The cause of the dispute
The industrial dispute that has occurred during the past six months is one of the consequences of the current global financial crisis. As crisis is a complicated phenomenon, it can have the most unexpected consequences and touch various sectors of economics, political and social life of the paralysed zone. The same happened with the European Union engaged into the financial crisis. The beginning of the industrial dispute that affects employment relations area can be assigned to Greece and the problems experienced by this member of the European Union. However, the problems with the employment started appearing in Greece after the following event, as reported by Hyman (2010):
In June 2009 the International Labour Conference, with the participation of Government, employers’ and workers’ delegates from the ILO’s member States, unanimously adopted a ‘’Global Jobs Pact’. This paper was one of those presented to the social partners during this historic event, as they considered the role that social dialogue and collective bargaining might play in addressing the effects of the crisis (p.III).
So, the countries of the conference made a decision to introduce changes into the employment relations. However, some changes appeared to be rather positive (Tuckman, 2010, pp.325-326).
The manifestation of conflict
The main way to demonstrate the changes introduced into the employment relations sector were stalling and strikes all over the Europe as people did not want to lose their job positions and an increased retirement age (Essex County Fire & Rescue Service, 2010). So, strikes affected the officials of companies. Moreover, tax increasing is expected to influence the social situation all over the world and the countries of the European Union in particular. As strikes are considered illegal in some countries, it is possible to assume that employees experience real problems and are unsatisfied with the conditions suggested as measures to fight the crisis and improve the economic situation in a country.
Perception of the dispute
As the industrial dispute is a phenomenon that affects economic and social sector, it should be approached with the help of the pluralist perspective to the industrial relations. I believe that the dispute should be solved with regard to the pluralist perspective as all people are members of a contemporary society though they have some personal goals and objectives to reach. So, a pluralist approach is aimed at addressing specific goals and interests possessed by groups of people in the industrial sector united in accordance with specific common interests and goals shared by all members of those groups. In this respect, it is possible to create specific conditions for different groups regarding the employment relationships sector and industrial dispute that has occurred the past six months.
The global financial crisis is a problem that affected the global community and should be solved by the global community respectively. So, there are certain steps to improve the employment environment (Business Link, 2010). Besides, the employees from the industrial sector experience the same problems related to the employment relations as those from non-industrial sector. Collective bargaining of conflicts and labour unions representing the interests of working groups can be considered important elements of the pluralist perspective in solving the problem addressed as an industrial dispute.
Reference List
Business Link, 2010. Practical advice for business. (Industrial disputes) [Online]. Web.
Essex County Fire & Rescue Service, 2010. More ‘FBU stalling’ as Fire authority reviews industrial dispute. Web.
Hyman, R., 2010. Social dialogue and industrial relations during the economic crisis: Innovative practices or business as usual? Working Paper No.11. International Labour Office, Geneva. Web.
Tuckman, A., 2010. Defying extinction? The revival of the strike in UK employment relations. Working USA, 13 (3), pp. 325-342.