Labor unions and strikes: Employers’ nightmare?

Striking workers with raised placards, shouting for increased wages and benefits – this could be the worst scenario that a business owner or employer would not want to see.  These images cause many employers to be afraid.  To them, this could mean lawsuits, suspension of business operations, loss of profits, or even closure of business.  This could be their biggest nightmare.

Why do most employers shy away from the idea of unions, strikes, collective bargaining and related concepts?  It is because they have a mistaken notion about these topics.  They think of a union as troublesome, a nuisance which will only lead to the failure of their businesses.  They also often associate a strike with violence as if it were some sort of a mutiny or an armed attack.  What employers fail to see is that forming unions and participating in strikes are only some ways by which employees exercise their legal right to express their sentiments about their working conditions.  If only employers would listen well, they could constructively see it as a form of an evaluation on how they are running their businesses.  If people are given their correct wages, as well as fair and reasonable working conditions, they will not go on strike.  And there would not be a need to form unions, which are precisely meant for negotiating or bargaining for terms and conditions of work.  Simply put, if they are satisfied and happy, they will not complain.

But for some employers who have had a fair share of experiences with cunning and opportunistic union officers, it is not as simple as that.  Somehow, they can be justified in believing that unions and strikes only bring trouble to the business.  Some unions engage in the so-called blue sky bargaining.  They have unreasonable demands as high as the sky that may ultimately cripple the operations of the company.  Of course it is only fair that the employer refuse to grant these.  Some strikers also engage in violent acts, coercion, threats and intimidation, which are prohibited by law.  As a result, they lose their jobs and even end up in jail.

So how can we get rid of these awful nightmares?  They key is for both employees and employers to be civilized enough to sit down with one another and talk.  As has always been said, communication is very important in every relationship, including that between employers and employees.  The employees should have the freedom to convey fair demands.  They should also have the confidence to make suggestions on how the business could operate efficiently without sacrificing their rights.  On the other hand, employers should be considerate, if not generous, in dealing with their employees.  They should always give what is justly due the employees.  They should also not refuse a union’s request to bargain for benefits and working conditions.  After all, collective bargaining is a duty of both the employer and the employees. 

If we all do our part, then we could all have a good night sleep.

Related posts:

1. Philippine labor laws that employers must know
2. Philippine laws for women at work
3. How to compute 13th Month Pay: DOLE Philippines
4. Love and romantic relationship between employees in a business working place
5. How to compute separation pay in the Philippines?