Labour Forces and Education - Essay Example

Prof. Topic: Labour education Introduction Labour forces are the engines of creation and production capital ofevery nation. Their knowledge, skills and competence are paramount in the performance of their roles and duties for their respective employees-- the latter being expectant of their positive contribution in achieving companies’ goals and targeted key results in exchange for wages. As forces for development, labor education is significant to keep them abreast and updated to new systems of operations and new policies which may directly and indirectly affect them (Gahan & Bell, 1998). This essay will explicate the meaning of labour education; identify the themes of Canadian labour education; and the developments or changes of labor practices in Canada. Labour Education Labor education is defined as the transfer of knowledge and skills focused for workers who are members of a certain union or association. In Canada, labor education was established since 1963 which was intended for those who wanted to improve and strengthen their competence as well as competence as workers (Canadian Labor Congress, 2009). Many of those who availed further education also aimed at improving their organizational management skills and leadership to make them committed in the protection and promotion of their rights as labor forces or as workers (CLC, 2009). Moreover, labor education also permeate them to become analytical with their current socio-economic, historical and political conditions; more confident to deal on labor union movements; more competent in their commitment to diversify and to uphold social equality to access opportunities; improve their interpersonal relations and leadership; and, set goals, targets and achievement (CLC, 2009). Labor education introduces them to international and national labor issues, as well as environmental problems, too (CLC, 2009). They are also taught to learn how to conduct bargaining, exploration of issues, delving with deals and the mechanism on how to come up with win-win settlement of an issue, such as, matters of the wages (Littman, 1982 & CLC, 2009b). Workers and labour education in Canada Education is a social imperative to understand the labour market. However, while education aims to produce human capitals that are responsive to the needs of complex market, it’s also a social tool for workers to put them in a proper disposition in a complex social market. These are maybe in a form of formal education, technical or vocational courses and trainings offered by companies, unions or associations that would help enhance capacities or improve their work performances. Socially, it is perceived that labor forces with higher education would be receiving better wages than others who acquired less educational background. Companies would also prefer workers, who possessed expertise, illustrate leadership and who can prove to be more beneficial for company’s operations. Often, those who are able to obtained higher education got the managerial posts which direct the operational management of a company. Those who obtained vocational and technical courses are hired to perform specific tasks or production. While managers would need to improve their managerial skills and leadership, workers would also need to enhance their knowledge and skills to bolster their performances. Canada is home of millions of workers. Recent labor force survey pointed that there is an increase of employed labor forces in Canada this year, 2011, as 252,000 workers are added to its active workforces. Most jobs are focused on trading, construction, warehousing and transportation (Statistics Canada, 2011, p. 1). There is however decrease of employment opportunities in health care, social and education services, business and in agricultural work (p. 1). Although there is an increase of labor opportunities in the private sector, this is counteracted by the decrease of work opportunities in the public sector (p. 1). Statistics further bared that there is less absorption of youth-workers. Research further stated that nowadays there are about 66,000 employed workers in the construction industry and 28,000 in transportation and warehousing. About 95,000 workers are added in the private sector, thus rounding the number of workforce to 241,000 while the public sector declined to 72,000 workers in July. Under its national labour code, employees are fundamentally encouraged to enjoy freedom to join and organized labor organizations or unions to undertake activities to promote and uphold their rights as workers (Department of Justice, 2011). The law also protects them to enter into negotiations and bargaining with their employers in case they are empirically subjected to undue labor practices; unhealthy and unsafe working conditions; and poor salaries and benefits (Department of Justice, 2011). They are also protected by laws to avail legal remedies in case of illegal termination, or unjust dismissal and sexual harassment in work places (Department of Justice, 2011). Its in this context that labor education is imperative for workers to ensure that they are fully informed of their rights and the guarantees stipulated in labor code and other related laws. Moreover, as thousands of other work forces needs to be adaptive to global trends, a number of Canadian labor forces, in their prime ages, have emigrated and work abroad. They’re mostly employed in Australia, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom and United States (CLC, 2011). With globalization and liberalization of economy, workers are increasingly challenged to improve their skills and knowledge to make them more competent as global workforces (CLC, 2011). Anent to this, Canada conducts congress annually where problems, issues and other relevant matters affecting them were discussed and resolved (CLC, 2011). They also elect officials who can represent and lobby them in decision-making bodies, especially in legislative bodies (CLC, 2011). This 2011, labor forces committed to advocate and prioritize buying their products; human rights and conflict situations; economic situations and policies; maximization of technology for right-based advocacies, networking and interactive communications among members (CLC, 2011). Part of the socio-economic discussions covered issues of migrant workers, green jobs, national strategies of energy, taxation and trade relations between Europe and Canada which has serious implication to workers (CLC, 2011). Other relevant matters tackled are good-jobs-for-all; strengthening union; labor representations; updates on international labor organizations; global corporate agenda; collaborative works; safeguarding employees especially in aviation; free collective bargaining; improving and standardizing salaries; and workers civil liberties and non-discrimination (CLC, 2011 & Spencer & Wiley, 1982; Spencer, 2002). They also discussed Justice for First Nations and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) (CLC, 2011). Changes in Labour Practices Labour education is being enhanced in Canada as the millennium cultured with so much complexity and uncertainty of the market. Unions, which once have been influenced by political ideologies, are now organized in diversity with heterogeneous political influences. But the commonality of interests and problems in the workplaces nurtured a ‘general culture’ which crosses limitations or differences (Newman, 2007, p. 18) instigated by political causes or by being unhappy with union’s performances. Transcending personal issues or organizational conflicting situations could better their disposition and can help nurture solidarity. Thus, it is relevant for union leadership to be possessed of transformational abilities to bring members together as stakeholders of their issues. Unity of workers is imperative especially so those labour unions are made to protect their interests and to negotiate with their employers in a collective bargaining on pertinent issues that often require their ranks to be strengthened and to reject parochial interests (p 19). Until these days, a union remained interested about demanding for increase and regularization of wages or pays to meet the basic needs of the family. Corollary to this, workers are interested with socio-economic trends because the macro-economic conditions dictate the micro-economic affairs in their respective homes. They are very articulate about the relation of their salaries to their kitchens and to their families needs. Labour educations nowadays are contextualized with the needs of the union. Depending on subjects, the educative process can utilized the method of didactic, socratic or facilitative (p. 23). Didactic process allows trainer to transfer knowledge and skills through instruction (p. 23). This is often practiced in union trainings, conferences, and organizational reporting where union members are bent on listening intently to speakers or trainers. The socratic process labour education is fundamentally based on raising questions and providing answers. Sometimes, trainers can pose a case for trainees to resolve. Afterall, unions are about organizational formation in a cooperative endeavor to deal with their sector’s problems and of conflict situations in a continuous interplay of conflicting industrial interests (p. 24). Facilitative method of labour education, moreover, is a liberal form of educative process where facilitators simply provide the mechanism of the learning process through workshops, simulations, and role-playings. Learning is often consolidated in each of the activity sourced from trainees’ praxis. In Canada, labour education is a special education for union members which are supported by the Canadian Labor Congress. It focused on issues directly and indirectly affecting them as employees (CLC, 2009). It teaches them about how to handle their grievances, negotiations or bargaining, health concerns, human rights and politics and about effective union management (CLC, 2009, p. 1 & Spencer, 2009). This is already an institutionalized education program which also taught them solidarity with other unions from other nations in Asia, Africa, America and Middle East. It is a pillar for a strengthened or capacitated International Labour Organization. Labour education in Canada also tackles international issues such as humanitarian support, democratic threats, sweatshops and violence done with impunity against Trade Unionists (CLC, 2009 & Spencer, 2009). Furthermore, amid climate change and environmental hazards in some workplaces, which have unfortunately killed thousands of workers, CLC (2009) seriously consider the interrelationship of job and its environment. Thousands of workers are subjected to harsh working conditions and deadly chemicals which shorten their life spans to the detriment of their respective surviving families. Unions are also cognizant about extractive industries, incessant logging operations and of industries contribution to carbon dioxide to the atmosphere which are contributory to climate change and health problems. It’s in this context that workers are also challenged to uphold total quality control in their job performance and to advocate for green jobs (CLC, 2009, p. 1). Total quality control and adherence to environmental impact assessments are essential for jobs which exposed workers to hazardous chemicals, energy-related extraction and unsafe working conditions. Conclusion Thus, Canadian labour education has recently inculcated and encouraged workers to advocate for green job and green economy (CJC, 2009). Green job refer an advocacy that nurture green corporate values, such as adapting the policy of reduce, reuse and recycle. Such may also include paperless company operation and the use of alternate networked information technology for recording and database entry. The latter encouraged the use of infotech to access websites and social networks as instrument for advertising, marketing, communication and networking. This is also significant in improving the performance efficiency rate of the company (Spencer & Wiley, 1982). The use of technology have empirically provide security management, in centralization of database for effective monitoring and replenishment of sold products; in delivering communication in all departments; in vigorously expanding world market; and in networking and linkaging. For unions, the use of technology and multimedia can help effectively communicate their advocacies to the world and to national officials it bridge gaps between the workers and the society or that between workers and national officials. CLC (2009) pointed that green jobs also encourage unions to advocate and adopt for renewable energy; reduce gaps between producers and consumers; as well as nurture cost-efficiency in the performance of their respective duties. Indeed, educating unions is both crucial for national socio-economic sustainability; for workers to rise from poverty; and to uphold their welfare. So, who wouldn’t want, among workers, to be deeply capacitated with skills, leadership and management? References Bruce Spencer, “Learning with Trade Unions: A Contemporary Agenda in Employment Relations”. Ed. by Steve Shelley and Moira Calveley," British Journal of Industrial Relations, Blackwell Publishers Ltd/London School of Economics, 2009, vol. 47(2), pp. 462-464, 06. Bruce D. Spencer & David E. Wiley, "The sense and the nonsense of school effectiveness," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 1982, vol. 1(1), pages 43-52. Canadian Labor Congress, “Labour College of Canada.” . Accessed: August 20, 2011. Canadian Labor Congress, “Resources and Tools.” Labour College of Canada. http://www.canadianlabour.ca/labour-education/resources-tools 2009b. Accessed: August 20, 2011. Canadian Labor Congress, “General Resolutions.” CLC’s 26th Constitutional Convention. Good Jobs. Better Lives. http://www.canadianlabour.ca/convention/2011-convention/general-resolutions#CIDA Accessed: August 20, 2011. Department of Justice, “Canada Labour Code” http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/L-2/ Accessed August 20, 2011. Statistics Canada, “Latest release from the Labour Force Survey.” Statistique Canada. Ottawa, Ontario, CA. 2011. p 1. Gahan, P. & Bell, S., "Union Strategy, Membership Orientation & Union Effectiveness: An Exploratory Analysis," The University of New South Wales. Department of Industrial Relations. Papers 123, 1998. Littman, Daniel A.,"Union wage concessions," Economic Commentary, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, 1982, Newman, Michael, “The Third Contract: Theory and Practice in Trade Union Training.” Stewart Victor Publishing, Sydney, Australia. 2007. Spencer, Bruce. “Unions and Learning in a Global Economy.” International and Comparative Perspectives. Toronto: Thompson Educational Press. 2002. Read More