Perspectives in Industrial Relations
When parties to the industrial relation process meet for
the purpose of negotiating an agreement, they bring certain
perspectives to the negotiating table. Three perspectives
are provided below but there are more:
Unitarism
Employers and employees can and do share objectives Harmony
is the norm, conflict is irrational Conflict is the product
of mischief
Pluralism
An enterprise has people with a variety of different objectives
Conflict is regarded as inevitable and legitimate Disputes
are about pay and conditions and not about “class struggle”
Marxism
Disputes are a reflection of “class struggle” – the disparity
between those who supply capital and those who supply labour
Conflict is a source of social change
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