A Comparative Analysis of Employee Relations in the UK and Singapore

This essay provides a comparative analysis of employee relations in the United Kingdom and Singapore, examining their distinct approaches and the arguments for and against each. It begins by outlining the UK's employee relations landscape, emphasizing the role of legislation, the decline of union influence, and the impact of real wage inflexibility. The essay then shifts to Singapore, highlighting its corporatist culture, the strong tripartite relationship between the government, workforce, and unions, and the importance of psychological contracts. The analysis contrasts the two countries, focusing on collective bargaining, government support for employees, and the limitations on trade unions in Singapore. The essay concludes by summarizing the key differences and similarities, offering a comprehensive overview of the two distinct employee relations systems.

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An analysis of employee relations in UK and Singapore
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UK
The law in the UK with regards to employee relations mandates employers not to
discriminate but tackle inequalities exception that is considered reasonable adjustment provision
in legislation regarding the disabled (Bryson, 2011). The compliance with regards to such laws
requires employers to respond in a passive manner that is on request or when challenged.
Employers may be required to take proactive steps that may have an impact that may be
individualized or have collective ramifications (Markey, 2018). The mediating elements that are
the individualized, passive and the private law framework of UK legislation commands robust
mediators to act effectively. In this context, unions are the primary body that can assume this
role; however, their influence has declined dramatically in the UK.
The UK has never depended on employment regulation for social protection (Hardgrove
et al, 2015). Its simplicity and regulations considered to be even assisted in delivering one of
highest turnover rates in the region and this allow both employers and employees to enter into
negotiations with regards to more diverse kind of types and patterns of work on either weekly or
annual basis (Blyton & Turnbull, 2004).Despite exhibiting a competitive and less collectivist
labor market, the UK is still under real wage inflexibility as this is seen in both real and nominal
earnings that go up always. Currently, the growth of nominal wage seems to be more impacted
by demand and less by inflation compared to the past. The real earnings here which constitute
the price of labor do not change in response to variations in the unemployment rate, and there are
only a few occasions when actual earnings fall.
Lord Leitch led a recent review of skills and education in the UK, a government-initiated
review that focused on the necessity of developing the idea of citizenship and social inclusion by
having more individuals being brought on board with regards to the employment relationship.

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This will be perceived as the ideal type of welfare that will situate that individuals remain in the
labor market to benefit from skill acquisition and attain broader social outcomes (Harvey and
Beaverstock, 2016). This reveals the views that were conveyed by the pioneers of employee
relations in Britain for more than a century where they asserted that the focus has to change from
perceiving workers as a product to be traded in the market to employees as human beings that
have the ability to grow, progress and contribute to the building of the nation.
The decline witnessed in many countries such as the UK in unionization rates has led to
the falling of bargaining coverage simultaneously. Though the collective agreements continue
being the foundation of employee relations, other types of representing labor and voice have
been nurtured (Lansbury, 2009). The European Union, for instance, has been leading the creation
of new organizations, for example, the European Works Councils to create a platform for
workers’ participation in the decision-making process. The EU where the UK is still a member
has established statutory structures to facilitate information and consultation between workers
and their employers (Lansbury, 2009). In a country such as the UK where unions have robust
representation at organizational level and experience with works councils, the unions have been
better positioned to tap on the opportunities provided by EWC.
It is surprising that seven out of ten of the workforces in the UK fail to belong to a trade
union. However, in some departments, some non-members considered to be free riders because
they are non-members but get covered by union-negotiated terms and conditions (Bryson, 2011).
In the private sector, however, recognition of trade union remains a rare phenomenon. However,
in some of these organizations, many employees get paid poorly, encounter health and safety
hazards coupled with unjust and arbitrary disciplinary measures. This means that in such areas
there is a need for collective representation that is adequate as it seems to be a needful matter at

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the moment. The analysis of settings of non-union demonstrates that the determinant with
regards to remuneration, terms and the focus of labour at work are not individually attained
through collective bargaining (Lansbury, 2009). A characteristic of employee relations in many
companies that are non-unionized for instance is their highly personalized trait. In one of the
studies conducted concerning British Airways, it demonstrated that the monitoring labour could
equally be achieved via campaigns launched for customer care which is a long shot from the
famous image of two sides battling each other in one negotiating table leading to locking of the
primary gate.
Singapore
Before the ascension of People’s Action Party to power, Singapore was known as an
underdeveloped mosquito-infested economy. It was not endowed with natural resources apart
from its natural harbor and strategic position it acquired. It is for such reasons that Singapore
depended heavily on her workforce and resources to create economic prosperity and wealth
(Chwee-Huat, 1996). Thus, it was imperative to have employment relations regulated efficiently
and effectively. As of today, Singapore has become one of the enviable four Asia tigers with a
reputation worth admiring with regards to the economies of the East and seems to be leading the
pack (Yoon, 2009). Research reveals that due to having collective bargaining and procedures for
dispute settlement standardized there is small room for speculation.
The ongoing success witnessed in Singapore and streamlining of the country’s employee
relations is based on the corporative culture strengthened by the human capital. However other
prominent people have been instrumental to Singapore’s ongoing success with regards to
employee relations such as the former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew helped in formulating some
of the policies and regulations. The robust tripartite nexus between the government,workforce

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and labour unions in unison orchestrate significant measures of the actor’s behavior in
Singapore’s employee relations system. The long-standing move by Prime minister’s Lee father
and his government structure to intervene in balancing power between employers and employees
is still imminent in Singapore.
Singapore being a predominantly Asian society is primarily embedded in contemporary
value systems and culture, respect is prioritized in no small context in the daily lives of
individuals. Psychological contracts are signed and made between an employer and employees to
back up the conventional systems of value (Chwee-Huat, 1996). Owing to the fact that breaching
of the psychological contracts is unavoidable due to the changes with regards to the
contemporary business atmosphere, it is essential for organizations to remain competitive and
updated. Such external circumstances do not permit organizations and their partners to keep their
word which compels them to breach the psychological contract to comply with the organizations'
practices and terms. This has led to a contract violation, mistrust by workers and changes in the
psychological contract employees have with their organizations.
The ongoing conflict of interest between the contemporary capitalist values and
conventional systems of value remains to be a perennial matter in the labour relations (Cranston,
2016). Supervisors, on the other hand, keep using the concept of psychological contracts to
employees which acts as boosting morale and as a managerial tool. The fact that Singaporeans
have been termed as competent and conscientious on their jobs as demonstrated by the constant
top rankings attached to Singaporean employees by the Labour Force Evaluation Measure.
Employees understand that they pay allegiance to their organizations pushing them to do
whatever it takes to be successful. This transcends the limits of the psychological contract
beyond the optimal level.

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In changing the terms of the psychological contract in such circumstances, the
accommodation approach has been found to generate desired results with regards to achieving
negotiations (Abdullah, 2017). It is the appropriate decision by management as it entails
restructuring the terms and conditions within the framework of the old contract. As such, it
makes employees feel receptive since the original contract is still embedded in the new contract
to a certain level (Ruokolanein et al, 2018). Changes are being instituted with regards to
employee relations in Singapore such changes are due to the push by the government for
structural changes in Singapore’s economy. The government has gone further to urge employees
to change their mindset regarding employment contracts and relations as of late (Abdullah,
2017). The shortage of talents and influx of organizations establishing their operations in
Singapore have made employees aware of the moment that the objective of power alignment in
the employment relationship is being inclined to their favor.
Singapore’s trade union scenario is synonymous to that of China and Vietnam though
varying based on historical background and structure (UK Essays, 2016). The reigning People’s
Action Party has played a significant role in nurturing the party’s long-term relationship with the
(NTUC) National Trade Union Congress. There has been a constant sharing of staff between the
People’s Action Party and the NTUC, and this has been strategic in aligning the policy concerns
of both the ruling party and the NTUC (Selvaraj, 2015). This situation enables employees in
Singapore to have a say in all kinds of decision-making, mainly via the various tripartite policy
decision making entities that are strange in other Asian economies (Liu and Smith, 2016).
However, the influence of trade unions at the workplace is inhibited due to factors such as
administrative restrictions on the ability of trade unions to engage in industrial action and also to

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the legal impediments on the bargaining agenda which barres issues such as transfer of
employees, promotions, and layoffs.
Comparison and contrast between UK and Singapore employee relations
Both the UK and Singapore are accustomed to the concept of collective bargaining with
the collective bargaining being more resilient in UK business sectors that have witnessed
consistent high profits (Bryson, 2011). However, for those sectors that witnessed consistently,
low-profit margins saw the decline of collective bargaining about the average. However, for
Singapore, the issue of collective bargaining seems to be more effective than in the UK and
remains valid for a maximum of three years and is filed to the Industrial Arbitration Court
(Ministry of Manpower, 2017).The government of Singapore backs employees regarding getting
better conditions with regards to their welfare and pay. For instance, the government went further
to urge people to change their mindset regarding psychological contracts and with the influx of
business enterprises coupled with the shortage of talents has made employees understand that the
government is in their favor. The UK government also shares some similarities to that of
Singapore in backing its employees. For instance, the UK government went further to enact some
legislation to protect the disabled from being discriminated with regards to employment
opportunities. Governments from both countries are committed to having their employees from
being exploited in their places of work, and this comes with improving their work conditions
through being provided the right equipment and attire in their workplaces.
One significant difference between the UK and Singapore is the fact that Singapore’s
trade unions are limited due to issues such as administrative restrictions that hinder trade unions
from engaging in industrial action (Yoon, 2009). The legal limits in Singapore with regards to
the bargaining agenda prohibit the transfer of employees and layoffs issues from being handled

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by trade unions. This is contrary to what is practiced and done in the UK as trade unions have
exclusive rights and powers which means they act as independent bodies that are not limited.
This enables such trade unions to protect employees fully defending their members facilitating
peaceful demonstrations and strikes when deemed necessary particularly where there is an
infringement on the part of employees.
Conclusion
Based on the above evidence it is clear that employee relations in both the UK and
Singapore share some similarities such as the concept of bargaining power and the role of
government in protecting employees from being exploited. The government of Singapore, for
instance, urges its people not to fear or refrain from entering into psychological contracts as it
will ensure fairness and justice in the matter. The UK government, on the other hand, has entered
several legislations such as that one protecting the disabled from being exploited in places of
work this is to ensure fairness and equity in the issue of employment. However, it is unfortunate
that the very institutions such as the labour unions are limited from exercising their power and
mandate in Singapore which means that employees are not adequately protected in some areas
despite having government support. It is thus essential to conclude that despite the inflexibility in
the wage prices in the UK, the employees here enjoy plenty of benefits due to labour regulations
and conditions which is entirely different from the Singapore labour market.

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