2.3 Assess emerging trends in the types of conflict and industrial sanctions.
Conflicts and industrial actions have evolved progressively in most firms today due to human resource management’s role in negotiating and resolving employee-related disputes. Trade unions have advanced in their management and representation of employees, and a majority of these members today are employees of different organisations. Today, trade unions emphasize professional growth and workplace settings that create a platform for conflicts. On the other hand, organisations are focused on satisfying the specific requirements of the employees and adopting individualization in dispute resolution based on the circumstances.
Recent findings show s that workplace conflict is somewhat more likely to arise when employees’ personalities collide, primarily due to a lack of standard rules and guidelines, such as an absenteeism policy or lack of transparency around professional goals. Within and outside the office, there is always the possibility of conflict between employees, people, co-workers, line managers, and direct report personnel. If a workplace issue is not addressed immediately and properly, it has the potential to escalate and result in a legally actionable consequence.
Conflicts result in industrial actions, which have a variety of consequences for employees, including dismissal in some cases. In terms of emerging trends, the elimination of tribunal charges made it easier for employees to file claims without incurring any upfront charges. As a result, the number of wrongful dismissals increased by 65.5 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year (Hannan, 2019). Additionally, the study highlighted a 37% increase in disability discrimination claims in 2018 compared to the previous year, and health and safety statistics indicate “26.8 million days missed due to work-related ill-health.”
Industrial actions have become more common in recent years, although a majority of individuals associate them with a shift in societal values. Lunchtime demonstrations and other forms of civil disobedience have become increasingly common as a tool for individuals to communicate their displeasure and demand change. Most individuals expect to be heard and hopes that their ideas will be implemented, therefore, they are always willing take action, even if it means protesting during lunch, in the hopes of achieving positive results. In reference to Scott (2018), united utility employees went on strike in 2018 because they were dissatisfied with their workplace conditions and wages. Workers began with mini-strokes in which they did not fulfil their overtime; however they expanded their strike to include the union when more than 1500 employees took part in the demonstration.
