Labour relation or what we call industrial relation is the heart of any industrial system. It is know as the relation between employees and employers of a company. For a successful growth of business of big or small firm this relation are needed to be smooth and healthy. Many writers have tried to define labour relation in different ways. Meaning of labour relation has kept on changing with the change in nature of work, technology and most important globalization. Before industrialization companies had such environments in which employer played a major role. They had the power over the employees forcing rules and regulation formed by the management. Interest of employers was above the interest of employees. Employees had less support from the management and they had to bear entire work load mental and physical. But now with the improvement in industrial work environments and laws have made the work of employees and employer easy. Influence of new political system, legislation, growing economies, technology, globalization, labour unions and private organization have led to enhanced working places, trained and educated employers and employees (Hodgetts, Luthans, Doh, P. 478, 2006)
Today labour relation approaches differ from country to country influenced by their culture, political system and economy. Labour relation is the process of identifying and determining job relationships which will take place in the work place by joint efforts of management and workers (Hodgetts, Luthans, Doh, p. 468, 2006). The study of this essay will give you idea how labour relation are addressed in countries like India, Australia, United States, Ireland and China and also how it affects the competitiveness. And how industrial disputes and conflicts between management and employees are resolved and role of trade unions in these countries.
Looking at the labour relation of India it has went through four phases of unionism. The first phase (1950 to
References: [1] A Brief history of industrial relation in Ireland, N.D, retrieved on 5th September, from: http://www.business2000.ie/cases/cases_8th/case21.htm [2] Debashish Bhattacherjee, 1999, Organized labour and economic liberalization. India: Past, present and future, retrieved on 1st September 08, from: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inst/papers/1999/dp105/index.htm#N_32_ [3] Hodgetts, R.M., Luthans F.& Doh, J.P. (2006). International Management: Culture, Strategy and Behaviour. (6th Ed.) McGraw-Hill [4] Howard Guille, Governing Industrial Relations, N.D, retrieved on 2nd September 08, from: www.qld.nteu.org.au/soc%20altern%20ir06.doc [5] Mohammad A. Ali, Globalization and Industrial relation of China, India and South Korea: An agreement for divergence, N.D, retrieved on 7th September 08, from: http://www.uri.edu/research/lrc/research/papers/Ali_Globalization.pdf [6] Industrial relations in the USA 2003-04, N.D, retrieved on 4th September 08, from: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2004/11/feature/us0411101f.htm [7] Third India- EU Seminar on Employment Relations and Resolutions of Conflicts, September 22-23, 2008, retrieved on 2nd September 08, from:http://www.labour.nic.in/lc/Indo-EU/seminarSep22-23-08.pdf [8] Union density declines to around a third, N.D, retrieved on 4th September 08, from: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2005/10/feature/ie0510201f.htm