Employment Relationships

Part A- Different types of industrial action
Employment relationships within the dynamic Australian workplace involve association of employers, employees, unions, employer associations and government organisations. Individual stakeholders possess different prospects and opinions, when interacting; conflict may occur as a result of an inability to reach an agreement. Industrial conflict is the dissatisfaction of employers and employees regarding matters in the workplace. Retaliation by shareholders involved in conflict is known as industrial action. Overt action and covert action are the two forms of industrial action.
Industrial conflicts in the form of open, highly visible movements that aim for maximum impact are known as overt industrial action. * Lockouts occur when the employer denies employees access into the workplace, until they agree to comply with management’s demands. Thus, allowing managers to impose authority over employees. * Pickets integrate from strike action, where employees form a physical barrier to prevent other workers, suppliers or customers, entry to the workplace. By doing so, Employees aim to achieve reconsideration for their grievances. * A Strike is the withdrawal of labour from the production process aiming to disrupt business operations and cause the employer financial loss. Strikes are the most visible and well known type of industrial action. * Bans occur when employees refuse to perform tasks related to their work. Resulting in delays to business efficiency and furthering disruptions to management. * Work-to-Rule involves employees deliberately slowing down the output of a business by working the minimum required as set in their employment contract and refusing to complete any duties that are not included.
Covert industrial action is action that is disguised and more difficult to identify, as being a direct result of employee malcontent in the workplace. * Abseentism has repercussions on a business