Industrial Relations at Telstra Corporation †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Industrial Relations at Telstra Corporation. Answer: Introduction: Industrial relation is considered as multidisciplinary area which mainly studied the employment relationship. Generally, industrial relationships are also called as employment relations or employee relations. Many times experts considered this motive as broad reform of human resource management. In other words, experts consider the employee relation term as synonym of employee relations. Some other authors are also there who think employee relation is the term which only deals with the non-unionized workers, and labor relation is the term which deals with the unionized workers. Studies related to industrial relations examined different situations of employment, not just once with an authorized workforce. Lastly, paper is concluded with brief conclusion which summarizes the key facts of all these phrases. Transformation thesis of industrial relations: Different, debates has conducted in context of industrial relations transformation in different countries. On one side, there are number of experts who argued for the existence of the transformation occurred in this context. It must be noted that these alterations reflected in the last 2 decades across the globe. This can be understood through example; there are number of central changes in this concept in different OECD countries (Locke, Kochan, and Piore, 1995; Katz, 1993; Swenson, 1989). Some other authors are also there who noted that transformations are also occurred in developing nations. However, some experts disagreeing this fact, and state that there is no transformation in the industrial relations. Literature evaluation in context of fresh growth of IR reflects lack of harmony on what results in the alteration or central change in industrial relations. For the purpose of this debate, basis is formed by the book The Transformation of American Industrial Relations (Kochan, Katz and McKersie, 1986). These authors consider the place where bargaining is reflected and who makes the most important decision related to strategy. They further argued for decentralization, increase in autonomy by the management, changes occurred in the practices conducted at workplace, contingent pay; participation of employees, training and employment securities, and all these concepts resulted in transformation in industrial relations in the United States. Recently, one more examination is conducted in context of changes occurred in the industrial relations, and as per this study different common characteristics of industrial relations change in Sweden, Australia, the former West Germany, Italy, the Unit ed Kingdom, and the United State and these changes are important for the employer-initiated decentralization of bargaining. As stated by Locke, Kochan, and Piore (1995), there are almost four common factors in the transformations of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Japan, and Canada, and these four factors are focus of the organization, increase in flexibility, growing importance of skill and development, and decline in the membership of union. Past decade witness transformation of the international labor rights, and this happen because of the primary adoption of the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and also because of the widespread use of the concept of core labor standards. However, it is argued by different parties that this regime has major potential flaws such as it mainly depends on the principles instead of the rights of labors. ILO declaration also provide the base for the labor provisions in the soft law instruments such as UNs Global Compact, the OECD Guidelines, and the ILO MNE Declaration, and also in the policies of the World Bank, etc. All these changes occurred at the international level also impact the industrial relations in the Australia (Alston, 2004). Transformation of industrial relations in Australia: during the past decade, Australia witnesses the dramatic changes in the nature and role of the labor market institutions. The most basic reason behind these changes is the shift towards more decentralized system for the formal arrangements in industrial relations. Before the period of 1980s, employment conditions for maximum employees in Australia are generally depend on the highly rigid multi-employer awards, and on this behalf they determined the third parties who were detached from the workplace. Today these awards only state the minimum standards and the wages and other employment conditions which are generally adopted in practice are the result of the direct negotiations occurred between the workers or their representative and the employers (Rice, n.d.). Relationships in the labor management are shaped by the tribunal-based systems of conciliation and arbitration, and this system play important role in the determination of wages and conditions. It must be noted that, system of awards is not a central approach for determining the wages and conditions. It can be said that greater scope exists for both employers and employees to flourish their industrial relations by fulfilling the needs of the business. In the 20th Century, basis of legislative approach for commonwealth industrial relations are denied by the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904. His Act guide the operations conducted by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission till the period of 1988, and after that this Act is replaced by the Industrial Relations Act 1988. It can be said that this process is evolutionary in nature and not the revolutionary. When changes occurred, these changes are considered as the incremental in nature (Hawke Wooden, 1998). Evolution of Labor law reformations in Australia: Introduction of the trade union Acts in the 19th Century result in various opportunities for workers. Such as for the first time workers are able to directly negotiate with the employees for determining their salaries and circumstances. Trade unions Initiated in the period of 1860 and 1870 in Australia, and they were fruitful for conveying the terms in the favor of their members, especially at the time of gold rush when labor was already scared. Firstly across the globe, stonemasons in the Melbourne become the first group of industrial workers who win the issue related to the eight-hour day (Phillips, 2015). However, there are number of colonial politicians, especially Charles Kingston, and after that premier of South Australian who started to guise at the required and arbitration. The basic idea behind this concept is that in case employers denied negotiating with the trade unions then law established the framework for providing access of independent tribunal to the trade union and their members. In case bosses and workers of the organization are not able to negotiate and reach an agreed result, then independent tribunal as an independent party have power to impose settlement on both the sides. Before the federation, there are different colonies who adopted this approach. It must be noted that model of the colonial legislation was used, and it named as Conciliation and Arbitration Act of 1904, under which legislature create the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration. Following are the labor laws areas in which reformation take place: Minimum wage introduction- Above stated Act in context of conciliation and arbitration was rapidly evidenced with milestone case which established the first Australian minimum wage victory. In this case Court stated that an unskilled labor need wages for the purpose of supporting himself and a family in frugal comfort. As stated by Breen Creighton, this concept in context of international terms was quite unique because it protects the concept that basic or minimum wage must be a livable age, and this is the basic idea of the Australia. Over-award payments- it must be noted that industrial award system of Australia ensures not only the minimum wages for each and every job but also ensure sturdy decrease in the number of working hours in a week. During the period of post-war, system feel pressure and this leads to escapes in salaries in the early period of 70s and 80s. In this powerful union negotiated the rise in the wage above the award rates (Phillips, 2015). Strategies of IR: Institutional structures in context of collective bargaining by workers, especially trade unions, play very important role in the labor market performers. All these institutions such as government agencies, corporations, and trade unions deal with the issue related to the interest of their workers or interest of their business. Experts call this issue as the principle-agent problem. Following are some strategies framed by legislatures and authorities in context of industrial relations, and adequate response of trade unions to these strategies (Allan, Brosnan, Walsh, 1999): Unions and the wider society- these strategies established and endorse the values of Australian unions such as role of union in the work and the public. Trade unions also ensure that union activities must direct in such manner as it achieves the result that contributes in employed relations. Different debate issues the establishment of rights of worker and union must be considered as issues related to the workplace. It also improve entrance to the union and considered different options such as promoting a common national call center number and developing a speakers program for the purpose of introducing the role and work of the unions to the students. Union and the workplace- in this union build the collective capacity of bargaining by investing in those programs which improve union delegate numbers, structures, education and rights. It increases the union investment in terms of education delegation and support the government for promoting public funding for the education of union. Unions reaching to new members- in this union build commitment to the new members by organizing at the leadership levels of the unions. In this union increase the amount of funds in context of organization of new members (Minerals Council of Australia, 2015). Conclusion: After considering the above facts, it can be said that relation between the employers and workers of the organizations are defined in the industrial relations. This approach mainly provides necessary protection to the workers by saving them from being exploited by the employers. It can be said that this process is evolutionary in nature and not the revolutionary. When changes occurred, these changes are considered as the incremental in nature References: Allan, C. Brosnan, P. Walsh, P. (1999). Human resource strategies, workplace reform and industrial restructuring in Australia and New Zealand. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Volume 10(5). Alston, P. (2004). Core Labour Standards and the Transformation of the International Labour Rights Regime. European Journal of International Law, Volume 15, Issue 3. Hawke, A. Wooden, M. (1998). Industrial relations reform in Australia: implications for the agricultural and mining sectors, The Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 42:3, pp. 303-319. Minerals Council of Australia, 2015. Industrial Relations? A Cross-National Review of the Evidence. In Locke, Richard, Thomas Institutional considerations. Retrieved on 6th April 2018 from: https://www.minerals.org.au/file_upload/files/publications/Workplace_Relations_Framework_Policy_Paper_FINAL.pdf. Katz, Harry C. 1993. The Decentralization of Collective Bargaining: A Literature Review and Industrial Relations. Basic Books. Kochan, and Michael Piore, eds., Employment Relations in a Changing World Economy. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Kochan, T.A., Katz, C. and McKersie, R. (1986). The Transformation of American Industrial Relations. Basic Books, Pp-5-18. Kochan, T.A., Katz, Harry C. and McKersie, R. (1986). The Transformation of American Press. Basic Books, Pp-119-218. Locke, Richard, Kochan, T. and Piore. M. (1995). Conclusion: The Transformation of Minerals Council of Australia, (2015). Australias workplace relations framework: Norton Rose. Global employment and labor. Retrieved from: https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/files/20170809-global-employment-and-labor-brochure-155349.pdf. Phillips, K. (2015). The history of industrial relations in Australia. Retrieved from: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/bosses-and-workers-in-australia/6407092. Accessed on 6th April 2018. Rice, J. The Transformation of Industrial Relations at Telstra Corporation: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Retrieved on 6th April 2018 from: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=E75ACD5334F27024A248F9ADD7902E01?doi=10.1.1.616.4085rep=rep1type=pdf. Swenson, P. (1989). Fair Shares: Unions, Pay and Politics in Sweden and West Germany. Press.