The Membership of the European Union and Employment in the UK - Essay Example

How far, and in what ways, has membership of the European Union influenced employment relations in the UK? Contents Contents 2 United Kingdom in the European Union 3 Employment Relation Policies in European Union 3 Impact of European Union on Employment Relation in United Kingdom 5 Conclusions 7 References 9 United Kingdom in the European Union United Kingdom is observed to be an active member of the European Union for around 31 long years. However a debate about Britain’s stay in the United Kingdom rose during 1975 where a voting activity in regards to such was carried out by a national referendum. The voting activity went in the favour of United Kingdom in the ratio of 2:1 thereby enhancing its stay in the body. Still the debate about the membership of the nation in the European body continues owing to several conflicts of the policies and ideologies followed. It is learnt that when the Euro was introduced by the European Union, the political faction of United Kingdom denied taking active part in the support of such. However of late Britain tends to understand and respect its long standing membership with such a potential body like the European Union (Euromove, 2011). In the current era United Kingdom is thus making every endeavour to help resolve conflicts pertaining to ideologies through holding open discussion forums with the members of the European Union (Perth and Hope, 2011). Employment Relation Policies in European Union The employment relation policies followed in the European Union can be understood as follows. Firstly the European Union requires the employer bodies in the different member states to encourage its members to actively participate in the formation of trade unions. In that the employees are rendered the right to collectively bargain for their right in cases where they are deprived of such and also can hold strikes as a sign to protest against the decisions of the employer body. Secondly the employment relation policies followed by the European Union also require the employers to form collective agreements with the employees or representative bodies of the employees in regards to issues on compensation systems, leave policies and working hours and conditions in the concern. These policies of the European Union are found to be active whether in regards to a single employer or a group of employers in regards to a specific business or diversified business categories (Business Link, n.d.). In the third case the European Union body also requires the different employers belonging to the companies in the member nations to openly consult and share potential information with the different employees or employee groups. This policy tends to enhance the level of transparency in regards to the employer-employee relationships in the member countries. Fourthly the employer bodies pertaining to the membership nations are strictly required to have a word with the representative bodies of the employees in the light of working out a redundancy plan. Herein, the employer bodies are required to effectively state as to how many number of people they require to be made redundant with also stating the need for planning of such action. Further the employer bodies are also required to state plans through which the company would tend to reemploy the redundant employees or help them gain a suitable position in the future. The employers are also required to state in what manner they have calculated and arrived at the number of employees they require to be turned off and therein must also reflect on the pattern taken to effectively compensate such people. Similarly in the fifth case the European Union body also requires the employer bodies pertaining to the companies operating in the member countries to rightly inform the staff in cases of any change or transfer of ownership into new hands. Sixthly the European Union also requires the employer or the management team of the companies operating inside its member countries and possessing an employee base of around 20 to continually inform them about the economic and employment status of the concern. In that the employers are also required to inform the internal people about any substantial changes that the employers consider to bring about in the near future. However the general legislations brought about by the European Union in regards to employment relations must also be effectively dealt with country or region specific circumstances to help enhance its due efficacy (Business Link-a, n.d.). Impact of European Union on Employment Relation in United Kingdom The impact of the European Union Policies in regards to employment regulations upon the employment practices continued in the region of United Kingdom clearly reflects a large amount of changes in the employment scenario of the country. During 2002 a directive was legislated throughout the region of United Kingdom that gave the rights to the employees to gain information and potentially consult on the basis of such with their employers. This right helped in enhancing the element of transparency in regards to the employment systems of the country and gave the employees a potential stand to fight for the right to gaining true and right information. It is found that prior to 1970s the companies operating in United Kingdom were required to voluntarily abide by the regulations in regards to informing and consulting with the employees pertaining to key issues. However in addition to being voluntarily the employer bodies were required to inform and consult with the employees only in regards to key issues like transfer or others. The situation gained a drastic change after the period pertaining to 2005 where it was required by the employees of companies bearing around 150 employees to largely consult and inform the people on key different key issues. This limit of 150 employees was brought down to around 100 employees after an amendment brought about in the regulations after the 2007 period. The current legislative climate that runs after the 2008 period requires the employers of companies bearing around 80 employees to largely inform and consult with them in regards to issues that would bear an impact on their work lives and climates. The regulations pertaining to information and consulting further gains impetus either on the inception of voluntary level action of the employees or of the employers. In regards to the employees the regulations require that around 10 percent of the people in the concern measuring around 150 employees to a total of 2500 people need to apply to aptly negotiate with their employers pertaining to issues falling under such information and consultation directives. Employers on the other hand are also taken to start the process of negotiation or joint consultation with the employees in regards to key issues on their own (Eurofound, 2009). Moreover in addition to the creation of an environment of transparency in the workplace systems through enhancement of the directions of joint consultation and information sharing between the employer and employee bodies the European Union regulations also proceeded to render changes in the working durations. It is observed that the directives of the European Union that gained action after the 1998 period required the companies pertaining to United Kingdom in not to make the people working in the concern work more than a total of 48 working hours in a seven days period. The legislation also required the employment bodies to help the people get required leaves and resting periods. The total amount of paid leave period regulated by the European Union employment directives helped the employees gain a total paid leave period of around 4 weeks in an annual period in addition to other weekly and daily resting sessions. Such directives were issues by the European Union to help reduce the frequency of accidents that occur in the manufacturing or other concerns owing to overstress and overstrain due to growing job pressure. This directive brought about by the European Union during 1998 gained impetus in regards to the job climate of United Kingdom. The potency of its acceptance made around 14.3 percent of the people on a weekly basis to work less than 48 hours in the region. However such reduction in the number of working hours as found to gain reflection from the 1998 to 2003 period happened more for the male population than for the women class. After the period pertaining to 2002 the average working hours is recorded to amount to around 30.7 total working hours as against the 48 working hours required in the prior period. This reduction in the number of working hours on a weekly basis gained an easy acceptance in regards to the companies operating in the United Kingdom region. It was found that people employed as catering staffs in the hotels largely satisfied the requirements of the same by working less than 48 hours on a weekly basis. The employment directives of the European Union also made foray into changing the regulatory climate in regards to the practice of rendering leaves to the employees. In regards to the regulations the employees were aptly discouraged to not to apply for encashment in regards to the leaves not taken in a year. This regulation in general applied for all with no such reservation or provision in regards to employee groups. In accordance to this directive the number of paid holidays in the concerns operating in the region of United Kingdom started rising. Similarly further regulations were brought about in the business companies operating in United Kingdom by engaging the directives of the European Union in regards to employment regulations in the sector of granting parental leaves. Moreover in addition to the people gaining the benefits of paternity and maternity paid leaves the system of work flexibility also gained huge acceptance. All such new regulations help in largely transforming the work place culture and environment to the betterment of the employees (Wood, 2005, p.84-87). Conclusions The position of United Kingdom in the European Union body has always been an issue of compromise. United Kingdom largely protested against the actions or issues or directives gained by the European Union whether in regards to economic and social issues. Herein the paper reflects on the changes in the employment climate pertaining to the employment bodies in United Kingdom owing to the different directives passed by the European Union. The working atmosphere of the employment bodies in United Kingdom owing to acceptance of the European Union directives in regards to compensation and leaves systems and also in relation to working hours was found to become more beneficial to the employees. Moreover the large scale acceptance of the European Union directives by the employment bodies in United Kingdom helped the employers introduce a new system of work culture pertaining to flexibility. Thus the introduction of such new systems helps the companies to gain the advantaged of increasing employee loyalty and productivity. References Business Link, No date. Collective employment relations in the EU [online]. Available at: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1083407789&r.i=1083407826&r.l1=1074404796&r.l2=1084109577&r.l3=1084109495&r.l4=1083407743&r.s=sc&r.t=RESOURCES&type=RESOURCES. [Accessed April 27, 2012]. Business Link-a, No date. EU law on information and consultation with worker representatives [online]. Available at: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1083407826&r.i=1083407789&r.l1=1074404796&r.l2=1084109577&r.l3=1084109495&r.l4=1083407743&r.s=sc&r.t=RESOURCES&type=RESOURCES. [Accessed April 27, 2012]. Eurofound, 2009. UK: The impact of the information and consultation directive on industrial relations [online]. Available at: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/studies/tn0710029s/uk0710029q.htm. [Accessed April 30, 2012]. Euromove, 2011. Britain and the EU: are there alternatives to membership? [online]. Available at: http://www.euromove.org.uk/index.php?id=6509. [Accessed April 27, 2012]. Perth, J., and Hope, C., 2011. Whitehall officials urgently review Britains EU membership. The Telegraph [online]. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8856974/Whitehall-officials-urgently-review-Britains-EU-membership.html. [Accessed April 27, 2012]. Wood, S., 2005. Overview of the impact of employment relations law: post-1997 [pdf]. Employment Relations Research Series No.45. Available at: http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file11342.pdf. [Accessed April 30, 2012]. Read More