Business Journals Analysis: Canada's Labour History

This report provides an analysis of four business journals, focusing on key aspects of labour history, working conditions, and globalization. The first journal explores working conditions and unionization efforts in Canada during the early 1900s, highlighting the evolution of labour movements and thei...Read More

4 Journals

Table of Contents
Overview.....................................................................................................................................1
Journal 1: Your great Grandfather's Journals..............................................................................1
Journal 2: Fostering trust and a Good working relationship.......................................................2
Journals 3: Consequences of strikes and lockouts......................................................................3
Journals 4: Globalization.............................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

Overview
The current report is based upon four journals through which researcher chooses relevant
journal in order to answer the questions. The chosen journals are Your great Grandfather's
Journals, Fostering trust and a Good working relationship, globalization and Consequences of
strikes and lockouts
Journal 1: Your great Grandfather's Journals
This journals is all about working condition and unionization efforts in early 1900 in
Canada and this is based upon the working class history that tell changing condition and action
of all working people (Working class history, 2008). Thus, in 1996 around 33.9% of the workers
who belongs to non- agricultural work belongs to unions because their goal was designed to
benefit all the workers and that is why, labour movement won a place in Canadian society.
Moreover, they also contribute they best or the development of Canadian society.
This working class is emerged from 19th Century because of industrial capitalism in
British North America. During this time, there is a huge differentiation between rich and poor
such that all the workers are work in different ways but women and children are no longer part
of it. At that time, unions were small, it was also illegal because Nova Scotia government
prohibited workers. Even, workers were protested their condition and as a result, huge violent
strikes took place in 1840. After that in 1850, local unions had become established and they
assist workers to reduce their working hours from 12 hours to 9 hours. Further, in late 19th
Trade Union Act was introduce which stated that union are no longer illegal conspiracies.
After that, one of the most important development in prewar labour movement was rise
of revolutionary industrial unionism which favoured unification of all worker into one labour
body. In 1930 and 1940, new right of labour and rise of welfare state were attained which
promised to protect Canadian working people even against of major economic misfortune. As a
result, the position of labour in Canadian society was strengthen after the formation of Canadian
Labour Congress in 1956. After this unionisation, there is a steady growth in government
employment which means one in five workers was a public employee. Moreover, another
significant change is increase in number of female workers. Such that by 1996, there were 59%
increment in the female workers and this change clearly reflected a sign of growing prominence
of women union leaders, but there were another issue such that child care, sexual harassment
and equal pay to women.
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Apart from this, the union of Canada also play an important role against Duplessis
government in 1950 such that they not only fight against laws that restrict their activities but also
promoted people of Canada to present their active role in Quebec government. But in 1960,
people were quite unhappy with their wages as well as working condition, as a result, they also
falling far behind in a private sector. So they were in a strike in 1963 and 1964 that was led by
Quebec government where all civil servants, teachers and hospital workers were involves. This
in turn help them to decrease the working hours and increases their wages. So this work shows
contribution of union growth and leads to economic change with a transformation of labour
process in Canada.
Journal 2: Fostering trust and a Good working relationship
As per the journal it is analyzed that the good working relationship is exist with mutual
trust among employees and employers. Therefore, a good working relationship is generated by
build trust among each other and also by showing appreciation and be positive which will help
all the employees and union members to enjoy their work. Also, by supporting each other's work
and asking other unions to involve in a task will help to generate good working relationship. So,
through effective collaboration, every person may foster trust and develop good working
relationship with each other (yron and Landis, 2020). The article also shows that having a good
relationship at workplace means to improve teamwork and collaboration, improve morale of an
employees and this in turn assist to improve the reach at defined path.
On the other side, when there is a lack of trust then it reduces transparency and
communication which in turn affect the overall performance. In order to attain the maximum
employee performance, workers need to promptly communicate all the potential problems, and
without trust it is not possible. That is why, there is a need to have an effective trust among each
other because it increases the chances of attaining goals and objectives and workers may
comfortably accept the changes and more willingly provide new vision.
An unionized environment is that working environment where employers are not
permitted to enter into an individual contracts with workers because the union is the sole
bargaining agent for that group. So, as per the business point of view, this manages the business
but also have limitation during a collective agreement. Thus, by implementing effective HR
practices within a work will be beneficial for the business to provide unionized working
environment and increase the employee morale as well.
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Moreover, when both sides are not honest and forthright, then it leads to conflict among
workers and as a result, it creates negative impact upon employee performance as well. Thus,
lack of trust and honesty affect employee's overall well- being engagement and bottom line. On
contrary, lack of trust also removes accountability and if an organization is able to foster a
strong sense of trust, then it will leads to indefinite benefits such that increase productivity and
working effective in a team because it brings lots of ideas that foster performance level of
employees. Therefore, having a trust will leads to provide a sense of safety and also leads to
good environment and long term relationship as well. That is why, it is quite essential in
company to have a strong trust that leads a business towards positive direction. Otherwise,
problems can go unaddressed and this in turn affect the overall performance including financial
performance of a firm.
Journals 3: Consequences of strikes and lockouts
In Canada, after union trade, strikes were also held, but there is no specific reason
except, it was influences by general socio- economic and political climate. Actually, the reason
that Unions go on the strike and even employer also chooses to lock- out employees at the time
of collective bargaining process. Also, parties are also applied pressure in order to get the
contract or agreement settled (Strikes and Lockouts, 2009). Thus, when strikes and lock- outs are
happen, it creates direct impact upon the relationship of employees such that most of the
employers lose their money due to delayed services to client and this turn leads to lost
production time. Not only this, employees are also affected with the strikes such that they were
also lose their pay because they do not perform any work. Therefore, if strikers are dismissed
then it will lose their livelihood.
Yes, this action are more harmful because it affect the entire relationship between
employees and employers and also, creates negative impact upon business too. Such that
employment relationship between both parties could become strained and as a result, this will
also affect the teamwork and profitability too. So, it is clearly reflect that due to strikes and lock-
outs most of the business suffer production and financial losses and also losses the customer
confidence that creates negative impact upon overall brand image. Such that study shows that
employers are also inclined to use strikebreakers as their most efficient weapon. Also in 19th and
20th century some employees are also arranged for immigrant work force that come from
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overseas in order to fill the job of strikers, but this in turn also lead to violence. Even Canada
labor code and legislative explicitly also state that strikers should keep their employee status and
also give priority of rights to their workers as well.
Picketing and replacement workers are the two alternatives of lock- outs and strikes.
Such that picketing is implement when legal strike is in progress and its main purpose is to exert
pressure on the employer by persuading others. Usually, striking and locked-out employees are
only eligible to picket where they are perform their work because it is an integral and substantial
part of employer's operation which is further under control by employers only.
Moreover, another option is replacement workers, such that during a strike or locked-out,
employers may easily hire new employees so that it will help to finish these strikes. But there are
specific condition applied such that the replacement worker must have worked at that specific
location prior to the date , otherwise, notice to bargain will be delivered.
Thus, it is clearly reflected that when these type of measures are applied then it helps to
minimize the chances of strikes and lock-outs. As a result, it will creates positive impact upon
the overall business and also leads to improve the overall performance of a company as well as
employees.
Journals 4: Globalization
As per the Journal, globalization has impacted upon the organization in both positive and
negative manner. Study also reveals that exporting has significantly create positive effect on the
wage elasticity of a labor demand. Such that the study shows that globalization has contributed
to a shift of workers from sector with a low wage and poor non- wage working condition as
compared to higher wages and better non- wage working conditions. Further, globalization also
increase foreign investment and exports in such a way which increase the labor demand. This is
clearly reflected that globalization primarily be evident as an increase in imports but on the other
side, loss of pro-erection (Lichter, Peichl and Siegloch, 2017). Moreover, this will further forces
firm to attempt and also reduce cost by worsening the working condition. On the other side,
globalization also creates direct impact upon organization in positive manner such that it
increases diversity and need or implement small changes in order to adopt new policies as well
as guidelines for the workers. On contrary, it increases cost of company to provide employee
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diversity training session to the employees. So that it will further lead to greater appreciation of
other cultures and foster the overall working environment as well.
While, some author in the study also state that globalization is good for workers but
some of them also state that it may also harm workers by changing the labor demand as well as
new pattern of work organization. That is why, HR of top companies faces strong pressure in
order to manage as well as maintain to reduce labor cost in order to keep the price of products
low. It is further analyzed that most global trade and investment is between developed countries
and as a result, the effect of globalization is quite critical for governments because they are quite
concerned about employment, working condition and poverty reduction. This is reflected that
wages are the primary concern and affected directly by government because wages often make
of the majority of income for workers, but it is also affected by economy- wide average wage
and industry. These both characteristics are also affected by the globalization but at different
time-frame.
The two example that clearly reflected that globalization creates direct impact upon
employees such that job losses because of low wage paid by employers. On contrary,
globalization clearly contribute to increase integration of labor market and minimize the wage
gap between workers in advance and developing economies by using advance technologies.
Therefore, it creates important part in increasing domestic income inequality. Thus,
globalization also increases economic condition of a country and that is why, it affect the job
earnings as well such that raise overall efficiency that is productivity. Through this, company
also accept new changes and this in turn provide chances to workers to learn new. Therefore, it
leads to greater profit but somehow it leads to reduce the earning potential for employees.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Lichter, A., Peichl, A. and Siegloch, S., 2017. Exporting and labour demand: Micro‐level
evidence from Germany. Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne
d'économique.50(4). pp.1161-1189.
yron, K. and Landis, B., 2020. Relational misperceptions in the workplace: New frontiers and
challenges. Organization Science. 31(1). pp.223-242.
Strikes and Lockouts. 2009. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/strikes-and-lockouts>.
Working class history. 2008. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/working-class-history>.
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