Trade Unions – Definition, Characteristics, Need, Nature and Purpose

The trade union is an association, either of employees or employers or of independent workers. It is a relatively permanent combination of workers and is not temporary or casual. It is an association of workers engaged in securing economic benefits for its members.

According to Section 2(b) of the Trade Unions Act of 1926, “a trade union is any combination of persons, whether temporary or permanent, primarily for the purpose of regulating the relations between workers and employers, or between workers and workers and for imposing restrictive conditions on the conduct on the conduct of any trade or business, and includes the federation of two or more trade unions.”

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Definition and Concept of Industrial Relations

An Introduction to Industrial Relations

Industrial relations constitute one of the most delicate and complex problems of the modern industrial society. This phenomenon of a new complex industrial set-up is directly attributable to the emergence of ‘Industrial Revolution”. The pre-industrial revolution period was characterized by a simple process of manufacture, small scale investment, local markets and small number of persons employed. All this led to close proximity between the manager and the managed. Due to personal and direct relationship between the employer and the employee it was easier to secure cooperation of the latter. Any grievance or misunderstanding on the part of either party could be promptly removed.  … Read the rest

The Cultural Context of Business Negotiations

Considering the potential problems in cross-cultural business negotiations, particularly when you mix managers from relationship-oriented cultures with those form information oriented ones, it is a wonder that any international business gets done at all obviously, and the economic imperatives of global trade make much of if happen despite the potential pitfalls. But an appreciation of cultural differences can lead to even better international commercial transaction-it is not just business deals but highly profitable relationships that are the real goal of international business negotiation. For the efficient and effective international business negotiations few steps are important. Which includes:

  1. Selection of the appropriate negotiation team.
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Requirements of a Successful Industrial Relations Programme

Today’s professional industrial relations director, or by whatever title he is designated, no longer views his job as personalizing management, or that of a social worker in a factory, or a union buster, he looks upon his department as an adjunct to management supervision at all levels; he keeps other executives informed about new discoveries, programme trends and needs. At the same time, he provides efficient service in the operation of several centralized services.

A successful industrial relations programme reflects the personnel viewpoint, which is influenced by three main considerations:

  • Individual thinking
  • Policy awareness and
  • Expected group reaction

Individualized thinking makes if imperative for the administrator to consider the entire situation in which the affected individual is placed.… Read the rest

Different Approaches to Industrial Relations

The industrial relations scenario has been perceived differently by different practitioners and theorists. Some have viewed it in terns of class conflict; some have viewed it in terms of mutuality of interest of different groups; some have viewed it as a consequence of interaction of various factors both within an organization and outside it. Based on these orientations, several approaches to industrial relations have been developed.

One researcher has stated industrial relations in his research report as, “An economist tries to interpret industrial conflict in terms of impersonal markets forces and laws of supply demand. To a politician, industrial conflict is a war of different ideologies — perhaps a class-war.

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Determining Factors of Industrial Relations

The relationship between Employer and employee or trade unions is called Industrial Relation. Harmonious relationship is necessary for both employers and employees to safeguard the interests of the both the parties of the production. In order to maintain good relationship with the employees, the main functions of every organization should avoid any dispute with them or settle it as early as possible so as to ensure industrial peace and higher productivity.

Good industrial relation programmes depend on a great variety of factors. Some of the more obvious factors of industrial relations are listed below:

  1. History of industrial relations — No enterprise can escape its good and bad history of industrial relations.
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