Origin Of Labour Relations

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Origin of Labour Relations Nel et al. (2008) describe the origin of labour relations as emanating from the Middle Ages, triumphing during the Industrial Revolution. The earliest composition of workers can be traced to the wool-combers who combined forces to demand higher wages, an aspect that is today still one of the many disputes between employees and employers. Labour Relations has its roots in the division of labour through the factory system where workers were, for the first time, brought together in a formal organisational setting (Budeli, 2009). These interactions and the degrading of humans, the effects of mass production, as well as the subsequent loss of identity, often led to conflict and a need to better understand and manage…show more content…
Today it is a dynamic field that is consistently adapted to suit the changing nature of employees and organised business. For example, the Labour Relations Act No 66 of 1995, was designed for the conditions of that period, but was amended in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2014 in an attempt to provide wider protection to employees given the current working situations (Jacobs, 2013). The Importance of Labour Relations in the Workplace Sound labour relations, is in my opinion, the cornerstone of a successful business. Sound labour relations refer to the industrial peace necessary for better and increased production. According to Prahala (2015) healthy industrial relations and a harmonious relationship between management and labour is key to the progress and success of any organisation and the significance thereof include: • Uninterrupted production: it ensures continuity of production by means of fully utilising resources and providing not only continuous employment, but also an uninterrupted flow of income for all parties…show more content…
Good, open and honest communication is therefore essential to maintain sound labour relations in an organisation. Labour Law The employment relationship has legal consequences and labour law is necessary to regulate both the employee and/or collective employment relationships. The contract of employment forms the basis of the relationship between an employer and employee and the law of contract assumes that the parties are in equal bargaining position. This is however not the case as the employer ultimately has the weapon of dismissal at its disposal. Labour law therefore was designed to balance the interests of employees and employers and to ensure fairness in the employment relationship (McGregor et al. 2014). Labour law is important as it provides the framework that governs employee and employer behaviour and regulates labour relations in order to promote equality and fairness. South Africa is a member of the State of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and constantly has to ensure that existing labour practices and laws comply with the international standards that the Government has endorsed and ratified (McGregor et al.
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