1.

WHAT ARE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

This is the term used to describe the
relations between the management of a
firm and its employers.
If Industrial relations are good
employees will be well motivated and as a
result morale and productivity will be high.
If industrial relations are poor employees
will be a lot less motivated and productivity
low with a high labor turnover.

What is a trade union?
3. What causes industrial
disputes? Pay disputes
Working conditions
Unfair dismissals
Promotion
Poor industrial relations
Introduction to new technology
Discrimination
4. What action can the employee/employer
take in an industrial conflict?

Getting Legal Approval
Before organising a strike or any other form of
industrial action a trade union must follow the
rules set out in the Industrial Relations Act
1990. This states that
a union cannot organise a strike or any other
industrial action without getting members
majority approval


Official disputes are ones which have received
the approval of workers in a secret ballot and are
confirmed by the ICTU. The union must them decide
the type, the timing of the industrial action.

Unofficial disputes have no ICTU or union
approval.

A wildcat or lightning strike is an unofficial
dispute where no advance notice is given to
management
Deciding on the action to take
1) Token stoppages involve employees stopping
work for a short period of time to
demonstrate their feeling to management
2) Work to rule is where employees refuse to
undertake any work outside the terms of
their employment contract
3) A go slow occurs when employees carry out
the minimum amount of work they can get
away with without jeopardising their basic
pay
4) All out strike means employees stop working
and leave the premises






5) Picketing involves walking up and down outside
the work place indicating a strike is in process
Feb 2009 public sector workers in Ireland
picketing outside their employers premises
How can an employer respond to strike
Some employers may attempt a lock out to
break the strike. This can occur when an
employer locks out or suspends employees
during an industrial dispute. This is seen as
trying to break the strikers morale.
A more reasonable approach is to start
negotiating a settlement with those involved.
This may result in talks between employees
unions and employers. If unresolved it may lead
to help from the LRC or failing that the Labour
Court
What are the consequences of
industrial relations conflict for a
business

Industrial relations conflict can affect the
business in the following way.
1. Reduced productivity, increased costs
2. Loss of profits
3. Damage to public image
4. Difficulty in recruiting & keeping staff
5. Wasted time and energy
5. How an industrial relations conflict
between employees/employers can be
resolved
Internal Solutions
1. Take the complaint to the union shop steward
2. The union shop steward will follow the grievance
procedure agreed with the employer
3. If no union, agreed employees should talk directly to
manager responsible or to the HR manager
Help from the LRC
4. Agreement of both sides, the matter is taken to the
LRC which provides the following conflict resolution
services.
Conciliation services (for group conflict resolution)
Rights Officer Service (for individual conflict
resolution)


Getting Help From the LABOUR COURT
5. This is seen as the last resort for industrial
disputes. It provides an ARBITRATION
SERVICE for group conflict resolution.
6. What is the LRC?
THE Labour Relations Commission was established to
assist in settling disputes and to promote good
industrial relations. The LRC provides the following
services

1. Conciliation service the LRC provides an
Industrial Relations Officer (IRO). He/she listens to
both sides arguments and then recommends a
settlement.

2. Codes of practice rules, practices to be followed
when dealing with conflict. The LRC offers guidance to
firms drawing up code of practice.
3. Equality services - the LRC provides equality officers
in investigating disputes under Employment Act (1998).
It relates to issues on discrimination in the workplace.
When investigating they can enter premises and seek
records they need.

4. Rights commissioner service looks into disputes
involving individual workers or small groups of workers
concerning unfair dismissals or maternity leave etc. any
recommendations of the rights commissioner can be
appealed to in the Labour Court.



5. The LRC assists Joint Labour Committees (JLC)
and Joint Industrial Councils (JIC). The JLC is a
body set up by the labour court to investigate
rates of pay, work conditions for workers that
have no union. A JIC is a voluntary body set up to
solve disputes that may arise in a particular
industry.

6. The Industrial Relations Advisory Service
offers advice to employers and unions on industrial
relations matters. It also helps firms to
understand the root of the problems that cause
conflict.
7.The Labour Court



F
The Labour Court is a court of last resort in industrial disputes:
Functions of the Labour Court
1)To resolve disputes that the LRC feel that they cannot sort out
2)To resolve any conflict that LRC feel they cannot investigate
3) To resolve disputes that are referred to by minister of
employment /enterprise
4)To resolve disputes of exceptional circumstances

Court of appeal
The labour court hears appeals against recommendations of equality
officers under the Employment Act (1998).

Joint labour committees (JLC) and Employment Regulations Order
The labour court establishes JLCs & employment regulation orders
following the recommendations of the JLC.

Enforcement
The labour court has inspectors of the Dept of enterprise, trade
and employment; they may begin proceedings on behalf of
employees against employers for poor conditions in the
workplace.

Investigating breaches of codes of practice
The labour court investigates breaches of codes of practice,
provided the LRC has first considered the complaint.

Registering employment agreements
Agreements negotiated between employers and employees can be
registered with the Labour court. These agreements once
registered become legally binding.




Capitalist society
integrated group
common values,
interests, objectives


one authority /loyalty
irrational + fractional


coercion

intrusive
anachronistic
only accepted if forced
Unitary
Pluralistic
Marxist
Assume
Nature of conflict
Conflict resolution
TU Role
Post-capitalist society
Sectional groups - coalesce
different values, interests,
objectives


competitive authority /loyalty
(formal/informal)
inevitable, rational, structural

compromise + agreement

legitimate
internal, integral to workplace
accepted role in econ &
managerial relations
Capitalist
Division of labour/capital
social imbalance + inequalities -
power, wealth etc


inherent in econ. & social systems
disorder - precursor to change


change society

employee response to capitalism
mobilise, express class
consciousness
develop political awareness &
activity
Comparative
HRM
Unitary Marxist Pluralistic
Labour
market
Social
action
Systems
Control over
labour process
Input Conversion Output
Conflict
differences
Institutions
& processes
Regulation
(rules)
Approaches to IR
Wider approaches
Evolution
Revolution
Cooperation
Conflict
Authoritarian
Paternalism