Administrative Issues under Collective Bargaining
What is collective bargaining
The collective bargaining process aims at defining the benefits, wages, promotions, working hours, and other employment procedures relating to the employer-employee relationship. There are a number of administrative issues that impact the collective bargaining process. The first hypothesis in this paper is that collective bargaining process promotes employee discipline and the overall discharge procedure. The second hypothesis is that collective bargaining improves employee health and safety in the workplace. Third, collective bargaining can lead to formulation of better work rules for the benefit of the employees. Administrative issues are some of the major issues addressed by collective bargaining.
Importance of Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining process promotes employee discipline and discharge procedure. Collective bargaining enables professionals in various fields to speak in one voice. Various professionals such as nurses, engineers, pilots, teachers, and others are able to resolve workplace issues with integrity and respect; hence maintaining employee discipline. According to Logrono (2013), the modern work environment is complex. In earlier days, the management could devise disciplinary action or discharge employees at its own discretion. In the modern organization, this is difficult due to concerns about employee rights. Logrono (2013) carried out a descriptive study by use of a survey questionnaire. The results indicated that collective bargaining improves employee discipline, and prevents costly court battles especially during discharge of an employee.
Collective bargaining can improve employee health and safety in the workplace. According to U.S. Department of Labor (2015), there is need for better processes and mechanisms that improve the working conditions of employees. Work-related accidents are a major cause of death and disability in some industries. According to the U.S. Department of Labor (2015), the occupational safety and health record has deteriorated over time in the U.S. There is a recorded increase in work-related injuries and illnesses which translate to high healthcare costs to individuals, organizations and the economy. Collective bargaining agreements have the capacity to promote health and safety in the workplace by involving the workers and the management signing an agreement.
Collective bargaining also improves administrative issues such as work rules & procedures, training & development, attendance leave, and other administrative related issues. In the organization, conflicts are bound to arise between the employees and the management. The manner in which these conflicts are handled determines the future relationships between the two factions. The collective bargaining process is important in the formulation of work rules that enhance cordial relations in the organization. These work rules can also be used to resolve conflicts in the organization once they arise. According to Opara, Uruchi & Igbaekemen (2014), collective bargaining can help organizations in maintaining sound labor management practices and industrial harmony.
How collective bargaining process differs in different countries
The collective bargaining process differs in different countries. In most European states, collective bargaining depends on the civil service system in place. Career-oriented systems lack collective bargaining agreements while non-career oriented systems tend to favor collective bargaining. According to Williams & Williams, S. (2014), collective bargaining is important as it also gives employees career advancement opportunities and training. Collective bargaining is important since it gives employees an opportunity to find solutions to problems in an amicable way.
In conclusion, collective bargaining process is critical in organizational administration. Collective bargaining promotes employee discipline and the overall discharge procedure. This is because it provides a neutral platform between employers and employees where issues can be resolved. From the research, it is clear that collective bargaining also improves health and safety procedures in the workplace.
References
Logrono, M. (2013). Labor Relations Practices of Selected Companies. European Journal of Business Management, 5(20): 1-14.
Opara, L. C., Uruchi, O. B., & Igbaekemen, G. O. (2014). The Legal Effect of Collective Bargaining as a Tool for Democratisation of Industrial Harmony. European Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 31(1): 1-17.
United States Department of Labor. (2015). Safety and Health Programs and Employee Involvement. Retrieved from: http://www.dol.gov/_sec/media/reports/dunlop/section7.htm
Williams, S., & Williams, S. (2014). Introducing employment relations: A critical approach. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
