Labour Laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Labour Laws - Essay Example This is certainly the case with Key Lime Printing. There is a feeling on the part of the workers that they are at best getting a very bad deal from a company that has already been in business for a relatively long time and should be able to do better. As a lawyer, there are a few issues that I shall seek to reinforce. I shall seek to inform the client, Joe Blow, that there is little legal recourse once the matter gets to this point. After all, the Notice of Certification from the labor relations board has already been received. There are three main issues that seem to underline the employees’ decision to unionize. First of all, there is the issue of pay. Pay disputes are always a minimum expectancy when it comes to labor relations. This is where most of the labor unrest that we witness centers around. The next issue lies with dismissal of employees. Fair or unfair dismissal is a contentious issue that cannot be resolved anytime soon. On the part of the dismissed employee, thei r default position is that the dismissal is always unfair (Cihon & Castagnera, 2010). Finally, there is the whole issue of unionization. I shall seek to show my client his rights and responsibilities as far as unionization of employees is concerned. The first issue deals with income. I shall handle this issue in two parts. The first part shall be with relation to the right amount that each employee should receive. This is an extremely complicated issue. If each one of us were given the option to suggest how much we want to be paid, then we might suggest amounts that are impractical for the profitable conduct of business. We cannot leave this weighty decision to the employers alone either. There is a need for both the employer and the employee to sit down and discuss each of their positions as far as remuneration is concerned. My client does not seem to have done this. Therefore, first step during the anticipated meeting shall be to hear each side’s position in as far as salar ies are concerned (Pay and Wages, 2013). The second angle in as far as salaries are concerned is the nature of employment. There is the need to find the right balance between benefits, commissions and salaries. The idea of only paying a commission to the three workers without either salaries or benefits is a very emotive one. Initially, it was thought that being paid on commission motivated the workers to apply themselves fully so that in a way they can ‘determine their own salaries’. This is not the case anymore. Finding business is not guaranteed, yet at the end of the month these employees have bills to pay and other responsibilities to fulfill. This needs to be looked at considering that the leading light in this revolt is an employee who is subject to this draconian employment terms (Pay and Wages, 2013). Dismissal is another issue that needs to be addressed. Arguably, perhaps it is the place where the bitterest battles with regard to employee rights are witnessed. There should be a firm basis for any dismissal that is effected in the workplace. After all, this is a place where people from different backgrounds coalesce to satisfy their needs for employment. Additionally, in such a place one cannot dismiss the effect of culture and background on general conduct and productivity in the workplace. Therefore, dismissal must be looked at with this backdrop in mind. There seems to have been instances where the foreman, Top, dismissed employees. He has no right to do this. This is un-procedural. There needs to be a properly laid procedure through which dismissals are carried out. Only the owner, Blow, should have the power to mete out such punishment. In most cases, dismissal should be the last resort (Arthurs & Carter,