Bread and Roses Directed by Ken Loach - Movie Review Example

Introduction To make any organization work it is important that all parts of it work in harmony and with mutual understanding. If any element of the organization goes out of the order the entire system of it is disrupted. Labor and Management are two essential and significant parts of any organization. Despite of their complex relationship and differences it is important for them to sustain or else the company can collapse. The importance of labor force increased with the advent of Industrial revolution. That is the also time when labor force was treated worse than animals at times. This caused the labor force to rebel and initiate strike action. Hence after that history is strewn all across with the riots between the working class and the management because management has always had the upper hand. Strikes were also then called by the working class to change several policies which affected them. In order to understand the relationship between the labor and the management further I have chosen to analyze it in light of the movie Bread and Roses directed by Ken Loach. The title of the film “Bread and Roses” is based on the 1912 textile strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts. A poem by this title was written by James Oppenheim in 1910 defending the rights of working women. The film is about two illegal immigrant sisters whose working conditions are pitiful and impossible to cope up with. The tagline of the movie “The balance of power is about to change” is something to talk about when we are trying to understand the relationship of management and the labor. As the lead character of this film Maya is harassed repeatedly by her foul mouthed supervisor on a job from which she can be fired within blink of an eye, we can easily see power of the management here. They are not the ones who roll their sleeves and do the dirty work but they have the supreme power to disgrace and humiliate the people who actually are working hard. Strike Action The question easily haunts the mind that why would anyone would want to quit or go against the force from which he or she earns his bread. Defiantly the person who agrees to call a strike against his employers is tormented so much that he has no choice left. The history of strike goes long way back in the ancient Egypt when workers terrified the management so much that they were given a pay rise almost immediately. Capitalism rule has always exploited the working class. Question rises how it has managed to do this and how. Karl Marx, perhaps one of the most influential people in the history, has addressed this problem in simple words in his book Capital Vol.1, “The transformation of money into capital is to be explained…in such a way that the starting point is an exchange of equivalents. Mr. Moneybags, who is as yet only an embryo capitalist, must buy his commodities at their value and must sell them at their value; and nevertheless at the end of the process he must draw more value out of circulation than he puts into it at starting. This is the nut we have to crack!” He further continues “If, then, the owner of money is to transform his money into capital, he must find in the commodity market a free worker, free in a double sense. The worker must be able to dispose of his labor power as his own commodity; and, on the other hand he must have no other commodities for sale, must be free from everything that is essential for the realization of his labor power.” Keeping Marx theories in perspective it is easy to identify that the management has pushed the working class to rebel. These rebellion actions result in strikes. That means refusal of work. And if the working class stops working the organization automatically shuts down. Employment Relationship Because of Strikes Many issues directly affect the relationship of working class and the management. Strike causes the worst of the expected. When the labor goes on strike production of the organization stops in result revenue generation becomes zero. Not only the management is affected by the loss but the end users of the organization are troubled. However the end users do find an alternative with time resulting double loss for the management. Sometimes the management gets scared of the situation and readily accepts the demands of the labor. But that is not the scenario always. The battle turns ugly commonly. Management which is usually backed by political power used government in order to suppress the strikes called by the workers. The workers were beaten, thrown off jobs permanently, in some extreme cases killed and went through several other hardships. As soon as the labors in 18th century started to recognize there power of calling a strike against the management, nations around the world made it an illegal act. On the other hand workers ignored the miseries that management put them through when they went on strike and continued their mission. So much so that in 1937 there were 4,740 strikes in the United States.1 Today the state of affairs has changed drastically. There are several laws around the world which not only protect the rights of the labors but also give them the peace of mind they had always dreamed of. In modern era Mexico was the first country to legalize the right of calling a strike by the workers. Role of Union during strike action Human nature is carved in a way which makes him imperfect. It is not always that the management is wrong. At times workers can also be wrong. However that is not the case in majority. Usually the workers are oppressed. In order to understand the role of union it is important first to understand what union is. Labor union is a group of people from the workers which represent and organizes the workers of the entire organization under one banner. History tells us that union has played its part well in defending the rights of work force. Unions campaign strongly for their workers taking the consequences upon themselves of the angry management. Under the rule of union workers are expected to have better wage, health and pension plans. They are given strong job securities as well. During a strike called by the union and workers combined it is the duty of the union to strengthen the audacity of the workers. Union has to convey straightforward and effective demands raised by the workers to the management. Union has to make sure not to send any vibes of violence but a healthy protest which reflects their hardships to the management. The role of the union is not only towards the workers but also towards the management. It is important that they keep the workers confident, discourage any kind of gossip and ill feelings towards each other or the organization and maintain the respect of each individual. What should be the role of Management? Management literally means administration. For any organization to work smoothly the administration needs to be well planned and prepared for all kinds of situations. To run an organization for long term not only means to make profits. But the profits benefit each and every part of the organization. Since we have already established that working class is a major part of the company it is important that the management keeps them satisfied. Foremost the policy of the company should be straightforward and legitimate. Management should not overboard a lot of workers which results in paying them less or by end throwing them out from the organization. Workers should be given reasonable and agreed by the government working hours as well as paid holidays. If a situation of strike arises even after all the measures are taken by the company it is the primary responsibility of the management to resolve the issues of the workers. Resolving issues does not mean to use violence against the working class. Management should be reasonable and negotiate with the workers which is suitable for both ends and is beneficial for the company. Strike and the changes Like after an earthquake nothing remains the same similarly after strike things in an organization takes a different turn. No matter if the earthquake is of extremely minimal magnitude it still leaves people shaken with fear. In the same way strike no matter how small leaves its impression on the management. It can be negative and positive as well. Strikes throughout the history have helped the workers to gain a proper work position. Although strikes leave a bitter idea in the minds of both ends of the organization it helps workers to get acknowledged. Government, politicians and the senior management alike are shaken because of the strikes. It leaves a fear within them which makes them not to suppress the rights of the workers. Because of strikes called by the early union and the workers it is today that workers enjoy a much comfortable position. A strike also changes the life of many who receive the worst parts of it. Example the workers who are target of the violence caused by the management by police. People get handicapped or in worst case scenarios lose their lives. But never their service goes as a waste. Their sacrifice helps thousands other to live a better life. Realities disclosed because of strikes. There is no stronger force than the human power. During a strike this statement comes into a full force. When the entire working community unites under one banner to support a cause the management can see their power and strength. If the workers deny working in the organization it cannot run. The demands of the workers are only raised if there is any chance of them being accepted. During a strike the potential of the organization comes out in the open which helps determine the workers that how much they are being exploited. Further after the demands of the workers are fulfilled from the result of the strike, it comes under the common knowledge that management was cheating with the workers. Conclusion The underpaid and underprivileged working class works day and night to make lives of the rich and privileged more and more comfortable. But they are the ones who suffer all hardships and go under social depression and suppression instead of their hard work. History repeatedly tells us that the work class has been deceived and exploited by the management by receiving less wages and comforts. The act of calling a strike has changed the lives of workers in a much better way. And to achieve greatness it has been the challenge for humanity to go under hardships. Similarly workers have gone through many sufferings to accomplish their needs. Organizations today are working well in result of better and controlled working plans for the labor class. Management is being considered towards them otherwise they are facing massive strikes. Bibliography EARLY, STEVE. “Bread & Roses” Strike 100 Years Ago. http://enoughcampaign.org/2012/01/13/bread-roses-strike-100-years-ago/ (accessed 1st 13, 2012). http://management.blurtit.com/q375590.html. (accessed 1st 13, 2012). Joel A.C. Baum, Jitendra V. Singh, 1994. Evolutionary Dynamics of Organizations. Oxford University Press, USA Adrienne E. Eaton, Jeffrey H. Keefe, 2000. Employment Dispute Resolution and Worker Rights in the Changing Workplace. 1st ed. Ilr Publishers Read More