Spolight_Industrial_Conflict

Spotlights actions represent a hard approach to human resource management (HRM). The employees in spotlight were offered reduced conditions with no fair trade off for the reduction in working conditions. The workers in Coffs Harbour were offered 2 cents extra to their base rate in exchange for penalty rates, overtime, leave loading and etc. (Coorey, 2006). This represents the imbalance in power in the worker employer relationship, it shows the power spotlight has over its employees and how it can take a hard approach to HRM as to reduce labour costs and increase efficiency. With Spotlights hard approach with HRM, covert conflict is very likely to manifest as a protest to management policies. Covert actions such absenteeism may be one of the first things to take place as it is very easy to transact and very difficult to dispute. This can cause a lot of disruption as multiple employees being absent at the same time could jeopardise the stores sales activities. Other methods of protest include labour turnover, where employees get fed up with policies and leave and new employees must be hired and retrained, this can be very costly and time consuming for management. Employees can also work with lack of enthusiasm and cooperation and make things very stressful. The most extreme action that can be taken is sabotage, purposely taking actions to hamper store activities, such as damaging property and equipment, this can happen when employees are very disgruntled, and with a hard HRM policy it is more likely to happen. Management also have options to take against difficult or disgruntled employees such as being very strict with discipline and policy, and linking this with the threat of demotion or even dismissal. A good example of this is where 99 workers were docked four hours pay for a stop work meeting. Management docked 4 hours of pay as a consequence of not following policy (The Australian 2006). Another good example of this in practice is the case of a company where 54 workers were not paid for five days of work (Silkstone, 2006). While protesting new contracts with a self-imposed ban on overtime, management called upon a provision in Australian workplace law that prohibits employers from paying workers during industrial action. It is a good example of how management can impose their will on staff. The two parallel management theories of Unitariasm and Plualism explain the spotlight situation in differing ways. The Unitarist perspective describes the conflict existing in Spotlight as a breakdown of communication or by troublemakers such as unions. The Unitarst approach preaches that there should be harmony of interest between employers and employees, and that employees should just accept the decision of management out of loyalty to the company. The Pluralist perspective explains that the conflict between Spotlight and employees is due to a conflict of interest. The Pluralist’s believe that trade unions should be able to step in on behalf of employees as to balance the bargaining power of the employee and challenge management decisions that it believes to be unfair and against the interests of the employee. In the Spotlight article I agree with the comments of Mr Beazley. The point he made about unskilled and new entrants into the markets having no bargaining power is valid. As they are easily replaceable and many have little or no experience, the bargaining power they possess is minimal, and they would be exploited as per the Spotlight example. The comments the Mr Andrew’s makes that at they have a job instead of being on the dole is counterproductive to the market and harmful to employees, it benefits employers while reducing the rights of employees and is a threat to the standard of living that exists in Australia. Coorey. P (2006) “New Spotlight deal worse off than two cents offer” Sydney Morning Herald, July 4 2006 “Beazley defends AWA plan”, The Australian, 12th June 2006, viewed 19th October 2011, Silkstone, D 2006, “All work and no pay may be immoral but it's legal, company says”, The Age, 8th September 2006, viewed 19th October 2011,