In Order To Achieve Agreement Between Employers And Employees What Process Do Labour And Management Use? Strikes, Arbitration, Collective Bargaining, Boycotts Or Blacklists?
Based on the situation at hand and the part of the world we are talking about, one or all of the above could be used. Strikes, arbitration, mediation and collective bargaining are probably of more pertinent use when such a disagreement happens. Actually it all starts when there is a particular labor demand which the management refuses to meet. The labor union calls a strike to put pressure on the management and force them to start discussions. Not wanting to take the risk of a long strike, the union and management jointly agree to arbitration where they hear each other out and try to settle their differences. Both laborers and management may choose their own representatives to do this. Collective bargaining could be a tool used for this arbitration where the process of negotiation between representatives of a union and employers revisit and negotiate the terms and conditions of employment of employees. Such terms and conditions may include wages, work hours, working conditions and other such items.
In order to achieve agreement between employers and employees labour and management use all the options that have been listed out. Strikes are the most common means of protest that is used by labour. But as the world has gotten increasingly capitalistic, they have become rarer. The power of the worker union has gone down with the advent of newer technologies.
Companies are not as labor intensive as they used to be. Arbitration is probably the most common means of dispute resolution between labourers and the management. Since Governments go out of their way to invite companies to set-up base in their countries, it becomes very difficult for the labourers to form a strong union. Another tactic that has been employed in the past is a lock-out. But this practice too is dying a natural death. The modern version of the lock-out takes place when the access cards of the employees do not work.
Strikes, arbitration, collective bargaining, boycotts or blacklists etc are all ways adopted by management and the labourers to come to an agreement but none of them yield the perfect and desired result. Though these methods are quite common and are practiced even in the modern times they are not the best methods suggested for resolving conflicts and arriving at a common solution that benefits both the parties.
Both have learnt that better communication and regular interaction is likely to be more fruitful in finding an effective solution than any of the above mentioned methods. Proper training, understanding of the needs of the company as well as the people working in the company, decentralization of power, conducive environment, building team efforts, working as one big family by keeping in mind the goals of both the company and the employees etc are better ways to achieve agreement between the management and the labourers. This is achieved by regular communication, outings, social functions, in-house publications, incentives, creating a feeling of belongingness and other methods.
