History Of Unions And Their Relevance In Todays Society Essays

History of Unions and Their Relevance in Today's Society $115 Designer Cosmetic Collection From Cosmetique -- Only $1! History of Unions and Their Relevance in Today's Society Following the lead of Britain from where many of the original settlers came, workers in various occupations banded together to form unions. Ship writers, boat builders, tailors, bakers and carpenters were among the first craft unions form in Australia before 1848. By forming an association workers could obtain better wages and working conditions. However the employers wanted the highest profit margins so wished to keep wages low and spend little money on the working environment. The law of supply and demand in the labour market often determined which group was dominant. A third factor in the balance in Australia was the government. A successful strike by newspaper workers in 1829 for better wages and conditions resulted in the Masters and Servants Act being implemented which discriminated against the workers, who could be gaoled for minor revolts. Early in the colony, skilled labours were in short supply but in the 1840's after active promotion of emigrants by Britain this improved and a depression forced wages down and jobs were lost. With the discovery of gold, prices and wages rose, labour was scare and licenses imposed on miners and the Eureka incident occurred. Bust and boom economic conditions paroled surges recessions for unionism over the next few decades. The industrial union formed in the 1880's as a grouping of workers within an industry and across colonial and the Shearer's Union and small bush workers unions became the Australian Workers Union. Unions then looked to represent workers in Governments and the 1890's major strikes were held and the Labour Party was formed. With coming of Federation compulsory arbitration - settling of disputes between employer and employee by a third party - encouraged unionism, with unions representing the workers. The labour market and demand for goods has been influenced by world wars, depressions and recessions. In the 1980's 'national reconciliation' initiated by the Government, aimed at resolving some of the conflict between workers and employers. Strong leaders among workers of various occupations over the last two centuries, have been gaoled, sometimes killed, starved, abused, seen their families suffer for better working conditions. At the beginning of the industrial revolution, employers knew their workers and felt responsible for them. After the industrial revolution gained momentum they employed more people and lost empathy for their staff. Working conditions were 12 - 14 hours, without breaks, child labour was employed, accidents were rife and wages were low. Overcrowding in unsanitary conditions resulted in epidemics of disease. Workers were not allowed to vote and the employers were represented in Parliament. Unions mobilize the full industrial strength of workers and as history has shown conditions of workers have greatly improved due to unionism. Unions have earned workers minimal wages forty hour working week, an eight hour day, annual leave, long service leave, accident and illness benefits, and workers compensation. Voting rights have assisted better legislation to protect workers which decrease the relevance of unions in today's society. Compulsory unionism has a contention issue as has non secret voting or ballots. Compulsory unionism has been negated to some degree but after employment clauses state that preference will be given to union members. In today's workplace the same worker may be eligible to belong to various unions. Sometimes these unions are in conflict and may vie with each other for members. Some workers feel the benefits do not justify the cost of union membership. Harassment of no union workers can be intimidating even violent, as in the example in Canberra a few years ago when union members trashed property. Pickets to prevent no union workers from fulfilling contracts has been a part of strikes. The use of 'scab' labour has caused violence in strikes and the conflict has disrupted companies and industries. State and Federal governments have been involved in labour reforms and during the last few decades industrial unrest has been lessened as the arbitration and negotiation machinery had become more sophisticated. Fines imposed on unions and more accountability for unrest and strikes on union leadership has tended to moderate demands made by workers. Workplace reform has improved safety conditions for workers and accountability of directors and employers. As the change from external inspectors to 'duty of care' of employers and co-workers increase the role of the unions in improving working conditions tend to decrease. In the 1990's enterprise bargaining is part of the Workplace Reform process. In the past unions were the bodies which were involved in negotiating conditions for workers. Today although the unions have fought to keep that role, many employees are

Essay on Differences Across Countries the CAGE Distance Framework

Essay on Differences Across Countries the CAGE Distance Framework Essay on Differences Across Countries: the CAGE Distance Framework Essay on Differences Across Countries: the CAGE Distance FrameworkQ1. From the perspective of the CAGE framework, which country is closer to the U.S., China or India?The CAGE framework helps to assess the distance between business environments in different countries. In this framework, the following types of distance are taken into account: cultural distance, administrative distance, geographic distance and economic distance (Ghemavat, 2007). All of these distances should be considered when investing into different countries.In the case of China and India, both countries have aspects in which they are closer to the U.S. and aspects in which they are significantly different from the U.S. It is possible to state that China is more attractive than India for U.S. investors and businessmen on economic and geographic grounds, but India is more attractive on administrative and cultural grounds (Ghemavat, 2007).Therefore, the difference between China/India and the U.S. is determined not only by the types of distances and factors influencing them but also by the priority of distance. The answer to the question which country is closer to the U.S. depends on the nature of the industry and the specifics of the industry. For industries in which geographic and economic grounds are most important (e.g. manufacturing or distribution of perishable products) China is closed to the U.S. compared to India (i.e. is more attractive for investment). However, for industries with high administrative or cultural sensitivity such as outsourcing software development and customer support services India is closer to the U.S. compared to China.Q2. What (other) uses might the CAGE framework be put to?Besides assessing investment opportunities and industry attractiveness, CAGE framework can also be applied for other business purposes. It is possible to use this framework to resolve operating conflicts between different parts of MNCs located in different areas. Furthermore, CAGE can be used to evaluate the liability of foreigners and the position of foreigners in the business sphere of a chosen country (Gandelini, Pezzi Venanzi, 2013).It is efficient to apply CAGE to comparing international expansion opportunities and markets. CAGE can serve as the basis for comparing foreign competitors of the chosen industry (Ghemavat, 2007). This framework can provide information for choosing the mode of international expansion into a particular country (Gandelini, Pezzi Venanzi, 2013) and for introducing adjustments for distances between countries.

Reflective Paper (BUS 303) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reflective Paper (BUS 303) - Essay Example The work of HRM is therefore, to oversee that employees have the resources and determination to work towards the organizational goals. HRM deals with a wide range of interrelated activities but they are all geared towards creating performance through people. It is important to understand how the various aspects of HRM work together to assist employees in achieving organizational goals, clarify new areas of human resource, and understand future implications of HRM in a specific company (Randhawa, 2007). In the continually changing area of business, through competition, product changes and increased globalization, it is necessary for organizations to realize ways to achieve a competitive edge. According to (Melkonyan, 2013), the human resource (HR) of an organization is crucial in assisting employees grow and develop their skills. Employees are the most important aspect of a business with the potential to enable a business achieve, competitive edge over the others. The HRM is necessary in ensuring that Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) laws are followed to eliminate discrimination in employment. The HR within the organization has the mandate to ensure that jobs are advertised with required job description and expectations so that people apply for the position. HRM then influences organizational performance by ensuring that qualified, skilled, educated and talented staff members join the company. When employees with the necessary skills are recruited it is evident that the organization gets to enhance its performance in a bid to accomplish the organizational goals and objectives. For instance, Lufthansa Company has a vigorous employee selection process that involves sending a resume, taking an online test, a telephone interview, and then an oral interview. The candidate also has to undergo analytical thinking, vocabulary, arithmetic, and behavior specific tests depending on job position. In this regard, a thorough selection process ensures that an all-round can didate is chosen for the job (Randhawa, 2007). Human Resource Development (HRD) is another important aspect of HRM functions to nurture employees in their various areas of work. This is a strategy that involves offering employees’ enhanced training and development programs that enhance their level of work. The whole idea is to invest in training and workforce growth to generate beneficial results. For instance, the field of technology is constantly changing and therefore, employee need to be brought up to date with current technological advancements as a way of giving the organization a competitive edge. HRD is a concept that ensures employees get opportunities in areas of training, mentorship, career growth, performance management, succession preparation, coaching, and overall organization development (Youssef, 2012). The HRM also encourages employees’ performance through effective compensation and rewards programs. For instance, when there are changes to pay and prom otion in the workplace, employees are motivated to enhance their responsibilities to be considered for such incentives. It is important for incentives and compensation to be offered equally and with fairness because discrimination can easily reduce employee morale. The other important aspect of HRM is recognizing efforts among employees and rewarding them for their work. Employees not only require good salary and rewards,