Differences between Private and Public Sectors - Essay Example

? 26th November Labor relations For employees to gain from their organizations, they have to unite so as to have improvements of their working conditions, organizing unions, right to representation in the labor market, using their collective bargaining process, struggling against corruption as well as bias and discrimination in the labor market. Even though this is not an easy task based on the resistance by some employers, workers must struggle to come up with unions that can represent them whenever their demands are not met. Labor in any country can be termed as stabilizing force since without labor unions; the economy of any country cannot be stable. The unions are used to represent the employees so as to achieve a lot of benefits both in the public and private sectors as a whole. The labor movements have made many countries to stabilize their economy and improve the living standards of their citizens. The labor movements concern is the general welfare and the interest of the public. The labor movements look at the employee wage, hours worked, working conditions regardless of whether the workers are working for the private or public sector within the same geographical area or in the same industry. This paper will discuss the similarities and differences between collective bargaining in the private and public sector. Differences between private and public sectors The major difference between public and private sectors in collective bargaining and decision making is that in public sectors decision making is decentralized and negotiations are conducted on a single employer. That is, in the public sector they have to involve a variety of government officials in collective bargaining on the firm and the individuals must have authority in a particular issue while in the private sector they have to involve the government to intervene and asses the situation and from that point a collective bargaining can start. The management in both sectors must submit the necessary information that they discuss with the employer so that the labor movement will negotiate on behalf of them and thus no strike would be experienced. Another difference is in term of bargaining tactics. Public sectors involve their leaders to dialogue on behalf of other employees and sometimes they will not consort them making them to feel dissatisfied with the labor movements while in the private sector bargaining issues are brought to the bargaining table and both the labor and the management are given chance to work out the solution and agreements are made. The third difference between public and private sector in term of strike is that in the public sector, strikes are illegal. If the demands of workers were not met they have to look for other means, if strike is to be conducted, a firm must appeal to the court first so as to be declared legal while in the private sector whenever the employee is not dissatisfied with the working condition he or she may call for a strike since strike in private sector is legal. In many countries before one calls for a mass protest, the firm must pass the right channel by involving the court to declare whether to strike or not, but in many circumstances the court mostly postpones the strike. The legal frame work in public sector must be followed accordingly since government entities such as hospital and schools are guaranteed to everybody and the entities are supposed to be opened at normal working hours and closed within the stipulated time as per the constitutional framework. While in the private sector no legal framework is followed to stipulate their working condition and hours worked in the firm. The management of a firm is the one to decide the extra and normal working days. Finally, in private and public sectors the nature of services offered to individuals differ a lot, since a private sector is viewed as a profit making body it has to offer high quality services to individuals, while the public sector will only offer moderate services since it is not motivated by their employee unlike in the private sector where one will carry research to come up with a solution to wage increments and promotions. Similarities between private and public sectors Both private and public sectors are trying to increase their bargaining powers whether using some of individuals or labor movements since the firms have a common goal which is to eradicate poverty, improving their working conditions and working hours among many others. Another similarity is the representative of the employees. In both sectors, the workers must be paid (Anna 54). Private and public sectors must offer quality services to citizens and the services must produce positive results to the individuals. The services must target the people living within their jurisdictions. The services must be available to all regardless of how one earns. The goal of the legal framework in both private and public sector is to enhance justice, efficiency, effectiveness and equality in the firms. In private and public sectors, the legal framework is involved when need arise. The legal framework is used as a neutral body that involves its decision in union’s movement and firms will have to direct the procedures to be followed. Both public and private sectors are not encouraged to strike but if they have to strike they are required to issue 80 days notice. This is according to Labor Management Relation (LMR) act of 1947. Both the private and public sectors have similarities in terms of bargaining tactics since they have to sit in the drawing board and come up with the solutions and then both the firm and the movement will have to sign an agreement. Public employees should have the same right to strike as the private sector workers. This is based on the fact that public employees are also at liberty to give 80 days notice to their employers notifying them of a pending strike (Anna 35). Just like in a private sector, public employees working conditions and increment of wages among many others must be negotiated through collective bargaining agreement. Failure to strike in most cases will make the public workers to suffer since their voice can only be heard through strike. Conclusion To promote economic stability and conducive working atmosphere, employees and employers have to discuss about the issues affects their working relationships. To provide orderly and peaceful procedures either by having legitimate rights or by protecting the right of employees labor movements must be allowed to come in. Even though some companies do not support labor movements, managers must allow their employees to join labor unions as a way of motivating them. Works Cited Anna, M. The Citizen Machine. New York: New York Press, 2010.Print. Read More