A Comprehensive Analysis of Employment Relations and Voluntarism

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of employment relations, focusing on the concept of voluntarism and its impact on workplace dynamics. It examines the shift from traditional trade unions to modern HR departments, highlighting the evolution of policies and practices aimed at maintaining effective employee relations. The essay delves into the influence of conservative policies, neoliberalism, and the importance of labor flexibility in contemporary organizations. It discusses the roles of various actors, including nation-states, management, and trade unions, in shaping employment relations. The analysis also covers contemporary issues such as flexible working hours and the resolution of conflicts, emphasizing the importance of maintaining employee satisfaction and ethical environments. The study explores the impact of changes in government policies, particularly after Brexit, and the emergence of new patterns of work, with a focus on the enhancement of employee-employer relationships. The essay concludes by underscoring the significance of HR departments in addressing employee grievances and fostering a positive work environment.

Employment Relations

Voluntarism is considered as the will power; therefore, each thing will organise
effectively. Activities which are accomplished by human are free in nature. This has
been analysed that human activities never get predicted, this has to be understand.
Some rights need to be provide to each member who are working in company; thus,
they will be able to complete their work with maximum effectiveness and interest as
well.
Employment relation is essential for each company as this will aid them to
accomplish coveted targets and goals within limited period of time. This helps them to
survive at marketplace for maximum duration (McDonald and Thompson, 2016). If
relations amongst employer as well as employees in effective then, workers will retain at
workplace. For above stated aim, superior will take their assistance at the time of
decision making procedure. In this manner, their level of involvement at premises will
enhanced. ALDI is one of the leading association in retail sector which is established in
United Kingdom. They are providing their products and services across the world. More
than 80000 individuals are working with them. In prior days, trade union was much
popular as they do work to protect rights of workers. But now they get replaced by
department of Human resource. They have to analyse issues of employees which are
facing by them within limited period of time. This enables them to maintain an effective
relationship with workers significantly (Kim and Bae, 2017).
Conservative policy basically believe in personal duties, free market, limited
regulatory body, national defence and traditional value. This believes in that,
government needs to cater freedom to individuals so that they will complete objectives
without confronting any problems. This policy rely on individual empowerment to resolve
troubles.
If there is proper employment relationship, then people will accomplish targets
and goals within limited period of time. To maintain relations, strategies as well as
policies will be formulated by superior. In addition to this, regulatory body will develop
some regulations or laws to make significant relations. Along with this, it aids to reduce
clashes and build cooperation amongst individuals in a better way. There are some
reference frame will comprise into employment relations. Basically it can be classified
into two parts, one is unitary and another is pluralistic frames.
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Unitary reference of frame will define that if there is any clashes arise at
workplace then it cannot arise because of behaviour amongst staff members as well as
employer (Conway and et. al., 2016). If conflict arise between them then, this will render
influence coveted targets of company and they will not be able to attain it within limited
period of time. On the other hand, pluralistic frame demonstrates that every team is
having proper loyalty as well as respect in regards of their leader. There are two groups
which will comprise into this, i.e. labour union and administration. Henceforth, this has
been understood that from above both approaches, pluralistic reference of frame is
much effective as well as perfect for company. This has been determined that, by
reducing role of trade union, duty of HR manager automatically get increased. They
have to implement proper laws and legislations at workplace; thus, they will be able to
protect rights and privileges of staff members. According to minimum wages act, it is
required for an affiliation to cater salaries to workers timely, therefore, they will be able
to maintain their standard of living effectually. Minimum wages need to be provided to
each employees and this rate is decided by government of UK.
There are many actors which play an important role to maintain employment
relations. This will comprise nation state, supra state, management in employee
relationship and in addition trade union (Bach and Bordogna, 2016). They all having
their own roles which need to be performed by them in a significant manner. Main duty
of nation state is to prepare some policies or legislations which aid to maintain an
effective relations amongst employees. This will aid them to retain at workplace for
maximum period of time. This has been analysed that, in each company, staff is must
because without their support it is much difficult for an enterprise to attain desired
objectives as well as goals in a proficient manner. It is determined that, there are lots of
alterations in policies of government after Brexit which will provide impact to their
relations with each other either in a direct or indirect manner (Godard, 2014).
Voluntarism pre 1979, is define general strikes which bought towards the
eventual downfall. It evaluated towards the workers performance and better working
conditions which may leads in improving the workers performance at workplace. Along
with this, union trade are define campaign to bring inflation and which is related with the
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income policies. IN addition of this previous government also brought incomes policies
that define formulate by acts of parliaments.
Management also plays an eminent part to maintain significant relations between
staff members. Certain strategies as well as policies will be developed by them as this
enables them to keep up an appropriate coordination and cooperation amongst
workers. By maintaining this, company will be able to accomplish work within limited
time span. As a result, they will generate maximum profits and along with market share.
Some targets will be set by higher authority which has to be achieve by employees
effectively; therefore, they will be able to fulfil desires of clients in a proper manner. After
development of HR department, role of trade union is not destroyed (Guest, 2016). In
fact, this has changed their power or work. Now, there is alteration into their working
procedure. They will assist human resource manager to resolve problems of people as
it assists to cater them maximum level of satisfaction. Several policies will be developed
by them because this helps to maintain an effective relationship of employees properly.
Neoliberalism is a pro- capitalist economy theory which focus on the free market
in which individuals depend their money to attaining better outcomes. Along with this,
they maintain their positive relations with their subordinates as workers get enhance
their productivity level and efficiency level by reducing all the negative issues and
problems at workplace. It also leads in proving same treatment to all the workers who
present in the organization so that they effectively perform their task and show their
interest in order to maintain ethical environment at workplace.
Apart from all of this, there are some contemporary issues which will be confront
by people who are working at workplace. It is must for manager of an enterprise to
resolve conflicts of employees without any delay because this may cater impact to their
relations directly or indirectly. Each worker wants to do work in flexible working hours as
this enables them to retain individuals at premise for maximum period of time. This will
motivate them to complete work with extra effectiveness and appropriateness. This has
been examined that sometimes due to labour union, biasness will be arose amongst
individuals because of favouritism. To eliminate it, organisation will develop a human
resource department who needs to sort out issues or develop some policies which will
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be guide people. They help to maintain an appropriate relations between every staff
members in an effective and efficient manner (Cohen, 2016).
Trade unions were defined as some team or group of workers whom are working
in manufacturing department and main objective of establishing these bodies are to
tackle all problems and grievances that human resource faced in their working
environment. Importance of these trade unions were high in past time but as time
passes, these group lost their prosperity and in replace to this unit, a new sections has
been emerged that name is human resource manager which is more efficient in dealing
issues that are raised in organisation culture.
New labour- Third way (1979-2010), is define as an effective which helps in
proving the right to the employees so that they easily perform their activities to
established positive elation with others. Basically it is helps in advocate a vision in which
workers are get fair treatment at workplace as they enhance their working abilities at
workplace which may leads in establishing positive relation at workplace.
It has been evaluated that due to demise of trade unions, rights of employees at
their workplace had increased due to establishments of various departments (Kim and
Bae, 2017). In earlier times, all benefits that was decided by company was not reached
to members of trade unions due to undefined authority chain of management and
employees were dissatisfied by their work but after some time by taking this type of
situation in under consideration, association established various departments to perform
their specific task. In this context of employee relations, company settled a body that
named as human resource department. After coming this functional area, lots of
changes were happened like:
Non-union employment relations were enhanced because workers got the thing
that firm is paying attention on same level upon each and every staff member. Trade
unions were not effective in handling all issues because there were no proper
framework of complaining any problem and sometimes management was not aware
about workers problems and due to this situation manpower whom is working in
manufacturing department was dissatisfied their type of working and because of getting
low attention from higher management side. But after establishment of various
departments, company were came very close to every employee that is working in
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company and by taking this type of decision, organisation were trying to enhance
satisfaction level of workers regarding their task (Conway and et. al., 2016). Main motto
of this type of judgement is to enhance level of employee and employer relations
without having any intermediary like trade unions.
Labour Flexibility and New Pattern of Work are introduced in organisation. In past
era, company followed the policy of filling a vacant post by a person but not very
attentive for skills that the blank position is required to accomplish all task in most
profitable manner. But lots of changes were seen in working pattern of corporation like
higher managerial personnel started paying attention on the thing that all task should be
accomplished with having required skills and talents and to continue this pattern
association constructed a department with responsibility of filling all blank positions with
those persons whom should have some sort of virtue and specialisation in order to
conduct task and duties. When new person with appropriate skills and virtue were hired
then they brought new ideas that make some positive changes in working pattern and
this type of action were helped association in carried out all manufacturing functions in
more smoother manner that was understandable for each staff member (Bach and
Bordogna, 2016).
At the time of trade unions, there were no proper framework was defined in order
to file complains and grievances that were raised among line staff members while
completing manufacture functions because workers were not aware about whom they
have to contact at the time of any issue and conflict. To solve this type of raised
situations, management developed a proper administration to handle this type of
situations like a department were established which had a person whom is selected for
filing complaints and grievances and then department will look forward on those issues
so that conflicts could be managed in most appropriate manner (Godard, 2014). This
type of actions were taken for reducing clashes and problems that was on hike because
of lack of proper handling. Main cause of eliminations of issues and grievances were
that corporation people were granted a help of person that was voice of workers whom
contact with functional area that was established for solving problems of manpower in
organisation. Emergence of this new administrative department like human resource
functional area is a result of demise of trade unions in corporation.
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At the time when interference of trade unions in functionality of association,
conflicts and clashes among workers were very high because there were no adequate
solution was present in environment that is why manpower were disappointed with their
work. In order to reduce these type of situations from association, management decided
to established a department named as human resource department and from
emergence of this functional area, this division is responsible for looking forward for any
problems and issues that workforce is facing while conducting their business operations
that are allotted to this (Guest, 2016).
Demise of trade union had been reflected some positive change in business
operations and also bring some smoothness in working pattern by reducing all conflicts
and clashes that were faced and fought by staff members who had been working in
company specially in manufacturing functions. It can be said that demise of trade unions
were brought flexibility in functionality of association by hiring persons with adequate
skills and talents who had their own thought process. Arises of conflicts in organisation
culture have negative impact on working of corporation and this was very frequent at the
time of trade union but corporation dealt that situation very efficiently and then launched
new administrative department for taking care of all these kind of situations and
conditions and due to this reason number of clashes were diminished and efficiency of
working had increased (Cohen, 2016). Because of emergence of human resource
department, a proper framework was introduced as voice of workers so that appropriate
complaints and grievances could be filed so that their adequate solution could find.
Above stated aspects are some contemporary issues that was faced by workers
while conducting their working pattern and these problems were efficiently handled by
corporation in order to complete all task in certain time duration. Above are some
actions and decisions that were taken by association were made some positive
improvements in rights of British workers whom are working in corporate area and also
made some improvisation in work efficiency by appointing new talents in organisation
(Kalleberg, Nesheim and Olsen, 2015).
It has been examined that in United Kingdom when trade union got demised
instead of lowering or decreasing wages of workers, firms started giving them
opportunities which directly impacted positively on their productivity. It was well known
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by government of United Kingdom that if they wants to grow and to bettering
economical condition it is very much needed to keep employees or workers happy of
different organisation that they have in nation (Kalleberg, Nesheim and Olsen, 2015).
Away from this, hike was being shown in last few years in UK labour market and it will
keep on raising as firms are regularly making policies in favour of them. In nineties,
companies have organised a whole new department and named it as human resource
which is much concerned with employees of an organisation.
After trade union when it got demised, enterprises introduced human resource
department which is nowadays responsible for recruiting and managing manpower of an
organisation. ALDI has a good name in all over world which is selling their world class
products in all around globe (Bach, 2016). It has an effective HR department which is
helping them in recruiting talented candidates and looks into problems which are being
faced by employees who are already working in ALDI. UK's labour market is going to
get enhanced over last few years as issues which are being faced by them are being
resolved by government of United Kingdom as they have developed various sort of
rules and regulations and they are concerned with removing fraud, discrimination,
difference in wages and so on. This was named as employment relations. Government
of United Kingdom is also rapidly enhancing rates of wages from minimum to maximum
so that to workers do not face any sort of issues which is related to funds and easily
survive in this world. Unions less influential was expected to reduction of workers but
instead of this when firms started showing support it influenced people or citizens of UK
to keep on working in organisations which directly enhanced their both profitability and
productivity. With the help of this, economical growth was hugely affected in positive
manner in previous decades (Rousseau, 2015).
It has been located that in initial years when United Kingdom was formed they
used to follow The Anglo-American model in which shareholders were affiliated to firm
and then organisation was attached with banks and workers. But, there was no
interrelation among them which pushed companies towards focusing on short term
profit rather than long term. Globalization and varieties of capitalism affected continental
European model where interrelation was being seen in shareholders, banks and firm
which helped organisations in making profit that were related to long term. There is a
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possibility that firms may bring some more changes in favour of workers which will put
positive impact on working of employees where they can start giving good competition
to each other. This will directly raise productivity of them which may aid organisations in
gaining competitive advantages at business environment (Donaghey and et. al., 2014).
Companies started giving opportunities to their workers where employers started taking
suggestions from employees and this has helped them in motivating them where they
can feel that they have importance in firm. It has been examined that employment
relations system are rapidly putting good impact on continental European models that
United Kingdom and other British countries are following. This is being done through HR
departments of firms which is aiding them in attaining goals and objectives in shorter
instance. This administration of ADLI is rapidly giving support and suggestions to
employees of this company and giving them training as well from time to time so that
they can enhance their skills and knowledge so that to become more productive at
workstation. If United Kingdom is being seen as a company then employees can be
stated as an asset for them. Along side this, different legislations like equal pay, anti-
discrimination, health and safety, flexible working hour acts are some which are being
made by government in order to give proper delivery to consumers (Jackson, Doellgast
and Baccaro, 2018).
On the other hand, new labour was introduced in the dominance of political force
in United Kingdom more than a decade. but even its biggest devotees proclaim it over.
Under this, labour of this country has promised to enhance the economy as government
was rapidly enhancing their skills and knowledge as they have used various approaches
and made different sort of policies which aided them in grabbing a good position in all
over world. Lastly, National health services was being introduced at the same time
which may aid them in standardising of employees which was related to their health.
Health and safety act, was made to give proper security to workers while working at
workplace (McDonald and Thompson, 2016). Along with this, rights were being given to
staff members of various company's in order to bring up their interest which was given
in constitution that was been made by government of United Kingdom.
From above assignment this has been understood that, employment relations are
essential for each company as this helps them to maintain their position at marketplace
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in an effective manner. Along with, they will easily compete with their contenders in
market by improving profits as well as sales. If there is proper relationship amongst staff
members then, this assists to reduce clashes amongst them. In this manner, coveted
targets and objectives will get attained within limited period of time. Instead of this, it has
been analysed that effect of trade union is reduced from last some years but this leads
to get raised in human resource department. If there is any problems are facing by
employees at premises then, it will get resolved by superior within certain time span.
With help of this, issues which are facing by workers never get revealed outside
because this is sort out internally by some experts. This helps firm to maintain their
reputation at marketplace. In addition to this, they will take benefits from rivals in
market. Future trends and possibilities are also analysed into this assignment.
Coalition Policy (2010-2015): This policy includes various sections that have
their importance in employment relations. These points are stated as follows:
Flexible Paternal Leave Regulation: In this section, company formulated
policies regarding paternal leaves. It means a person can take leave when he became
father to support family and to have joy this this made increment in employ loyalty.
Pay Six Week: In this section, a fix day off in a week for relaxation so that
energy level of employees could be maintained.
Minimum Wages Increases: This section defines that there should be a
increment in minimum wages act so that an employee could get higher pay and should
work with higher efficiency.
Emergent Conservative Policy: National minimum wages act was came in
force in 1948 and that was presented an idea that every worker wo is doing same kind
of task should get same level of payment so that partiality could be ignored and equality
should be installed in working pattern of corporation.
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