Critical Analysis of the Role Played by Rail, Tram and Bus Union in NSW Worker's Dispute

Running head: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Human Resource Management
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................2
A. Critical Analysis of the Role Played...........................................................................................2
1. Tactical Perspective Explaining the Union Behavior.................................................................2
a. Role of Unions at the Workplace and Beyond.........................................................................5
2. Justification of Perspective Based on Theories of Unions and Union Behavior.........................7
a. Theories....................................................................................................................................7
Recommendations:.......................................................................................................................9
b. Literature:.................................................................................................................................9
i. Role of Union Behaviour Based on Structures.........................................................................9
ii. Role of the Internal Governance in Defining Policy and Action of Union...........................10
B. Implications of Union Role.......................................................................................................11
1. Role of the Union in Defining its Continued Relevance in Contemporary Australian Society 11
Conclusion:....................................................................................................................................13
References:....................................................................................................................................14
Appendices:...................................................................................................................................16

2
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Introduction:
The report aims at presenting a critical analysis on the role played by the Rail, Tram and
Bus Union (RTBU) in the North South Wales (NSW) worker’s dispute that took place in the year
2018. The dispute was the result of the train workers strike after the Sydney Trains failed in
resolving the pay related dispute of the workers. Despite, the four hours of negotiations between
the RTBU and Sydney Train things did not boil down to an agreement. Although wages
remained the key point, but there was no detailed discussion on the monetary issue. Therefore,
the secretary of Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) instructed the workers to continue with the
strike until there was a full and final settlement. It was also known as industrial intrusion.
However, the RTBU played a key role in the worker’s dispute but their performance could be
determined in the tactical perspective by justifying it in reference to the relevant theory and the
employee relationship and the role of the state in the management of employment relationship.
The report also draws an insight into the role of the management in maintaining employee
relationships, research literature on union and the union behavior. The report also tries to give an
insight into employee relationship and the role of the state in the management of employment
relationship.
A. Critical Analysis of the Role Played
1. Tactical Perspective Explaining the Union Behavior
According to Cullinane, Donaghey,Dundon, Hickland & Dobbins (2014), there are different
types of employee representations. This includes the voluntary type and the state sanctioned
type. The voluntary type of employee representations included the non-union and the union. The
non-union represented consultation initiated by the management, for example, consultative
committees or company unions while union represented the collective bargaining in an informal
manner with no compulsion for the workers to recognize or bargain with them. On the other
hand, the state sanctioned type of employee representation included the statute sponsored
participation of employees for example OH&S committees and work council and the statute-
sponsored collective conciliation, arbitration and bargaining. Given the different types of
employee representation, theRail, Tram and Bus union (RTBU) is a state sanctioned employee

3
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
representation who undertook bargaining for resolving the worker’s dispute on their behalf
(Pekarek&Gahan 2016).
Bailey &Peetz (2015) stated that for continuing with analysis of the union behavior there
should be careful consideration of the bargaining needs. In this regard, the structure of the
bargaining represents the set of the issues determined directly through process of bargaining,
Wage and employment determination are the two areas where the bargaining structure plays a
vital role. The first situation focuses on the area where bargaining of the parties takes place
solely over wages thereby leaving aside the criteria of a firm for determining employment as per
the demand schedule of the labors. The second situation represents a scenario where the
bargaining of the union takes place based on the wage as well as the level of employment.
Therefore, each of these cases determines either the optimal wage or the employment outcome
undertaken by the Union.
Therefore, the bargaining structure of the union put forward two cases where bargaining of
parties takes place over wages and certain facet of the employment (Oliver, 2016). For instance,
it is often the case where parties agree on defined set of the work rules that specifies operating
the minimum sizes of the crew or the requirements. These work rules however do not control the
employment level instead; they act closer to the specification of capital, output or labor and labor
rating.
According to Liu, Lv, Li & Tang (2017), the Nash model is considered one of the most
famous models in defining the bargaining outcome and it served as the base for work based on
the axiomatic bargaining models. This model defines specific set of the properties proposed by a
solution along with providing solutions that helps in satisfying the derived property or axioms.
These axioms include:
 Pareto efficiency where none of the players can be made better off without making
one of the players worse off.
 Symmetry puts forward that if players are non distinguishable the solution should not
result in discrimination
 Invariance to the affine transformations between the disagreement point and the
payoff should not lead to alteration of the outcome.