Employment Relations: Trade Unions - Coursework Example

Trade unions Task: It is vital to that trade unions were reform initiatives of providing a shell between the production owners and workers. In the advent of capitalism, trade triggered increased production while ignoring the plight of workers. In this sense, a bargaining body would be necessary to provide a barrier against possible exploitation (HR Library 2011). Trade unions are one of the most controversial aspects of management and economics. This is because it possesses its notable benefits and constraints simultaneously. The activities of the firm concerns with the products while the union concerns with the aspect of a service. These two goals may coincide and clash in various circumstances. To begin with, the labor unions are beneficial in protecting minority groups (Shelley & Cleveley 2007, p. 69). Minority groups offer a wide area of looking at the same. For instance, disabled individuals who take part in the labor force may experience a bias out of their scenario. If they do attain an adequate voice of addressing their concerns, large companies would assume that their companies are progressing. Apart from direct exploitation, minority groups would suffer from unintentional inadequate attention from the management. Firms may entail processes and regulations that compromise on minority workers’ situations. Trade unions are hawk eyed entities that assess companies in terms of very single operation. In certain instances, companies may have work operations that assign hectic and low paying assignments to certain workers. Such scenarios are handed down from previous systems and they may continue to occur under the unconsciousness of the management. An example would relate to bias against certain races in terms of job assignments. The trade unions would discover about such minority groups and investigate their plights. It is crucial to highlight that certain minority groups arise out of hypothetical situations. It might be visible after some period that minority groups develop out of departments that they work in the same. In addition, trade unions help in minimizing disputes that may arise out of workers and the employers. In this sense, the trade unions eliminate trivialities that may arise out of employees and their management. In notable instances, the management of firms may make assumptions about employees. This might relate to the view of employees as a group that operates on peer pressure. In this sense, the peer pressure would lead to unreasonable demands that push the firms out of their balance. This suggests that trade unions are intermediary rather than constraining forces to firms. It is crucial to highlight that disputes place employees out of firms. In turn, it constrains employees from growth in their careers. In addition, employers are likely to misperceive the actions of employees. Spotted employees may earn unconstructive reputation with their firms. This suggests that the affected employees are likely to receive limiting comments from their employers. In the end, it would be difficult for the employee to earn the trust of other firms. In addition, trade unions avail safe working environments for employees. The work environment might be a limited but an unsafe environment for the health of employees. The work environment should be a platform whereby both the employees and their firms respectively achieve their objectives of wages and products. In the achievement of the two divergent objectives, the work environment may digress and injure employees. Harm is a diverse term that comprises both physical and psychological aspects. In physical harm, firms may entail work environments that injure the health of workers. For instance, there are manufacturing companies that involve in the production of harmful chemicals and products. In such a scenario, it is vital to provide protective mechanisms for workers. Alternatively, the firm would employ machinery that excludes employees from the core manufacturing processes that entail emission of toxic substances into the immediate environment. Besides, psychological health is a crucial element of every individual. In case of a compromise to the same, individuals are bound to profess low productivity and regress on the overall state of an employee. It is crucial to highlight that aspects such as employees’ discrimination on the basis of their dispositions hugely affect the mental health of employees (Bennett & Kaufman 2007, p. 102). Dispositions are natural elements that the employees have minimal control over the same. For instance, employees from minority communities, in the UK, would suffer from name calling and stereotyping from other groups. In certain instances, employees may face ridicule out of their religion. The worst case of employee harm would entail sexual abuse. Cases of sexual abuse could occur from superiors or among workers of the same rank. In addition, trade unions accord employees a robust bargaining power. This is because trade unions are diverse groups of employees that strike sense in their unity. When several individuals adopt a sole voice, the respective managements are high likely to understand that they are pressing a vital concern. It differs from the situation whereby a sole employee would agitate for one’s entitlements. The psychology that operates under this benefit relates to the fact that communal concerns are viewable as genuine elements. On the other hand, an individual’s agitation would be viewable as a selfish oriented motive. Trade unions would usually elect competent individuals that possess proper negotiation skills. These representatives would be proficient individuals who would present concerns in a non-militant and reasonable manner (Wrigley 2002, p. 123). Such diplomacy allows logical arguments that contribute to beneficial bargains for workers. In case of disputes, trade unions shelve individuals from implication in strikes and reactionary activities to feelings of unfairness. In this sense, the union members are able to meet their objectives without compromising on their work security. Furthermore, trade unions are bargaining tools for employees in case of unfair dismissals. Trade unions are legitimate voices of employees in case of a diversion to a management’s dismissal of an employee (Neef 2004, p. 178). Since the agitation of an employee would be impotent in the face a big entity such as a firm, the affected individual presents an entity of similar levels of power. In cases of legal matters, the trade unions would grant legal assistance to affected employees who cannot afford fees for proper agitation in court. On the other hand, unionization presents notable challenges to employees. To begin with, trade unions do not attract all employees to their umbrella. This presents a conflicting scenario during bargaining. In the end, some employees do not enjoy the bargained benefits that other employees would thrive in the same. In addition, this situation may constrain the bargaining powers of unions. This is because fewer workers would be in support of particular initiatives that the rest of the employee force enforces. In certain instances, some employees would be willing to carry on with their jobs at lower wages. In addition, collective bargaining may constrain the growth of competent and ambitious workers. Collective bargaining treats employees as a single entity in spite of their differences. In the end, hard working employees face the constraint against their career ambitions since they do not receive adequate rewards for their efforts. In addition, unions may set high wages that goes beyond the optimum employment level of having adequate employees. Production exists in balance when it is in tandem with the cost that the firm employs for their profits. High wages creates an imbalance of output and a firm’s costs (Wunnava 2004, p. 73). In order to stabilize their profits, firms would have to curtail the number of their employees. This scenario usually affects lowly skilled employees who would be edged out in the employment world. This cuts back on the employees’ purchasing power and negatively affects their standard of living. Besides, unions create a notion to employees that their employers would always act against their interests (Fernie 2005, p. 67). This makes the employees defensive against their managements’ initiatives. In addition, they become increasingly critical and hyper conscious of changes. This constrains their training programs and chances of promotions. In traditional contexts, the management would have the weighty decisions about workers’ shift and promotional strategies. If unions initiate workers’ strike, they limit employees’ earnings because the respective firms do not compensate for the lost hours (Addisson 2003, p. 21). In the end, the employers may dismiss workers that are conspicuous in such disputes. In case of stringent demands, employers may opt to shed off other employees. Loss of employment is a devastating situation for the affected employees because they possess reduced incomes. On the other hand, trade unions cause a negative aggression, in employers, against employees (Gollan 2007, p. 76). This pushes employers to view unions as greedy initiatives that constrain the growth of firms. In the end, firms may pay limited attention to the concerns of workers (Cihon & Castagnera 2010, p. 101). In this sense, employers would give pretentious promises in order to tame employees. It is discernible that trade unions entail both benefits and detriments to employees. To begin with, trade unions offer the benefit of protecting minority groups. In addition, it cuts back on time consuming disputes that constrain employees’ income in terms of lost hours. Besides, unions offer the advantage of collective bargaining because the employees are high likely to be deemed as presenting legit claims. In close relation to this, unions avail safe working environments to employees. On the other hand, trade unions might not attract all employees under their umbrella. This compromises on their bargaining advantage because they do not possess a unified voice. In addition, it hinders ambitious workers from growth. Additionally, unions’ setting of high wages locks out other employees from the work force. In addition, employers’ reaction to unionization might lead to dismissal of certain workers. Bibliography Addison, J 2003, International handbook of trade unions, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing. Bennett, J & Kaufman, B, 2007, What Do Unions Do?: A Twenty-Year Perspective, New Brunswick, Transaction Publishers. Cihon, P, Castagnera, J 2010, Employment & labor law, Mason, Cengage Learning. Fernie, S 2005, Trade unions: resurgence or decline?, New York, Routledge. Gollan, P 2007, Employee Representation in Non-Union Firms, Thousand Oaks, SAGE. HR library, 2011, The pros and cons of unions – an overview for business owners and managers, Gneil library, viewed on October 21, 2012, < http://www.gneil.com/library/Pros-Cons-Labor-Unions/default.aspx/?lms=2570> Neef, D, 2004, The supply chain imperative, New York, AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Shelley, S & Claveley, M 2007, Learning with trade unions: a contemporary agenda in employment relations, Burlington, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Wrigley, C, 2002, British trade unions since 1933, New York, Cambridge University Press. Wunnava, P 2004, The changing role of unions: new forms of representation, New York, M.E. Sharpe. Read More