EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS

NICK CREABY-ATTWOOD
What you should
know about
employment
relations
 WHAT DOES
IT DO?

HOW ARE
‘RULES’ MADE?
WHY WORK IS
IMPORTANT

DYNAMISM
WHAT IS THE
‘ER’
APPROACH?

t INEQUALITY
INDETER-
MINACY
WHAT IS EMPLOYMENT
RELATIONS?
 unions
and
bargaining
The problem is that
these
have been declining for
decades
The problem is that
HRM ledintopractice
workers being
treated as resources
The solution is to return to
ER’s original focus
…the problems of
work
(Kaufman, 2008)
conflict
cooperation
…and how these are
resolved
(Kaufman, 2008)
A ‘field of study’ which draws on
sociology
political science
economics
history
and law
There is a strong critical tradition
not just about
business
also about what
employees want
WORK
It is THE
dominant
activity in our
lives
80%
of UK adults
are working
 juggling
complex
work arrangements
becomes a central activity
(Warren, 2003)
 ‘shift parenting’
(Edwards & Wajcman, 2005)

work-life balance
75-80% of household income from work
(Hughes, 2009)
 miserable
toxic
soul-destroying

dangerous
inadequately rewarded
(Bolton and Houlihan, 2009)
2M+
suffering from
work-related illness
34M
work days lost
to illness/injury
“and what do you do for a living?”
statusclass
lifestyle
loss of work…loss of identity
 skilled & motivated
workers
essential to success

through work
citizens supporting themselves
limits demands on the state
THE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
PERSPECTIVE
power
indeterminacy
pay and rewards
in exchange
for what..?
power
inequality
EMPLOYEE

EMPLOYER
power
inequality
EMPLOYEE

EMPLOYER
power
inequality
EMPLOYEE

EMPLOYER
dynamism
indeterminacy and
power inequality
interact
conflict
and
cooperation
conflict-driven
strategies
come at a cost
“structured
antagonism”
(Edwards, 1986)
STRUCTURING THE
ANTAGONISM
rules and
institutions
managerial
and
market relations
managerial
and
market relations
market
relations
which
institutions?
 union
representatives
collective
bargaining
the
state
AGRISOFT