Grievances and Grievance Handling

GRIEVANCES GRIEVANCES & GRIEVANCE & GRIEVANCE HANDLINGHANDLING

Rohit Sahay - 47Prarabda Pathak - 52Dhiraj Nayak - 54

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Grievances

• A grievance is a formal dispute between an employee & management on the conditions of employment.

• Grievances are complaints that have been formally registered in accordance with the grievance procedure.

• A grievance is any dissatisfaction or feeling of injustice in connection with one’s employment situation that is brought to the attention of the management.

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Grievance must fall under the following category:

• Amenities • Compensation • Conditions of work • Continuity of service • Disciplinary action • Fines • Leave • Medical benefits

• Nature of job • Payments • Promotions • Safety environment • Super Annuation • Supersession • Transfers • Victimisation

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W’s of Grievance Handling

• WHO is involved• WHEN did it happen• WHERE did it happen• WHAT happened (EXACTLY)• WHY is it grieve-able• WHEN must the grievance be filed• WHAT are the deadline dates• WHAT must be done

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Guidance for writing Grievance

• The Situation– Who, what, when & where

• The Contention– Why is it grieve-able

• The Remedy– What is needed to remedy the situation

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Grievance - Reasons• Economic

– Wage fixation, wage computation, overtime, bonus – Employees feel they are getting less than what they ought to get

• Working Environment – Poor working conditions, defective equipment and machinery, tools,

materials. • Supervision

– Disposition of the boss towards the employee perceived notions of favoritism, nepotism, bias etc.

• Work Group– Strained relations or incompatibility with peers. Feeling of neglect, obstruction

and victimization.• Work Organization

– Rigid and unfair rules, too much less work responsibility, lack of recognition

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Grievance - Source

Managerial Conditions Working Conditions Personal Factors

Pay Scale or Wage rates

Overtime Benefits –

Promotions, Incentives, Seniority and Discharges.

Lack of role clarity Autocratic Leadership

style of supervisors. Lack regards for

collective agreement.

Unrealistic Non availability of

proper tool, machines and equipment for doing the job.

Tight production standards

Bad working conditions Poor relationship with

the supervisor. Negative approach to

discipline.

Narrow attitude

Over ambition

Egoistic Personality

Non- cooperative.

Personal Problems outside factory

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Grievance - Effects

• Loss of interest in work• Poor quality of production• Low production• Increase in wastage or costs• Indiscipline• Unrest• Increase in accidents

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Grievance - Effects• On Production– Low quality of production, Low productivity, Increase

in wastage, Increase in cost of production.

• On Employees– Increased absenteeism, Reduction in level of

commitment, Increase in accidents, Reduced level of employee moral.

• On Managers– Strained superior- subordinate relations, Need for

increased supervision/control and follow up, Increase in unrest.

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Do’s• Identify the relief the union is

seeking.• Fully inform your own superior of

grievance matters.• Hold discussions privately.• Command the respect of the

union representatives.• Examine the grievant’s personal

record.• Treat the union representative as

your equal.• Get the union to identify specific

contractual provisions allegedly violated.

• Enforce the contractual time limits.

Don’t’s• Discuss the case with the union

steward alone; the grievant should definitely be there.

• Make agreements with individuals that are inconsistent with the labour arrangements.

• Hold back the remedy if the company is wrong.

• Admit the binding effect of a past practice.

• Relinquish your authority to the union.

• Apply the grievance remedy to an improper grievance.

• Argue grievance issues off the work premises.

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Benefits of Grievance Handling

• It encourages employees to raise concerns without fear of reprisal.

• It provides a fair & speedy means of dealing of grievances.

• It prevents minor disagreements developing into more serious disputes.

• It saves employer’s time & money as solutions are found for workplace problems.

• It helps build in organisational climate based on openness and trust.

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Grievance Identification Technique

• Observations

• Gripe Boxes

• Open Door Policy

• Exit Interviews

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Grievance Redressal Machinery

• A grievance procedure is a formal process which is preliminary to an arbitration, which enables the parties involved to attempt to resolve their differences in a peaceful, orderly and expeditious manner,

• It enables the company and the trade union to investigate and discuss the problem at issue without in any way interrupting the peaceful and orderly conduct of business.

• When the grievance redressal machinery works effectively, it satisfactorily resolves most of the disputes between labour and management.

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3 Step Procedure

1 Steward and Aggrieved employee Foreman

2 Shop Committee General Manager

3 Arbitration by an impartial 3rd party

4 Step Procedure

1 Steward and Aggrieved employee Foreman

2 Shop Committee Personnel Manager

3 Local union officers President

4 Arbitration by an impartial 3rd party

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5 Step Procedure1 Steward or Aggrieved employee Foreman2 Business Agent IR Officer3 Company Grievance Committee Plant Manager4 Regional rep of union Corporate Management 5 Arbitration by an impartial 3rd party

Step Ladder Procedure

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Grievance Procedure Steps in Unionised Organizations

In a unionized organisation, the operation of the grievance may contain the following steps:

Step 1: The aggrieved employee verbally explains his grievance to his immediate supervisor or in a conference or a discussion specifically arranged

for the purpose. The employee seeks satisfaction from his supervisor.

The grievance can be settled if the supervisor has been properly trained for the purpose, and if he adheres strictly to a basic problem-solving method.

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Step 2: The second step begins when the grievance is not settled by the supervisor. In this case, it is sent to a higher level manager with a note in which are mentioned the time, place and nature of the action to which the employee objects. The higher level manager goes into the grievance and gives his decision on the matter.

Step 3: This means that the grievance is to be submitted to the Grievance Committee since the decisions of the supervisor and of the higher level manager have not solved the problem. This committee, which is composed of some fellow-employees, the shop steward or a

combination of union and management representatives, considers the record and may suggest a possible solution.

It may call upon the grievant to accept the employer's proposed settlement.

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Step 4: If the decision or suggestion of the Grievance Committee is not accepted by the grievant, he may approach the management or the corporate executive.

Step 5: The final step is taken when the grievance is referred to an arbitrator who is acceptable to the employee as well as the management.

They may agree beforehand that the arbitrator's award will be final and binding on both the parties.

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