Procedures to Deal with Disputes

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Procedures to Deal with Disputes

• Joining a union
• Types of dispute
• Types of industrial action
• Resolving a dispute

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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.
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Types of Trade Union
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
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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

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What is a dispute?

• Disciplinary disputes
• Grievance disputes
• Industrial disputes

These can be collective or individual!
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Industrial Action
Go-slow Carry out work slower than normal
Overtime bans members refuse to work overtime
Picketing Members stand outside the firm
Sit-ins Members occupy buildings to publicise
their protest
Strikes Members withdraw their labour
Work-to-rule Members follow their job description
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How do you resolve a dispute?

• Internally
• Disciplinary procedure
• Grievance procedure

• Externally
• Employment tribunal
• ACAS
• European Court of Justice

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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.
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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