Principles of Employment Relations - Essay Example

c issue discussed by critics - “A broad survey of academic studies shows that while unions can sometimes achieve benefits for their members, they harm the overall economy.”(Sherk, 2009). In modern times there are number of concept associated with the existence of Union in various parts of the globe. If one analyzes the present scenario, union’s role in the modern world is of labor cartels. “A labor cartel restricts the number of workers in a company or industry to drive up the remaining workers wages, just as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) attempts to cut the supply of oil to raise its price.

” (Sherk, 2009). To ensure smooth functioning of the companies, top management in various cases agreed upon to pay out high salary to their employees by affecting their overall profit or by increasing the price of their offerings. Economic study finds that a range of activities of the unions might do well to their members but as an issue of concern it constantly harm consumers in general. Not only that, the actions of Union sometimes hampered the job opportunity for the deserving candidate as well.

Although there are number of negative point of views about the role played by the unions in the job market, economy and development of the country, there is some positive side as well. In this paper the main objective is to focus on the role played by the union in Australian economy and how the role of the union changes over the duration of time. The Australian Workers Union over the course of time has demonstrated both positive and negative sides of trade unionism. At times unions have bravely opposed to employers and various organizations’ decisions which were against the benefit or the poor workers.

As a matter of fact, the Australian union over a long period of time was not interested to get involved into direct bargaining with their employers but was always committed to ensure national wage-fixing practices of Australian industrial