How Might Unions Attract Employee Support - Essay Example

HRM poses special problems for trade unions. How might unions attract employee support and reflect employee views in an HRM environment? I. Introduction The identification of the employees’ needs has been traditionally a major problem for any organization. The creation of a sector that will handle exclusively the needs and the demands of the employees, i.e. of the HRM, did not resolve all their problems as it had been expected. Perhaps, such a result can be possibly be explained by the fact that the organization is by nature a multi-complex environment which faces significant difficulties when dealing with its internal issues – its structure can perhaps explain such a failure. Jackson et al. (1995, 237) found that HRM can be used as ‘an umbrella term that encompasses (a) specific human resource practices such as recruitment, selection, and appraisal; (b) formal human resource policies, which direct and partially constrain the development of specific practices; and (c) overarching human resource philosophies, which specify the values that inform an organizations policies and practices’. The role of HRM can be reduced up to a level through the rights recognized to employees and more specifically through their right to participate in unions. According to a generally accepted definition trade union is ‘an organization of workers in the same skilled occupation or related skilled occupations who act together to secure for all members favourable wages, hours, and other working conditions’ [1]. Moreover to the above definition, Baccaro et al. (1999, 4) have stated that ‘unions as intermediaries between employers and workers, help develop and administer rules to keep the peace, regulate disputes, and generate predictability’. Labour Unions had a different development around the world. Specifically in USA, the history of trade unions can be found in the decade of 1790s. At that time ‘in "pursuit of happiness" through shorter hours and higher pay, printers were the first to go on strike, in New York in 1794; cabinet makers struck in 1796; carpenters in Philadelphia in 1797; cordwainers in 1799’. In UK, the phenomenon of trade unions appeared for first time during the eighteenth century. During that period ‘colliers in every coal-mining area attempted to form unions but in order to avoid the Combination Acts the name of friendly societies had been chosen; In the early part of the nineteenth century, there were 21 miners friendly societies in central Lancashire alone; (Trade Union Movement, [4]). The above cases show that the formation and the operation of trade unions have been achieved after a continuous and intensive effort of workers who have tried to protect their rights mainly through the ‘collective’ form of unions rather than through individual efforts. It should be noticed that under current British legislation ‘a worker has the right not to be subjected to any detriment for turning down an offer made by his employer designed to induce him to break rank with a trade union in the way forbidden by new rules introduced by Employment Relations Act 2004 s.29 as TULRCA 1992 new ss.145A and 145B; This right is set out in TULRCA 1992 s.146(2C), introduced by Employment Relations Act 2004 s.31)’ (British Employment Law, [3]). II. Problems that HRM poses for trade unions The existence of HRM can create additional ‘obligations’ for trade unions. More specifically, since the protection of the employees’ rights has become a substantial priority for employers, trade unions have to support and increase their influence on employees in order to ‘secure’ their role and their political and financial power. In this context, Colgan (2002, 243) has found that ‘many professionals and knowledge workers want a unionism that devotes attention to professional development, training, and improving the status of their occupations; Indeed, the majority of workers (regardless of industry and occupation) indicate a desire for a less combative unionism; They want a union that helps secure the success of the enterprise, enables employees to advance individually and collectively, and responds to workers psychological as well as their economic needs’. The view of this researcher also can be used in order to explain the participation of employees in unions as a tool for the realization of their personal needs. On the other hand, the existence of trade unions cannot guarantee the protection of the employees’ rights but can act as an intermediate body that can in cases enforce the employer to change his HR strategy in favour of the employees. In this context, Bryson (2001, 91) accepted that unions are ‘best able to create a climate in which employees trust management where they are perceived to be doing their job well, where they have regard to union members problems and complaints, and where they contribute to the smooth running of the workplace; In these circumstances, trust in management is generally no different from that found among employees in non-unionised workplaces’. The above view cannot reduce the power of law as the most powerful means for the achievement of equality and fairness in a work environment but it just emphasizes the role of unions as collective bodies that can achieve the protection of employees’ rights in a short time period – while the law usually involves in long – term procedures. According to the above views, trade unions can have just a supplementary role – to the one of HRM – regarding the protection of the employees’ rights. This fact cannot lead to the assumption that trade unions have lost their power, however, it is very likely that such an issue will appear in the future. III. Methods used by unions in order to attract employees support In order to locate the methods that unions use in order to attract the support of employees, we should primarily examine the general structure, the scope and the operation of trade unions, at least at their usual forms. The structure and the role of trade unions cannot be specified with accuracy in advance. In fact, it has been proved that ‘the functions of trade unions are as diverse as the interests of their members’ (Allen, 1954, 18). The above researcher has explained his views presenting the main ‘tasks’ of unions which are the’ negotiation of wages, hours of work and conditions of work’ noticing that there are also other ‘functions which are more or less specific to unions depending on the types of workers organized and the industries in which they work; undoubtedly the diversity of functions in any one union presents added difficulties in the way of trade-union administration’. (Allen, 1954, 18) In this context, the activities of unions as presented above can be considered as the main reasons for the participation of the employees in them. It should be noticed here that ‘the ability of unions to increase the wages of their members relative to the earnings of non-union workers has been documented in a substantial number of studies ranging widely over populations, time periods and data sources while subsequent studies have raised questions as to the magnitude of the premium but certainly not as to its existence’ (Kalachek, 1980, 63). It seems that this researcher doubts for the effectiveness of unions regarding the protection of their members recognizing the existence of other parameters that can ‘reduce’ a union’s power to confront certain employees’ rights. However, trade unions present a significant differentiation as of their structure and their scopes, tending to have sometimes a strong political direction. The means used for acquiring the support of employees can also differ in accordance with the nature and the level of the targets set. As an example the ‘British trade union movement has sought to secure this political objective in a number of ways; The first and most important is by outright nationalisation, either by a statutory takeover of entire industries, or through purchases by a public holding company, the National Enterprise Board; During the last decade, however, the growing unpopularity of nationalisation has led it to seek other ways of acquiring politico-economic power, especially through the control of investment; The first means, which has secured the most publicity, is by obtaining a statutory right for trade union representatives to sit on the boards of all large publicly-quoted companies, and so to exercise influence over investment policy in the private sector’ (Johnson, 1981, 289). Galenson (1994, 91) classified ‘prevailing employer attitudes in the industrial countries into three groups: actively hostile toward unions, pragmatic acceptance of union existence, and belief in the value of cooperating with them while employers in developing countries tend to be more polarized, have typically had less experience in dealing with unions, and often have a great deal of influence over government policy’ One of the most important trade unions in Britain, UNISON which has more than 1.3 million members across the public services, suggest to the potential members 10 good reasons for which they should proceed to a subscription with the specific union: ‘a) Year on year, UNISON wins pay rises for its members, b) UNISON is campaigning to bring womens pay into line with mens, c) UNISON has won increased leave for many of its members wherever they work, d) UNISON provides courses to help employees learn new skills, improve existing ones and develop their career, e) members of the union are more likely to get more maternity leave or paternity leave, f) UNISON health and safety stewards are trained to minimise the risk of workplace injuries and ensure that employers meet their legal obligations, g) UNISON wins millions in legal compensation for people who are injured or become ill at work, h) UNISON campaigns for tougher laws to make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex, race, age, disability or sexual orientation, i) UNISON campaigns against all forms of privatisation, including PFI and foundation hospitals, g) Trade union members are only half as likely to be sacked as non members’ [5]. The above list is just an indicative one regarding the areas in which the activities of a trade union are extended. It should be noticed however, that there are many factors that can influence the strategy followed by a trade union in order to attract the support of employees. A decisive factor of this kind is the industrial area in which the specific trade union activates. The trends of the general commercial market can also have an influence but just in case of strong financial and political turbulences which are common for workers in all industries. Galenson (1994) studied the case of 25 around the world in order to locate the reasons for which employers tend to organize in unions. In accordance to his study (1994, 110) ‘there are not many unions in which employers are so hostile to well-established unions that they seek to create union-free environments; In a few countries, they look upon unions as positive actors in industrial relations and maintain cordial relations with them. For the most part, employers are constrained by government policy or union power to engage in collective bargaining in a permanent fashion; In any event, except perhaps in developing countries in which employers contribute to the suppression of union activity, the decline in union density, where it has taken place, cannot be attributed to growing employer antipathy’. The political and financial powers as well as the achievements in the area of employees’ support – that a union can present to employees – are not the only ways for acquiring their support. In fact there are other activities which a union can adopt and by this way persuade the employees to enter its members. In this context, Besseyre (2002, 5) found that ‘in most recent years, particularly in Europe under the pressure of the "green" movement and other citizens groups, other stakeholders -- customers, employees, trade unions, communities, government -- have become more and more influential in the conduct of organizations because they have other expectations beyond the profit motive’. In fact the health and environmental issues are among the priorities for many trade unions. The methods used by unions in order to attract employees support have to be developed however in order to face more effectively current employees’ needs. In this context, Sugeno (1994, 512) noticed that ‘unions have expanded their roles in the contemporary industrial relations of developed economies, contributing to the equality and stability of society as well as to economic development; They have become important social institutions and have assumed responsibilities of a public nature; However, in essence they remain voluntary associations based on the principle of freedom of association and are not free of the difficulties that such organizations encounter’. IV. How trade union reflect employee views in an HRM environment According to a generally accepted description a HRM environment should be viewed using a ‘a knowledge-centered approach’ and as of its content, this is characterized by a series of ‘knowledge creation processes that relate tacit and explicit, individual and collective knowledge: awareness, assimilation, implicit learning, internalization, articulation, appropriation, and extension; In order to foster these knowledge creation processes, some specific HRM practices are likely to be implemented: recruitment of knowledge not people, retention of knowledge not people, acceptance of turnover, encouragement of community links, reinforcement of industry citizenship’ (Ramirez et al., 2000, Baumand, 1999, Charkham, 1995 in Besseyre 2002, 51). In accordance with Sims (2002, 2) ‘human resources management is the term increasingly used to refer to the philosophy, policies, procedures, and practices related to the management of an organization’s employees’. Moreover, the above researcher stated that ‘human resources management is made up of an identifiable set of activities that affect and influence the people who work in an organization. These activities include HRM planning, job analysis, recruitment, selection, placement, career management, training and development, designing performance appraisal and compensation systems, and labour relations’ (Sims, 2002, 20). The above views can be considered as an effective description of the structure and the functions of HRM environment as it can be observed in the modern organization. In a similar context, Luthans (1998) had developed a description of HRM environment which is characterized by the need for change in order to meet current business needs. More specifically, according to the above researcher ‘the traditional role of the HR/personnel department has essentially been functional in nature and has revolved around specialized tasks such as HR planning, recruiting, job analysis, performance review, compensation, training, and legislative compliance; Certainly hiring, firing, and providing benefits to employees remain important tasks that must be accomplished in any effective organization; However, as a result of dramatic changes in the external environment such as deregulation, a new, more strategic approach to HRM becomes vital’ (Luthans, 1998, 17) In the above context, trade unions can reflect employees’ views through several ways. However, the type of the above link depends on the strength of trade unions (from political and financial aspect) as well as from the development of the specific HRM environment. Lipiek (2001) studied the relation between the human resources management and the trade unions in the European area. He found that ‘the role of trade unions will not be strong in Europe, because their role is not clearly defined; additionally, trade unions tend to split their activities’ (Lipiek, 2001, 137). Moreover, Mosca et al. (1995, 163) stated that ‘by supporting employee development and training programs, unions would help their members stay up-to-date on the latest technology; This, in turn, would help employers by providing them with a well-trained work force that could adapt quickly to technical changes in the work environment, thus, relieving them of some of the financial burden associated with hiring new employees or retraining existing ones’. The impact of unions can differ among the firms of different size (in which HRM environment has to be differentiated – even slightly in order to meet the particular needs of every organization). In fact, it has been found that unions can have ‘a major impact on a small firm; In 1992, the median wage of unionized workers was 35 percent higher than non-unionized workers; For blue-collar workers the union/non-union wage differential was even greater while the median unionized blue collar workers wage was 70 percent higher than his/her non-unionized counterpart’ (Bureau of Labor Statistics 1993 in Deshpande and Flanagan, 1995, 59). On the other hand, Bryson (2001, 91) accepted ‘the positive association between managerial support for union membership and employee trust in management can be interpreted in various ways while the finding suggests that management can influence employee perceptions of them for better or for worse through their engagement with unions’. According to the above research unions can only operate positively for a firm’s employees when cooperating with the HR management team. However, there are cases where the nature of the particular employees’ problems have led to a strong opposition between the above two ‘sides’. In most cases, it seems that the results of such interventions are more favourable for the employees when unions and HR managers cooperate and exchange views on the particular employees’ issues (to the level that such a relation is feasible). In a HRM environment there are many issues which can be resolved by the intervention of unions (a method which is usually used in several employees’ problems). More specifically, trade unions can have a significant role to the recognition and the protection of the employees’ rights. However, the effectiveness of their intervention can also be doubted in some cases particularly when the relevant efforts lack from the appropriate design. The participation of trade unions in a HRM environment has to be ‘discrete’ and limited to the necessary initiatives and activities because an action that will be not justified – under the specific circumstances – can cause a severe damage both to the organization’s operation and to the union’s credibility. V. Conclusion The role of unions cannot be described with high accuracy. However, it has been found that unions, first of all, ‘must manage exchanges between supporters and their labor market situations to generate "market/ bargaining" resources’ They then must find space to act in broader economic and political "opportunity structures"; As they thus acquire market/bargaining resources they acquire a voice, in terms of "identity resources," discourses which justify union goals, place them in broader "idea" contexts, and encourage solidarity’ To function effectively they also need "organizational resources"; In addition, since labor markets are structured by law and policy unions need political resources’ (Baccaro et al., 1999, 3). The above characteristics of unions as revealed through their needs can help to identify their role in an organizational environment. As of the power of unions, this seems to have reduced comparing the past. The research made by Brewster (1995, 3) showed that ‘trade union membership and influence varies considerably by country, of course, but is always significant. Sweden has union membership of 85% of the working population, the U.K. around 40% and even in the least unionised countries such as Switzerland, 23%, and France, 12%, union membership is above that in the U.S.A.’ A relevant study has proved that unions have a noticeable influence on their members’ political choices. For this reason it has been found that ‘local union leaders were significantly more likely to vote than rank-and-file members; The data suggested, however, that trade unions have little influence on the percentage of their members who vote; also, union members who were active in their union, held leadership positions, and had contact with their union were significantly more likely to vote for the candidate endorsed by their union’ (Juravich et al., 1988, 383) We should also notice that there are also firms that are non-unionised. There are a lot of reasons for such a phenomenon; however it seems that in many cases it’s just an issue of organizational structure. In this context, Dundon (2004, 2) noticed that ‘not all non-union firms are the same; some organisations may be non-unionised because management uses one or more strategies to avoid the incursion of trade union influence’. Towards this direction, the research made by Dundon (2004, 126) showed that ‘management prefer a non-union relationship and behave in such a way as to maintain a union-free organisation’. We can refer in this point to the view of Mosca et al. (1995, 162) who stated that ‘the key to union success in the 21st century will thus depend on unions coming to understand and address issues of importance to a changing work force giving voice to the skill demands of workers, and be prepared to address the problems stemming from technological advances, more women in the work force, and the current health care crisis’. References Allen, V. L. (1954). Power in Trade Unions: A Study of Their Organization in Great Britain. London, Longmans, Green Baccaro, L, Daley, A., Fraile, L., Howel, C., Locke, C., Mahon, R. Martin, A. and Ross, G. (1999). The Brave New World of European Labor: European Trade Unions at the Millennium New York. Berghahn Books Baumard, R (1999). 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