Development Of Industrial Relations In Hong Kong Commerce Essay

Development Of Industrial Relations In Hong Kong Commerce EssayIn responding to the question, I agree with that the agreement of industrial relations in Hong Kong has been less schematicized and less centralized. in that location be three critical factors influenced the comement of the industrial relations in Hong Kong. In the fol lower-rankinging essay, at that place get out be a definition and description on industrial relations and the role of avocation concretions in Hong Kong. And discuss the background of scotchal, political and institutional sociology environment in post colony Hong Kong that affecting the fail of softwood sodality.Industrial Relations and Trade UnionThe terms of Industrial Relations is used to go under the relationship and interactions between the employees ( proles) and employers (management) within the organizational settings. Those interactions or activities were involved all aspects of the consumption relationship, human choice management , employee relations and fraternity-management relations. The main parties to the use of goods and services relationship and the key actors are workers and workers organizations (usually trade union), employers and managers and also the state (Bacon, 2009). Since there have difference perspective among employers, employees (workers) and trade unions (workers organization), the industrial relation means different things to different people. For workers, they wants honor of employment outcome, better pay, work safety, job security and training, while employer wants to a greater extent than efficiency, to a greater extent productivity, more tract adaptedness in the workforce.In general, trade unions have a wide range of beneficial outcome. They canister be the actor to force managers improve human resources management practices, being the role of consulting, promoting job equal opportunities, add-on job satisfaction and reducing mash turnover. Meanwhile, trade unions also acte d as a representative of employee to spokesperson out their needs as well as express their views and by-lines in the workplace. Furthermore, they can create issues masking on the wages and functional hours, to encourage employees to be better producers for their employers and ensure employers provide better working conditions for employee through the activities of collective bargaining and negotiation. Thus, industrial relations were often subject to joint regulation which take cooperation among employee and employer participation in ending making.However, in Hong Kong, union effects nowadays appear to have bring down obviously or just apply limited effect in some special circumstance. It in all likelihood caused by the change of industrial relations since World War II, under the governance of Colonial British rule for 150 years prior to Chinas sovereignty.Critical factors jazzing that influence trade unions in Hong Kongstinting FactorsFirst of all, from the aspect of stint ingal factors, entrepot trade was the mainstay economy in Hong Kong. Nevertheless, with the declined of entrepot trade, the choppy influx of refugees and the capital from Shanghai and different major Chinese cities transferred to Hong Kong that influenced the movement of unions in push relation. With the working out of manufacturing welkin ( such as clothing and electronics) that facilitate the semi-worker and the skill transferred among difference industries. Manufacturing activities have accounted for the large share of labour force together with other vault of heaven, such as restaurants and hotels, wholesale and retail, commerce and finance (Ng, 1984). At that time, keen firm of individual business provided more employment opportunities. Hong Kong has accomplished a high rate of economic growth with lower unemployment rate. down the stairs this circumstance, union membership is low and the collective bargaining is practically non-existent. There was no incentive to recogn ize trade unions or bargain collectively within workers. In addition, the comprehension of British voluntaristic tradition, gentlement agreement among the workplace are more significant than collective agreements, the lacking of legal covenant of enforceable contract that allow employer adjust their labour force in accordance to adapt with the grocery store condition (Chiu and Levin,1996). Meanwhile, the new economic structure barely focused to fit the economist prescription in the organizational level in regard of employment relations. Government had adopting a non-interventionist policies in the social and economic sphere that had no intention to restructure the industry by implementing regulation, tax policies or subsidies, remains the last taxes among the world to preserve economy incentives (Tang, 1999). It had created a capitalist framework of the economy that encourage private sector to pursuit the market capitalism. Furthermore, the free market approach, Laisse-faire po licies initiated by the government on economic activities only exist with minimal regulatory, no minimum wage legislation, no fixing prices. That means people can demoralize from whom they want, to sell from whom they buy and to invest they want or to hire whom they want, to work for whom they want (Tang, 1999). As a result, the collusion between government and employer that emerged conflictual interest between labour and capital that empower employer over the labour branch and employment relations by bargaining between individual employers and workers.(Chiu and Levin, 1999). Moreover, trade union in Hong Kong are all in political orientated, they are only interested in realizing political object quite than seeking economic benefit for the workers through establishing formal rule making arrangement with employer (Chiu and Levin, 1999) governmental and Sociology FactorsThe nature of political agreement for Hong Kongs revision to China was maintained the British rule of economic governance. Under this old model, administration worked was closely worked with business community that to ensure the constancy of social and economic environment. much(prenominal) policies were also included public housing programme, comprehensive system of bringing up, public health, subsidized in get off and social service. Colonial government approach of non intervention polity that allowed business elite integrated for the most part in governance the system of colonial Hong Kong by formulating public policies in responds to the interests and demands of the dominant resources controller and economic elites (Chiu and Nevin, 1996). In the wake of the economic environment, a magnitude domestic disturbance posed major crises of legitimacy, which busy the colonial government had to build a new basis of legitimacy in identify to increase the commitment to voluntarism (Chiu and Nevin, 1999) Since the Hong Kong Government had made a formal commitment for the civil servant over t he employment term and condition that initiated the practice trend of civil-service to private-sector approach. This kind of voluntarist framework had influenced the development of private sector to be more formalized in labour relations in civil service that resulting a process of both formal and informal pressures on the dependent and ethnical expectation within the organization. Meanwhile, trade union being recognised by the colonial government and creating formal channels for their participation in decision making on terms and condition of employment which is more advanced than other private sector employers. (Chiu and Nevin, 1996)Through the expanding minimum standards of employment non solely for the capitalist but also coincide the interest for vulnerable categories of employees in the workforce. The birth of the intertheme legislation for women and child labour and the enactment of the Employment polity and its subsequent amendments were naturalized in 1920 and 1966-67 re spectively in order to maintain domestic stability and legitimacy. The policy are set for prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective aegis against discrimination on any ground such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status (Chiu and Levin, 1996).In addition, the set up of cut into Department in 1947, the establishment of the Employment Ordinance in 1974 (Chiu and Levin, 1996) and the reform of political structure in 1980s, establishment of district boards with elective members to advise the government on the matters affecting the welfare of the district (Tang, 1999),begun elected seats onto the Legislative Council as the British and Chinese government negotiated for Hong Kongs future. Political parties representing grass-root and labour interest were able to wield far more to influence in the legislature (Tang, 1999). Since it opened up of the political syste m, dispirited business and firms, as well as labour groups were more active in competing for political permit to advance interests. Besides that, the establish of the Trade Unions and Trade Disputes Ordinance, that allow multiple union to form in the same trade, industry or enterprise that facilitate unions fragmentation and reducing potential untied opposite from organized labour to colonial rule. The approach of confident(p) non-intervention taken by Labour Department, emphasised not to impose tight control over unions activities and political orientation.However, the behaviour of the trade unions FTU CTU in Hong Kong, always drib into opposite and competition position between two Chinese government (pro-Chinese Communist Party and pro-Kuomintang Party) rather than using their resources to enhance the interest of workers through their domestic political action.Cultural Factors The cultural factors of Neo-Confucian ideological which suggests workers in Chinese society accept authoritarian management and avoid confrontation with the employer (Chan and Snape, 2000). The traditional Chinese cultural of paternalism and instrumental individualism in the work place, can be interpreted as the collectivistic particularism of the Chinese family (Ng, 1984) which is a concept of utilitarianistic familism that typically concerned closely the interest of family over societal or other group interest, thus, they are low in participating of social involvement with co-workers and neighbour (Chiu and Nevin, 1999). Therefore, with these two ideologies among employee, employment just viewed as their secondary concern. The low level of social involvement of political apathy that underpinning the low level of participation in the unionization and collective action among workers.On the other hand, the practical exercise of Chinese workers preference unofficial methods and personal network to achieve their goals rather than in a formal channel. In addition, the rapid growth o f labour population by the influx of refugee that had influenced the attitude and behaviour among the workplace as their primary interest was maximizing the income to get familial group survival.Main unions grouping in Hong KongThe unions in Hong Kong are encompassed with three main federations. The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Union (FTU), the largest union in Hong Kong and was established in 1947. Second is the pro-democracy Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) was formed in 1990 and has been worked close with the Christian Industrial committal (CIC) that focusing on labour education and advising workers on grievances. Third, is pro-nationalist Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council (TUC), was established in 1948. There are also many difference independent unions which are smaller in specific sector, such as Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants association (HKCCSA) and Hong Kong Professional Teachers Union (HKPTU).Traditionally, FTU have the role of taking an overly wh ippy line in labour disputes and focusing on the provision of welfare services to its members. However, it took a more moderate perspective that in line with Beijings conciliatory open door policy that not only participating in social affairs, striving for rights and benefit for workers but also promoting social stability and economic prosperity in Hong Kong.While CTU aims to build independent unions and encourage Hong Kong workers to see unions membership being about the protection of their interests (Snape and Chan,1997). The leadership of CTU was aimed to obtain the support from the grass-roots by effectively representing workers interests to government and to employers, playing a positive role in labour disputes by adopting an inclusive approach to unionization and desired to maintain stability which enable CTU is often cast in the role of trouble-shooter, and emphasizing the importance of CTUs political autonomy that to develop a political consciousness and to preserving trade union and other freedoms in Hong Kong.TUC, the association of KuoMinTang (KMT), affiliate has been seen as an expression of loyalty to the Nationalists. It displayed their influence mainly through their participation channel of communication with the government only. (Snape and Chan,1997) such as Labour Advisory Board. The leader of TUC has implemented low profile approach that in order to avoid anger Beijing. And the leadership were comes from the older age group that affecting the recruitment activity was more less than other unions and have been difficulties in recruiting younger workers.ImplicationHowever, accordance to the historical background, the effectiveness of trade union activities in Hong Kong is open to question. Given that the impact of Neo-Confucian, Chinese family and paternalism had influenced the mentality of Chinese workers and the first migratory generation, participated in the colonial educational system which limiting collective challenge towards colonial gov ernment should not be exaggerated. However, the combination of legislation and regulatory of voluntarism and the cultural perspective cannot be overlooked. This was not only influenced the institutions of family and education system but also foster the dominance of individual and instrumental labour market strategic.In accordance to its political background, governments non-intervention approach, collective bargaining in after world war II seems effective fro most of big business firms, however, the institutional environment had influenced the new form of modern labour organization in Hong Kong. That emerged the declined of labour movement and the new guild origins with a mutual aid function.From the aspect on welfare orientation, trade union acted as a principle agency between two emulation Chinese parties, Kuomingtang and Chinese Communist Party. With tendency of enlarge their power and seeking the support from employer. However, it can lead to the reshape of industrial relation governance structure as well as trade union while the economic turn weak. In addition, trade union in Hong Kong can be viewed as mimetic as it replete with revolutionary and nationalistic movement. (Chiu and Levin, 1999) Under this circumstance, trade union lobbying benefit for worker are become ineffectiveness and gave the grounds for government and employer for resisting bargaining relations with the unions.ConclusionIn general, trade unions role in other countries are concluding bargaining with employers for better pay, bonuses and allowance, better working conditions and more welfare benefit and try to get involve in the decision making are back up by employee. However, it doesnt not meant employee prefer representation and participation through trade union in Hong Kong. It can be interpreted due to the mentality difference among Hong Kong and others. The culturally conditioned fatalism and typically in-depth and influence employee in Hong Kong that lead to resistance of collec tive action (Chan and Snape, 2000). Besides the economic, political and sociological factors, employee apathetic to trade union can be seen as a key factor that influence trade union in Hong Kong became less formalized and less centralized.