When tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square in 1989, he described the frightening logic behind the resolution: “Even if we sacrifice 10 to 20 thousand persons, we must exercise control above the situation of the country and get twenty years tranquility in response”. However, workers showed to be far stronger than Deng expected, with strikes recounted even in the 2nd half of 1989. The most significant feature of the growing industrial disturbance is that for the first while since 1948, strikes have become an undying feature of Chinese society. In addition, unlike the past, this has occurred at a time of agreement among the leadership of Communist Party (Oxford University, 2011). For instance, the Chinese Honda Motor Company faced the worst strikes in its 18-year-old manufacturing business. The company said it needed to develop communication with its employees in the nation after the strikes took the company by shock. Honda, Japanese second - largest automaker, made the report after strikes at 2 suppliers in China paused its car output in China for the first time and required the company to raise their wages. Another third strike, at Honda Lock (Guangdong) Company, Guangdong province, got suspended for the union leaders and management to negotiate over pay. There are no effective networks in China for management and workers to negotiate, said Crothall Geoffrey, a Hong Kong-based China Labor Bulletin advocacy group spokesman. Discussions between the two parties get handled by government - associated union officers who can not selected by the workers. Honda is trying to construct a system that will facilitate a flow of communication between workers via managers to Honda management team and Japanese company officials (Beik, 2005). The first measure to be taken by the company was increasing its wages as demanded by the striking workers. Before any communication developments, the company had to solve the underlying problems of the strike which primarily included wages increment. After ward, the company had to look at the misunderstanding, strike causative elements and what could be done to foresee and avoid any future strikes. The main problem determined was a communication breakdown between the management and the workers union. Communication can be hugely significant and induce positive impact the relationship between these two parties (Beik, 2005). Honda then came up with some communication upgrading systems for their employers and their own mutual benefit. Suggestion boxes scattered everywhere in the plant remains among the key means of response from employees to their unit leaders. Most of the employees sees their Japanese section leader on a daily basis but never speaks to them, due to the language barrier between them. Suggestion boxes also helps to curb their fear of full expression of one’s views since the responder can write whatever he or she feels to express without noting the name (Beik, 2005). The company also came up with a workers-company periodical meeting which discusses the scotching issues among the employees and the company. This act as an open forum where anybody can raise his complaint and perhaps give his or her suggested directives. This approach has been effective since workers typically opt not to strike and wait until the forum day to unleash all their grievances (Beik, 2005). The administration panel and especially the operation managers get enrolled to native languages courses of most employees. This aims at making them more conversant with any unpleasing issues among them without a barrier in language. This stood also a tremendous step on increasing the productivity since the workers would also work well with their managers talking or understanding one language. There is every sign that the stresses leading to labor unrest, restructuring of Chinese industry and the preferment of China as a cheap labor economy will last for the foreseeable imminent. In the export division, the competitive stresses that force down pays, and conditions can be similarly felt in China. As a state becomes more affluent, it violates the national policies and seeks to uphold its attractiveness to imported capital by keeping its wage level relatively lower. Some argue that the growth of a social security mesh to help laid-off workers could resolve labor unrest. However, attempts to apply social welfare measures have been substantially ineffective. This is because the deterioration in state-owned industry is instantaneously reducing government revenues and amplifying the numbers of unemployed. While the central government can fix welfare policies, it is the duty of local government to implement the policies, and they fundamentally do not have the funds to do so. The endemic corruption in the reformation process is also undermining efforts at reform as the misuses of Xiangfan workers’ premiums shows (Pringle, 2010). Meanwhile, the laid-off workers prospects are not getting any superior. As the economy has continued growing, the rate at which it generates new jobs has slowed. In fact, the problems could be about to increase. The high points of China’s labor activity in the past had happened when the ruling group stood divided (Pringle, 2010). Should these kinds of cleavages emerge again, possibly because of an economic crisis like inflation, then these forms of unremarkable resistance and public struggle could be transmuted to a Chinese labor movement powerful enough to dare the government’s control of power’. Therefore, cooperation and mutual relationship between employees, laid-off workers and employers remain the best option for all parties. The employer should remember that the better the employees become satisfied, the more productive they may become. The government should also make initiatives control these relationships and protect the employee / laid–off employee. All this involves communications skills, which should be addressed as a key tool in foreseeing, preventing and solving labor strikes. Works Cited Oxford University. The Idea of Labour Law. (2011). London: Oxford University Press. Beik, M. A. (2005). Labor Relations. New york: Greenwood Publishing Group. Pringle, T. (2010). Trade Unions in China. New York: Taylor & Francis. Read More