Procedures to Deal with Disputes Joining a union Types of dispute Types of industrial action Resolving a dispute

…employer and employee rights and responsibilities, including procedures to deal with disputes and addressing industrial disputes and health and safety issues in relation to the organisation in question.

Craft Unions – supports skilled craftsmen, e.g. Musicians’ Union Industrial Unions – grew from traditional heavy industrial e.g. Union of Shop, Distribution Workers (USDAW) General Unions – usually semi-skilled and unskilled workers e.g. GMB White Collar Unions – people working in clerical jobs e.g. UNISON Types of Trade Union

Why Unions? To provide a valuable communication link between management and the workforce Individual employees do not need to negotiate A strong union may encourage management to take workers needs seriously

What is a dispute? Disciplinary disputes Grievance disputes Industrial disputes These can be collective or individual!

Overtime bans members refuse to work overtime Picketing Members stand outside the firm Strikes Members withdraw their labour Go-slow Carry out work slower than normal Work-to-rule Members follow their job description Sit-ins Members occupy buildings to publicise their protest Industrial Action

How do you resolve a dispute? Internally  Disciplinary procedure  Grievance procedure Externally  Employment tribunal  ACAS  European Court of Justice

Task: What would you advise? An able male employee, who has worked for a company for 12 years, has never been promoted, whereas several female colleagues with far less service have been. An employee has complained because he has been placed in the same section of the factory as his ex-wife.

What have you learnt… Employees can join a union to look their needs. Three main types of dispute: Disciplinary Grievance Industrial There are different types of industrial action There are internal and external ways to resolve a dispute