...articles: Labor unions in the United States and Labor history of the United States Labor unions are legally recognized as representatives of workers in many industries in the United States. Their activity today centers on collective bargaining over wages, benefits, and working conditions for their membership, and on representing their members in disputes with management over violations of contract provisions. Larger unions also typically engage in lobbying activities and supporting endorsed candidates at the state and federal level. Most unions in America are aligned with one of two larger umbrella organizations: the AFL-CIO created in 1955, and the Change to Win Federation which split from the AFL-CIO in 2005. Both advocate policies and legislation on behalf of workers in the United States and Canada, and take an active role in politics. The AFL-CIO is especially concerned with global trade issues. Child laborers in an Indiana glass works. Trade unions have an objective interest in combating child labor. In 2010, the percentage of workers belonging to a union in the United States (or total labor union "density") was 11.4%, compared to 18.3% in Japan, 27.5% in Canada, and 70% in Finland.[20] Union membership in the private sector has fallen under 7%[21] – levels not seen since 1932. Unions allege that employer-incited opposition has contributed to this decline in membership. The most prominent unions are amongpublic sector employees such as teachers and police. Members of unions are...
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...HRM 603: Comparative Studies of Industrial or Employment Relations Assignment 1 Trimester 3 2013 HRM 603: Comparative Studies of Industrial or Employment Relations Assignment 1 Trimester 3 2013 Name: Cagi Merelita ID no.: 2011001230 Table of Contents Introduction 1 The development & evolution of IR/ER system 2 The development & evolution of IR/ER system in the Fiji Island 3 The IR/ER system of Australia against that of the Fiji Islands 4 The emerging issues & recent trends in IR/ER in both nations 5 Considered key roles & responsibilities by the major actors in an IR/ER system in each country 6 Major actor’s roles & responsibilities that are considered most significant in an IR/ER context & why 8 Bibliography 9 Introduction Employment Relations are the employer and employee relationship, it also describes the relationship between workers and employers in business (Employer and Employee Relations, 2011). Employment Relations is important because it encourages motivation, it builds up the reputation of a worker and the business through the increase in number of potential customers, investors and staff, increase in productivity output, efficiency and profit levels (Employer and Employee Relations, 2011). With the changing industrial landscape in every country or nation, the growth of new townships/cities and the dispersal of activity, a process of ‘industrial culturalisation’...
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...Udini already have an account? Log In Sign Up JOIN UDINI - manage your research in the cloud for free and buy articles in the Udini store. Learn more Academic research, news, and trade news from authoritative publications - See what's in stock Free tools keep your work in one place, with beautiful reading and notes - Learn more No subscription required - pay per article, project or month - Get started for free Full Version unlimited access with print and download $ 37 00 Trial Access read full document, no print or download, expires after 72 hours $ 4 99 More infoBuy Share Share with Twitter Share with Facebook Share with LinkedIn Search 150 million articles from 12,000 publications Social Sciences > Economics Essays on monetary policy and currency unions: The case of the East African Community ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 2011 Dissertation Author: John M. M Ssozi Abstract: Efficient conduct of monetary policy in a currency union demands that partner states have similar business cycles, inflation convergence and strong economic ties. The first essay investigates inflation convergence, which is important for a number of reasons: avoiding inflation bias and is an indicator of structural similarities. The essay goes beyond the traditional pairwise unit root tests and applies an unobserved dynamic factor model to test asymmetry in inflation variation. Convergence is measured by the percentage of variation in inflation that is common across countries....
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...ANALYSING FLEXIBILITY AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN THREE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES: UK, SWEDEN AND AUSTRALIA…………………………………………….….……………………………………8 4.4 EVOLUTION OF TRENDS IN FLEXIBILITY………………………………………………………………….9 4.5 THE REGULATORY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK OF THE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP……………………………………………………………………………………………………..12 4. MANAGING FLEXIBILITY AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE: CULTURAL FACTORS AN HR MANAGER NEEDS INSIGHT INTO, IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE FLEXIBILITY AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE TRADE-OFFS THAT ARE PREFERRED IN ANY PARTICULAR COUNTRY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16 5. GIVEN THE IMPERATIVES OF MODERN CAPITALISM, IS IT LIKELY TO SEE CONVERGENCE ACROSS COUNTRIES OR AT LEAST CONVERGENCE ACROSS THE NATIONAL OPERATIONS OF MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES?................................................................................18 6. CONCLUSIONS…………………………………………………………………………….……………………………..19 7. REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………………………19 1. INTRODUCTION Blyton and Jenkins (2007;74) defined Flexibility through two different approaches, “For employers, workforce flexibility refers to the ability to use labour in a more adaptable and variable way. For employees, flexibility refers particularly to the degree of choice available in their work arrangements”. This essay will analyse the evolution of flexibility and work-life balance since...
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...LABOUR RELATIONS INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT Facilitator : Mrs Vanessa Botha Student Name : Carine Sanama Student Number: 1311024 Date : Monday 29 June 2015 Words Count: 1189 Table of Contents i. Executive Summary ii. Introduction and Background iii. Literature Review a. Definition of Terms b. The Evolution of the South African Labour Relations : Pre and Post-Apartheid c. The right to strike in South Africa : Legal VS Illegal iv. Discussions v. Conclusion vi. References Appendix 1 I. Executive Summary The rising number of labor strikes in South Africa should be a wake-up call the government. They should take the following into consideration so the improve on the country socio-economic state: First, look at labor markets with a renewed interest to revise laws governing the role and powers accorded to collective bargaining unions with a view to streamline them. Second, revise minimum wages, wage increases and dispute resolution policies in line with the latest economic developments in the country and international standards to ensure fairness and equity. Third, ensure that negotiations involving unions that represent essential emergency professionals do not break down and go to strike since people’s lives could be at stake. Finally, deliberately incorporate wage increase policies in the national budgeting process. These reforms would go a long way in minimizing the growing number of strikes in the country. II. Introduction...
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...Industrial Relations in India Introduction The relationship between the employers, employees, trade unions and the government is called Industrial Relations. India is an emerging economy and the large informal sector poses a big challenge. 94% of our work force is in the informal sector where implementation of labour laws is difficult. Harmonious relationship is necessary for both the employers and employees to safeguard the interests of both the parties of production and all the other stakeholders. Evolution of IR in India The first phase (1947 to 1966): It was a time of import-substitution industrialization and national capitalism. Large employment-intensive public enterprises were forming and largely centralized bargaining with static real wages. The public sector unionism was growing and industrial relation was majorly Government controlled and regulated. The second phase (1967 to 1980): The employment growth was slowing down and real wages were declining. The IR system faced a major crisis during this phase. There were massive strikes, industrial conflicts, multiple unionism and decline in strength. The government was losing control over the IR system. The third phase (1981 to 1991): This was a period of ‘jobless growth’. The ‘independent’ enterprise unionism was rising and several city/ regional IR systems were operating. The government was slowly withdrawing from IR system. The post-reform decade (1992-2007): About 15% of the workforce (approximately 1.1 million) lost...
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...Part two: 1. What are the basic causes of ‘Grievances’? Ans: Grievances generally arise form the day-do-day working relations in the undertaking, usually a worker or trade union protest against an act or omission or management that is considered to violate worker's rights. The following causes have been given of employee grievances: (i) Promotions; (ii) Amenities; (iii) Continuity of service; (iv) Compensation; (v) Disciplinary action; (vi) Fines; (vii) Increments (viii) Leave; (ix) Medical Benefits; (x) Nature of the job; (xi) Payment of wages; (xii) Acting promotion; (.xiii) Recovery of dues; (xiv) Safety appliance; (xv) Superannuation; (xvi) Supersession; (xvii) Transfer; (xviii) Victimization; and (xix) Conditions of work. Grievances may arise from various causes related to the work and working conditions of the employees. The typical areas where causes of grievances may occur are: • Wage structure including bonus, incentives, overtime, leave facilities etc. • Seniority, job classification, promotion, transfer, lay-off and discharge; • Supervision and discipline, • Physical environment and working conditions in general • Welfare arrangements including health and safety; • Employer's attitude towards interpretation of the service contract or collective bargaining agreement, settlement of grievances etc. 2. What are the objectives of ‘Industrial Relations’? Main objectives of Industrial Relations • Main objective of Industrial relation is to improve...
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...com www.sportsandplay.com Executive Summary THE SPORTS GOODS MARKET IN CENTRAL EUROPE Volume 4: GERMANY 376 pages of English text and charts on the largest sporting goods market in Europe Case studies of successful and unsuccessful market penetration and related tips Sports participation and trade figures In-depth analysis of the whole supply chain Ten product categories studied from top to bottom Consumption trends and effective marketing strategies Comprehensive market and foreign trade statistics Listings of 184 executives interviewed and about 280 other distributors and retailers Profiles of 105 companies Fourth volume of a series also comprising reports on France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland Overview and highlights of the German report Located in the centre of Europe, Germany has been one of the few founding member states of the European Communities, later known as the European Union. The early membership has eased the supply chain from important ports. Thanks also to the fact that Germany has the largest population of any European country west of Russia, it has been the place on the continent were trade professionals from all over the continent meet at major trade shows. With expenditures of around €140 per capita on sporting goods, Germany is not necessarily the most interesting market in Europe. This is partially due to the fact that the country cannot rely on the expenses of foreign tourist as much as Italy, France, Austria, Spain or Switzerland. Following...
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...1 Historically, the primary motive for U.S. multinationals to produce abroad has been to a) Lower costs b) Respond more quickly to the marketplace c) Avoid trade barriers d) Gain tax benefits Ans: b Section: Evolution of Multinational Level: Easy 1.2 The primary objective of the multinational corporation is to a) Maximize shareholder wealth b) Maximize world production c) Minimize debt d) Minimize the cost of doing business globally Ans: a Section: Multinational Financial Management: Theory and Practice Level: Easy 1.3 ____________ is defined as the purchase of assets or commodities on one market for immediate resale on another in order to profit form a price discrepancy. a) Internationalization b) Arbitrage c) Financing d) Total risk Ans: b Section: Evolution of Multinational Level: Easy 1.4 The value of good financial management is ___________ in the global markets because of the much greater probability of market imperfections and multiple tax rates. a) Minimized b) Neutralized c) Enhanced d) Arbitraged away Ans: c Section: Role of the financial executive Level: Easy 1.5 When a firm operates globally it offers advantages such as a) Greater political power at home b) Bless taxes on its profits c) Greater negotiating power with foreign minority groups d) Greater negotiating power with labor unions Ans: d Section: Rise of the MNC Level: Easy 1.6 The prime transmitter of global competitive forces is the a) Public utility firm b) Financial management...
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...industrial relations depends on which theory you find more persuasive: unitarism, radicalism, or pluralism. Unitarism is perceived as an integrated and harmonious system where the management, staff and all the members of the organization share the same objectives, interests, purposes and are viewed as one happy family. This single entity with a single authority has a loyalty structure which is considered paternalistic approaches were trade unions are deemed unnecessary and conflict is perceived as disruptive. Here management rights to manage are seen as legitimate and rational; and any opposition to management right to manage is seen as irrational. How long would the step ford wives syndrome last before it begins to crumble and fall apart? On the other hand radicalism objects to the capitalistic source of power where the ownership and control extends beyond the corporate limits and into the labour market itself. This allows for certain fundamental rights as in the right to associate where the workers possibly can form trade unions and assert a degree of power through the process of collective bargaining; having compared to the unionism capitalistic system that has no intention to take over management. They learned to bargain within an institutional...
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...Celine RIVIERE 09004513 HRM: An introduction Learning Outcome – Assessment 1) During the first half of the 20th century, the social and human dimension will appear and grow gradually in the organisation. Human Resource Management, also known as HRM, is the function we can find within the organisation that focuses on recruitment, management, and provide direction for the employees. Humans and the potential they process are really important, they drive an organisation. Without them, everything is falling apart. Human Resource Management works to ensure that employees are able to meet the organisation’s goals. “Human Resource Management is responsible for how people are treated in the organisation. It is responsible for bringing people into the organisation, helping them perform their work, compensating them for their labours, and solving problems that rise” (Cherrington, 1995, p5). Human Resource Management deals with ensuring that the employees display the highest level of efficiency and effectiveness in the performance of the organisational functions through providing the basic conditions of work to the employees to ensure achievements of the highest levels. It is difficult to define de HRM. Some people think that it is just a modern term for the personnel management, or that it’s a generic term for all management activities. They also can think that now the HRM is more for the companies than for the employees. It’s a vague and elusive concept and we can find...
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...motive for U.S. multinationals to produce abroad has been to a) lower costs b) respond more quickly to the marketplace c) avoid trade barriers d) gain tax benefits Ans: b Section: evolution of multinational Level: Easy 1.2 The primary objective of the multinational corporation is to a.) maximize shareholder wealth b) maximize world production c) minimize debt d) minimize the cost of doing business globally Ans: a Section: Multinational Financial Management: Theory and Practice Level: Easy 3. ____________ is defined as the purchase of assets or commodities on one market for immediate resale on another in order to profit form a price discrepancy. a) internationalization b) arbitrage c) financing d) total risk Ans: b Section: evolution of multinational Level: Easy 4. The value of good financial management is ___________ in the global markets because of the much greater probability of market imperfections and multiple tax rates. a) minimized b) neutralized c) enhanced d) arbitraged away Ans: c Section: role of the financial executive Level: Easy 5. When a firm operates globally it offers advantages such as a) greater political power at home b) bless taxes on its profits c) greater negotiating power with foreign minority groups d) greater negotiating power with labor unions Ans: d Section: The rise of the MNC Level: Easy 6. The prime transmitter of global competitive forces is the a) public...
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...PORTUGAL Exchange Rates Portugal belongs to the euro zone since its creation, so the currency is the euro. The following graph shows the evolution of euro since its creation in 1999. However, some countries, like Brazil, started to trade with the new currency when it entered in circulation in 2002. As we can see, there has been an appreciation of the Euro respect some currencies like UK sterling pound but generally, from 2008 there has been a depreciation of the euro due to the euro crisis. This factor has affected Portugal in the decrease of the trade deficit as we saw previously. However, Portuguese productivity has not increase in the same line as the main countries. To see how the evolution of real exchange in Portugal within the euro zone, the major factor is the evolution of CPI and Labor productivity: Observe how Portugal has lost competitiveness against countries like Germany, UK and US. The real exchange rate based on CPI shows a divergence between Portugal and the reference country, Germany, proving the data about the lost in price competitiveness of the country in EU. Purchase Power Parity The ppp of Portugal is substantially low compared to those of Italy, Germany or US Here we can see the disparity between countries in the eurozone after ten years of common currency. Portugal ppp is about 80% of the average in the EU27, the 10th lowest in the EU. Labour Force Labor force size has remained stable at around 5.5 million...
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...The European Union (EU) is a union of twenty-seven independent states based on the European Communities and founded to enhance political, economic and social co-operation. Formerly known as European Community (EC) or European Economic Community (EEC). All information about EU: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union The business implication of the EU: http://books.google.com.vn/books?id=73nQYLkj4lIC&pg=PA519&lpg=PA519&dq=eu%27s+effect+on+international+business+law&source=bl&ots=jZi4MvJL_n&sig=UZV5j9RNWCPcvCUyZin5nYd3DHU&hl=vi&ei=jHSbTI3FDo2osQPK8LzVBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false Page 518/ Text book: IBL and its environment. The impact of EU on international trade The European Union has had a significant influence upon international trade, especially in respect of the countries that are member states in the Union. However, it has also had an impact on global trade generally. Internally, trading between the member states within the European Union has become less restrictive, because of the laws and regulations passed. Trade barriers between member states have been virtually eliminated and strict regulations have been applied to ensure fair competition for all. It is partially resulting from these moves that countries like those in the Baltic States are clamoring to join the EU. The EU also protects its member states from unfair competition tactics that other nations might use. The economic power of the Union is such that...
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...social responsibility. The phenomena of CSR may be new to India, but the concept dates back to Mauryan Dynasty, where philosphers like Kautilya focused and gave importance to ethical behavior, values, and principles while performing the activity of business. In India, different religions had a different way of practicing CSR. In Islam, there was a law called Zaakat, where a part of one’s earning must be shared with the poor people of the society in the form of charity and donations. The Hindus believed in a practice called Dharmada where the manufacturers or sellers charged a specific amount from the purchaser/buyer, which was used for charity purposes. In the same fashion, Sikhs followed Daashaant. It can be said that the history and evolution of CSR in India runs parallel to the historical development in India. CSR has unfolded in different phases like production, community engagement and employee relations. CSR focuses on wealth generation for the maximum benefit for the parties associated with it like employees, shareholders, customers, suppliers, environment and society. Benjamin Franklin has aptly said that “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. Therefore, the governing principle of corporate...
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