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Summary Industrial Relations 781 Student Summaries (Cum Laude)
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INDUSTRIALRELATIONS
781
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,PURPOSE OF THIS COURSE:
• To provide a framework of concepts and knowledge for understanding and analysing approaches to
employment relations as well as the roles of the major participants.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
On completion of this course you should be able to demonstrate the following generic and subject speci c
competencies:
Generic
• The ability to contextualise, synthesise and argue in a logical, objective and reasoned fashion
• The ability to "see the big picture" and not just the detail of a narrow, speci c problem
• The ability to question assumptions and points of departure
• The ability to use skills for handling aspects of industrial relations
Subject speci c outcomes
• To understand the nature of the collective employment relationship, the parties involved and their interactions,
as well as the environmental factors in uencing the relationship
• To understand the different frames of reference in industrial relations and identify your own frame of reference
• To understand the composition of the South African industrial relations system and its re ection of the
sociopolitical system
• To understand the theoretical basis of trade unions and to be able to evaluate their current and future roles
• To understand the role of employers in industrial relations by identifying the key ingredients for the effective
management of industrial relations
• To understand the role of the state in industrial relations as well as the challenges facing government
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS (ONE DEFINITION):
• Industrial relations is concerned with all aspects of the employment relationship.
• It refers to a complex system of individual and collective (group) actions.
• It refers to formal and information relationships that exist between the various parties to the relationship, i.e. the
state, employers, employees and other related institutions ((Nel, PS (ed). South African Industrial Relations:
Theory and Practice, 1997, p.4)).
- "Industrial relations refers to a complex system of individual and collective actions as well as formal and
informal relationships existing between the state, employers, employees and related institutions, concerning all
aspects of the employment relationship." (Nel, PS (ed). South African Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice,
1997, p.4).
• The above de nition introduces the over-arching purpose of this course, i.e. to provide a framework of concepts
and knowledge for understanding and analysing approaches to the subject as well as the roles of the major
participants.
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, THEME 1: INTRODUCTION TO LABOUR RELATIONS
CHAPTER 1
Resources:
• Bendix, Chapter 1
Theme outcome:
By the end of this theme, you should be able to:
• understand the characteristics of the employment relationship
• understand the concept of a tripartite relationship by describing the parties to the relationship as well as their
interactions
• be aware of and understand how various environmental factors impact on the employment relationship
DEFINITION OF LABOUR RELATIONS
• Employer + Employee = Workplace
• Mutual relationship Context is the workplace Can happen at many levels, regulated by the State
CONTEXTUALISING EMPLOYMENT (INDUSTRIAL) RELATIONS
• Notion of justice
• Historical industrial developments
• Actors, context, ideologies bound by rules
EMPHASIS ON THE RELATIONSHIP
• The relationship which is the focus of this text has been variously referred to as industrial relations, labour
relations and employment relations.
• Labour or work relationships have existed since the rst individual approached another to perform a task against
the promise of payment.
• However, the employment relationship as a speci c area of study is comparatively new.
• It had its origins in the Industrial Revolution and in subsequent attempts to regulate the interactions between the
new breed of employer and employee which evolved in industrialised society.
• This new work relationship was based on mass employment and mass production, and was marked by a growing
division between those who owned and those who laboured.
• The result was a greater potential for con ict. Because workers were overall poorly treated, trade unions were
formed to represent their interests and to counter the power of employers. In order to contain the con ict,
bargaining processes were instituted and, eventually, governments began to pass laws to regulate the
relationship.
• Thus, the eld then known as Industrial Relations was born.
• Institutionalisation of con ict by way of collective representation, collective bargaining, joint regulation and laws
intended to regulate the relationship.
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
• Referred to as industrial relations, labour relations and employment relations.
• Labour or work relationships have existed since the rst individual approached another to perform a task against
the promise of payment.
• Employment relationship is one in which one or more persons are employed by a private owner or work provider,
by a large corporation, or in the public service.
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, • Historically, the employment relationship was marked by certain negative attitudes, a great degree of
depersonalisation and feelings of powerlessness among employees. These feelings arose mainly from the type of
work as well as traditional attitudes to work and the work situation which evolved from the Industrial Revolution.
• In the basis of this analysis, labour/employment relations as a discipline may be described as encompassing a
study of:
➡ relationships
➡ the work situation and working man
➡ the problems and issues of modern industrial and post-industrial society
➡ certain processes, structures, institutions and regulations unique to this relationship.
UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT
• Employment relations = comparatively new and origins in the Industrial Revolution.
• Focus: to regulate the interactions between the new breed of employer and employee which evolved in
industrialised society.
• Relationship was based on mass employment and mass production, and was marked by a growing division
between those who owned and those who laboured = potential for con ict — workers were treated poorly.
Hence, trade unions were formed to represent their interest and counter employer power.
• Collective bargaining: to contain the con ict.
• Government: pass laws to regulate the relationship.
• Thus: Industrial Relations was formed [Industrial Relations as a concept placed emphasis on the
institutionalisation of con ict by way of collective representation, collective bargaining, joint regulation and laws
intended to regulate the relationship].
INDUSTRIALISED SOCIETY
- 1 person approached another for work in return for some form of compensation
- Various industrial revolutions
- Evolution of work
- Need to regulate the interaction
- Industrialised society
• Mass labour
• Mass production
• Propensity for con ict
• Division between owners and suppliers (doers)
UNDERSTANDING INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
- Deals with relationships in the work situation (individual and collective)
- Increasing con ict, need for power and justice, processes and laws to regulate the relationship
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