Influence of Mass Strike on Employment and Social Relationship - Research Paper Example

Influence of Mass Strike on Employment and Social Relationship Introduction Strike is associated with a political struggle of employees to push the private and public sector to act. The employers and workers desire to win in their battle; the former wants to attain profit while the latter likes to defend its rights. The antecedent of strike is usually the employee’s dissatisfaction with the treatment of the management against them. Robertson (2007, p.781) affirms that a strike is a method of workers “to influence who gets what of everyday politics, from wages and salaries to public expenditures and taxation.” Strikes emerge in the industrial revolution that practices injustice to human beings such as sweatshop labor and discrimination. In retrospect, human rights were not exercised in the legal aspect due to inadequate laws that would defend the employee’s rights. However, with the courage of individuals to meet equality and justice, they resort to labor actions that shake the credibility of the management. The main thrust of this paper is to discuss the influence of labor or strike action to shaping of the employment relationship. It seeks to examine the transformation of the role that is argued by Brecher: the role of management and Unions in managing conflict. It will also use the case of pay equality that was the subject of the film entitled Made in Dagenham. Strike and Employment Relationship Strike is the strategy of workers when the management refuses to hear their request regarding on the employees’ working conditions. The relation of employers and employee defines the employment relationship. Thus, it needs careful management of the employees to avoid stain in the relationship. Industrial Relation (IR) has been the term used in Britain and North America that emphasises people management. Similar with HRM, IR believes that humans are the most precious asset; however, the capitalist notion of management leads to internal conflict. Edwards (2003, pp.4+) posits that main component of IR is collective bargaining. Collective bargaining is the process of negotiation between the employer and group of employees that forms the trade union. They tackle the terms and conditions that comprise the employment relationship such as the market relations and managerial relations. The management will make an employment contract that is subject to the agreement of workers. It includes the market relations like wages, working hours, holidays, benefits, or pensions. On the one hand, managerial relations decide on the price “set for a number of hours of work …, how much work is performed in that time, at what specific task,” the person in-charge of defining and altering the task, and the sanctions involved when employees failed to perform their purpose. Thus, the bargaining agreement achieves equilibrium of power in the employer-employee relationship due to the justice it imposed on the employment contract. Moreover, the employees agreed on the terms and conditions in relation to the price of labour, and the standardised schema of IR in designing its rules and procedures. However, in the case of the film Made in Dagenham, the management was very critical on the salary rendered to working women due to their chauvinistic perception that men are supposed to find for a living. Until today, the pay inequality is practiced despite the massive increase of feminist view and legislation to protect women (Gordon, 2002). In an attempt to discuss the influence of strike, the roles of management, union, and workers are examined. Workers’ Role and Transformation Brecher (1997, p.279) asserts that workers use unions as a channel for “coordinating their activity and confronting management and government.” The transformation of roles is evident because the workers take charge of controlling their own action in the pursuit of fighting for their rights. The workers decide to refuse in rendering their service to the company, which stopped the production of Ford Motor Company in Dagenham. The female machinist wants to increase their salary equally with men and to improve their working condition. The inequality is visible because men work in a state-of -the-art facility while women are sewing in a dilapidated area with no ventilator. The workers informed the union to include in the meeting agenda of their working condition but failed to produce an outcome. The woman named Rita pushes the management to act immediately due to the hazardous environment that threatened their lives. The claim of Brecher that workers undergo self-management as a sign of role transformation was exemplified by Rita. The main character rejects the employers’ control by making decisions to shape the direction of their lives. This is construed by the statement of Langford (1994, p.111) that one of the changes in the workers’ consciousness is “they experience individual empowerment.” It means that the workers have increased the level of their self confidence and aggressiveness. The workers incorporate direct action, which has a power to change the norms of society. Larson and Nissen (1987, p.26) have noted that a strike is “an educational experience that inspires workers with a sense of power and helps develop the tactics and strategy for future campaigns.” Similar with Langford (1994, p.111) assertion, the workers have developed a working class consciousness. They are not influenced by their own interest, but the workers cater to the whole workforce that is affected by the injustices. Therefore, the workers are not bounded by their own will, but they are fighting for the common cause. Furthermore, they have achieved solidarity because of the frame of reference that connects an individual to other people. This term refers to generalized class consciousness. The workers are struggling to fight for their rights, since they have knowledge on the attributes of a capitalist society. In their struggle, the workers are aware of the state intervention, so they educate themselves of the laws. In addition, the workers are aware that unity is the key answer for “working class advancement” (Langford, 1994, p.112). The role of workers has transformed from an ordinary machinist to a social worker that is willing to give up the security that once they had. The workers are willing to equip themselves with information to be socially conscious. Union’s Role The purpose of organizing a trade union is to intercede between the workers and capitalist interest (Jentsch, 1985, p.4). They are referred as an organisation that mediates in behalf of the two contradicting forces to achieve a resolution. Roth (2010, p.3) defines trade unions as the workers’ embodiment. They are responsible for improving the working condition and the salary or wages of employees. The unions are committed to changing the society by lobbying the laws and policies to the government with the purpose of favoring the working individuals. However, the film projects otherwise. The Union failed to lobby the cause of women; instead, the leader agreed that women must be classified as unskilled workers. Rita was influenced by the sympathetic union representative that influenced her to fight for what is right. Rita demanded that they should be graded as skilled workers because women can sew a car seat cover without a guide. Moreover, the film projects that men are threatened by the power of women. That’s why the union leader accepted the deal and failed to pursue the negotiation. They are covered with their own interest, similar with the capitalist management. This is supported by Larson and Nissen (1987, p.118) that, for a short period of time, the union leader abandons the request of the workers to avoid obstruction amidst the rank and file. The union organises a bureaucratic system that has diverse intention that is far from what the leaders project. However, Brecher (1997) reasoned out that this strategy aims to offset the counteraction of the government and the management. Indeed, the sole right of bargaining power belongs to the unionism. In the case of Rita, the cause that the workers are fighting for formed the National Joint Action Campaign for Women’s Equal Rights. The support they gained from the women workforce strengthened the voices of Ford machinist. The reason behind the women organisation is the insubordination of union. They support the women because they have no other choice, but they are grounded by their belief that it is inappropriate for women to be paid equally with men due to their biological function. Forrest (1993, p. 411) posits that men organise union that caters only to men as what the industrial relations theory suggest. The women’s needs are excluded from the needs of men. Therefore, the men work out with the management provided that the cause of battle is for the benefit of male workers. Management’s Role Employers are the bargaining partner of the union (Friedman, 1998). The union must establish their credibility to gain the respect of employers, which is translated into allowing the workers to negotiate. However, managing strike action is a dilemma of most companies due to the threat it imposed to their authority. The management tries to negotiate with the union leaders pertaining to the issues of workers. The employers bargain with the union leaders until they reach an agreement. If the management failed to address the issue immediately, strike is the last resort of workers that calls for state intervention. The management chooses between concession and repression. According to Edwards (2003, p.43), companies are unwilling to concede with the demands of the labor union “to neutralise the workplace form trade union activity.” The management is challenged by the rebellious act of employees. They only agreed to discuss the terms and conditions due to the multi-employer collective bargaining. Sometimes, they use repression as a method to stop the strike action of workers. They mandate police forces to supervise and monitor the militants. The police will harass the militants to stop the picketing of workers or to break their purpose. In addition, the film portrays the strategy of Ford’s management in dealing with women pay equality. The union leader tries to sell them out by accepting the bargain of the employer, but Rita assertively declared that a strike will happen if the management fails to grant the worker’s demand. The management refused to accept the request of female workers because employers’ authority to manage was questioned. Moreover, the management was afraid that male workers will react aggressively. Tolliday and Zeitlin (1991) state that the Ford Motor Company does not want to break through their ‘managerial prerogative,’ plus the salary structure will be altered when the women will be given a hundred percent of wages. As the labor activity is on-going, the employer intimidates other workers and male supporters. This scenario suggests that the Ford company uses repression to coerce workers to submit. Furthermore, the company also prolongs the negotiation period so that workers will have no means of earning. The management believes that the female advocates will yield because they cannot feed their family. However, Rita and other female workers continue in their political struggle. Due to the profit loss of Ford, the employer begs for the return of female workers. In effect, the management decided to grant 92 % of salary increase, but not the job evaluation system as skilled workers. Eventually, the female workers were graded C when they organised another strike in 1984. Thus, the management has the right to reject or accept the petition of workers. Impact of Strike Social Relations Although a group is formed to fight for a common cause, in the long run, the tension will rise due to financial problem. In a survey conducted by Gennard (1981), the expenses are taken from borrowing of money from other people and using the husband’s income to finance the activity. Thus, when the concession of a company takes longer, the family experiences household deficit. Money is the means of strikers’ survival. Without finances, the will to fight gradually vanishes. As a result, the family relationship is affected. Made in Dagenham illustrated that family relationship is stained because of Rita’s failure to do her duty as a wife. Even though the activist group was funded by other unions, financial problem affects the household. There was a scene that they could not afford to pay for their household needs. This represents that the strike action has the ability to divide the class when it comes to the gender issues. Rita was confronted by Eddie because the management mandated the male workers to do the female’s job, but without pay. Furthermore, Coon (1999, p.33) claims that workers “become bored and depressed” when financial burdens arise. Likewise, Rita was blamed by her co-workers and neighbors because of the hardship they face. This is the common trend when someone wants to change the system; others will support the activist’s cause while other people experience harassment. Coon (1999, p.36) further explains that “people lose their ambition, morals, and wealth when they are unable to work.” Financial pressures to workers will be advantageous to the management. The strikers will be convinced that there is no other way to push the employer in rendering them a better working condition; hence, it will result to yielding on the authority of management by returning for work. Therefore, the management knows that when financial pressure is applied, the battle will easily end. Social Institution The feminist view suggests that the solidarity of women workforce can put down a giant company. The women remain in their fight despite the threat of family relationship and social relationship. Through the constant pressure to the management of Ford, the company decided to summon for government intervention because the company was alarmed that the production of cars had stopped. The state tried to persuade workers to accept the bargain of the company, but the women have strong principles. It results to the legislation passed that prohibits the pay inequality for women. Rowbottom (2007, p.542) predicates the transition of “employment regulation” from collective bargaining of workers to “legal enactment.” The government passed the Equal Pay Act (1975) that forbids for the gender discrimination in the corporate practices. It also covers the “pay, allowances, holidays, benefits, and hours of work for employees” (Watts, 2007, p.81). This legislation freed the women from the boundary that is implemented by the patriarchal society. It also allows women to be independent of work and family duties. Thus, the law is an indication that there is a room for women’s advancement. The market condition was altered because of the women empowerment caused by the female machinist strike in Ford Dagenham. Furthermore, the women’s skills are recognised by the companies because of the job evaluation that carefully assess the capabilities of female workers. It will be graded from A to E that matches the worker’s salary. The management of Ford also altered by redesigning its employee management and labor relations (McKinlay & Starkey, 1994). The company has acknowledged that the secret to achieve competitive advantage is the organisation’s sources including the human capital. Conclusion Strike is similar with the Marxist principle that the workers’ political struggle aims to attain job security. The union representative bargains for the benefits of workers and the management negotiates to protect its capitalist view. The strike that happened in Ford Dagenham impacts the society’s view on women. It leads to the Equal Pay Act (1975) that encloses the women’s right and the opportunity for career advancement. References Brecher, J., 1997. Strike. USA: South End Press. Coon, K.H., 1999. The ripple effect of union strikes: a case study of the micro- and macroeconomics effects of the General Motors Strike of 1998. The Park Place Economist, 7, pp.33-39. Edwards, P.K., 2003. Industrial relations: theory and practice in Britain. Germany: Blackwell Publishing. Forrest, A., 1993. Women and industrial relations theory: no room in the discourse. Industrial Relations, 48 (3), pp.409-440. Friedman, G., 1998. State-making and labor movements: France and the United States. USA: Cornell University Press. Gennard, J., 1981. The effects of strike activity on households. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 19 (3), pp.327-334. Gordon, J.R., 2002. Organizational behavior: a diagnostic approach. 7th ed. USA: Prentice Hall. Jentsch, W.M., 1985. Trade unions as intermediary organizations. 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