Union-free : creating a committed and productive workforce

Mooney, Paul (2005) Union-free : creating a committed and productive workforce. The Liffey Press, Dublin. ISBN 1904148719

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Abstract

In ever-increasing numbers management teams began to explore the non-union model of working. The idea of a union-free organisation began to move from the fringes to the centre of the industrial relations stage. At management and IR conferences, HR and line executives came out of the closet and began to declare, "we're non-union and proud of it" - no longer afraid of public disapproval or a backlash from the media or trade unions. Managing a non-union organisation moved from being an "unspoken" strategy to a legitimate alternative model of operation. At the time of writing, the non-union model has begun to replace the collective bargaining model and could soon dominate industrial relations practices in Ireland.

The goal of this book is to examine how a positive union-free employment relationship can be maintained. It details the development of the non-union sector and demonstrates how companies can successfully sustain this status (readers who are only interested in the "maintenance" question can skip the history lesson and move directly to the relevant chapters.) To demonstrate the practical differences, I've reviewed HR practices at a number or large non-union companies and contrasted these against unionised companies of a similar size. I've also completed case studies on a number of companies which commenced operations on a non-union basis but subsequently unionised, in an effort to determine what lessons can be learned. In the later sections an attempt is made to explore the impact on employees of relinquishing union membership and to address some of the wider questions on the longer-term impact on the Irish industrial relations system which this throws up.

Item Type:	Book
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Issues of Labour and Work > Industrial Relations
Divisions:	School of Business > Staff Research and Publications
Depositing User:	Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited:	07 May 2014 09:46
Last Modified:	07 May 2014 09:46
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/1210

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