Industrial Relations Case Studies. Call Centres and Black Coal Mining
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| | | | Individual Project | Case studiesBlack Coal Mine IndustryCall Centres | | | |
Introduction
Black coal mining is a substantial contributor to the financial wealth of Australia; it is a well-established industry that boasts a history of collect bargaining, strong unions and memberships to establish the rules of work. Whilst the industry is at the mercy of product markets, supply and demands, it normally progresses through strong cycles which have had a large impact on the employment of workers (Barry & Waring , 2006). Call centres, on the other hand are a relatively new industry and is growing at a rapid rate. Todd and Burgess (2006) state “It emerged during the 1990s and was built upon developments in information technology and communications, which enabled organisations in many different industries to rationalise customer service, marketing and other operations for which the service operations into new delivery processes”. Due to call centres emerging during a time where a regulatory change to a decentralised collective bargaining approach was occurring, call centres were able to pick and choose regulatory instruments that would correspond with management style and the organisational needs for the industry, not for the benefits of employees (Todd & Burgess, 2006). The aim of this paper is to analyse the black coal mining and the call centre industries in accordance to industrial relations. This will be achieved through comparing and contrasting the two industries, identifying relevant conflicts, and finally addressing the impact, if any, of the move from collectivism to individualism.
Comparisons and contrasts of the black coal industry and Call Centres
Black coal mining is a well-established industry that dates back as far as the 1800’s. Which once was used for mainly domestic uses, coal is now one of the highest exported commodities from Australia to the globe. The high demand for coal has caused major
| | | | Individual Project | Case studiesBlack Coal Mine IndustryCall Centres | | | |
Introduction
Black coal mining is a substantial contributor to the financial wealth of Australia; it is a well-established industry that boasts a history of collect bargaining, strong unions and memberships to establish the rules of work. Whilst the industry is at the mercy of product markets, supply and demands, it normally progresses through strong cycles which have had a large impact on the employment of workers (Barry & Waring , 2006). Call centres, on the other hand are a relatively new industry and is growing at a rapid rate. Todd and Burgess (2006) state “It emerged during the 1990s and was built upon developments in information technology and communications, which enabled organisations in many different industries to rationalise customer service, marketing and other operations for which the service operations into new delivery processes”. Due to call centres emerging during a time where a regulatory change to a decentralised collective bargaining approach was occurring, call centres were able to pick and choose regulatory instruments that would correspond with management style and the organisational needs for the industry, not for the benefits of employees (Todd & Burgess, 2006). The aim of this paper is to analyse the black coal mining and the call centre industries in accordance to industrial relations. This will be achieved through comparing and contrasting the two industries, identifying relevant conflicts, and finally addressing the impact, if any, of the move from collectivism to individualism.
Comparisons and contrasts of the black coal industry and Call Centres
Black coal mining is a well-established industry that dates back as far as the 1800’s. Which once was used for mainly domestic uses, coal is now one of the highest exported commodities from Australia to the globe. The high demand for coal has caused major
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