Types of Industrial Action

• If and when there is a failure in negotiations and conflict resolution employees may resort to industrial action
• Industrial action refers to steps that employees can take to force management to accept their demands
• There are various types of industrial action:
• Withdrawal of cooperation
• Work to rule
• Overtime ban
• Go slow
• strike

Withdrawal of cooperation

• This is when union leaders pull out of a negotiations with management

Work to rule

• A form of industrial action where employees continue to report for work
• They carry out their duties but drastically slow down the operations by punctilious adherence to a narrow interpretation of work rules included in the collective bargaining agreement.
•  Employees do no more than the minimum required by the rules of their contract, and precisely follow all safety or other regulations, which may cause a slowdown or decrease in productivity
• For example drivers may insist on driving vehicles that have been serviced, have fire extinguishers etc
• Mechanics may insist on certain spanners instead of using say a shifting spanner

Strike

• is collective, organized, cessation or slowdown of work by employees, to force acceptance of their demands by the employer.
• A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances.
• They are a form of collective bargaining
• There are many types of strikes including:
• wild cat strike- is when a strike is carried out by employees who either are not unionized or without the approval of union authorities
• picketing- is when workers stand outside their workplace usually waving placards and chanting their grievances
• Picketing workers may obstruct or prevent other employees from performing their duties or entering the workplace
• Sit in/Sit down- is when workers report to their stations but do not perform any duties

Overtime ban

• This is when workers refuse to work outside regular hours

Go slow/Slow down

• Is when employees drastically reduce their productivity as a form of protest

To access more topics go to the O Level Business Notes