Question 1

a)  From  the  managing  director  of  a  subsidiary  company:  ‘I  am  due  to

negotiate with the unions on their pay claim next week. This is my first experience of negotiation. Could you advise me on the approach I should adopt?’

AN, 8marks

b)  From your chief executive: ‘What is the case for and against our entering into a partnership agreement with the trade union? I would be interested in any evidence you can get from research or experience elsewhere.’

AN, 8marks

c) Employee relations policies express the philosophy of the organization on what sort of relationships between management and employees and their unions is wanted, and how they should be handled. Discuss Handling employment issues

AP,4marks

TOTAL:20Marks

Question 2

Employee relations deal with the interactions amongst the parties to the

employment relationship. These consist of three groups: employers and employees, the parties who act on their behalf (trade unions and employer associations) and the third-party role played by the state agencies. Discuss the role trade unions in employee relations                           EV,8 marks

a)  For over five months the labour groups in Kontaland have been on a war path with their employer, the government of Kontaland. The bone of contention has been salary increment delays. At the last arbitration, both parties were charged to settle for a temporary measure that would not affect the negotiation process while labour return to work. Using the above scenario: Discuss the conflict resolution mechanism specified by the Ghana Labour ACT 2003

CR,8 Marks

2

b) It is only at the level of collective bargaining, that there is a need for a collective ideology to bind a system together in employee relations. Explain the significance of collective bargain in employee relations

AN, 4 marks

TOTAL:20Marks

Question 3

a)  We  are  of  the  firm  belief  that  if  parties  in  the  relationship  commit

themselves to due process in the internal management of grievances and also ensure cooperation in terms of industrial disputes, we can maintain some peaceable level of industrial stability both at the enterprise level and the country as a whole. In reference to the above statement discuss with relevant examples any five sources of grievance in an organisation

AP,8 Marks

b)  “As an institution, the National Labour Commission is aware of the many challenges that confront and continue to confront workers and employers in the employment relation, and managing, handling and settling industrial disputes. Discuss the role of the NLC in handling and settling industrial disputes as enshrined in the Labour Act of Ghana (Act 2003).

AP 8 Marks

c)  A labour or trade union  is  a group  of workers  who  coordinate their activities to achieve common goals (e.g., better wages, hours, or working conditions; job security; training) in their relationship with an employer or group of employers. Outline any five characteristics that the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union very unique                 AP 4marks

TOTAL:20Marks

Question 4

a) An employee relations climate may be created by the management style

adopted by management or by the behaviour of the trade unions or employee representatives  or by the two interacting  with one another. Discuss any four factors that affect employee relations climate.

EV 8 marks

b) Employee voice is the term increasingly used to cover a whole variety of processes and structures which enable, and sometimes empower employees, directly and indirectly, to contribute to decision-making in the

firm.’ Discuss the degrees of employee voice                      AN 8 marks

3

c) Employee relations climate is very important to the success of any employee relations policy. Discuss the role of management style in enhancing employee relations climate                               EV,4marks

TOTAL:20Marks

Question 5

a)  Joint consultation enables managers and employee representatives to meet

on a regular basis in order to exchange views, to make good use of members’ knowledge and expertise, and to deal with matters of common interest that are not the subject of collective bargaining. Discuss how consultation can be meaningful                                          CR,8 Marks

b) Attitude surveys can provide information on the preferences of employees, give warning on potential problem areas, diagnose the cause of particular problems and compare levels of job satisfaction, commitment and morale in different parts of the organization. Explain any two methods employ gathering data                                                                     AP,4 Marks

c)  To be effective, communication needs to be clear, easily understood and concise. Information should be presented systematically on a regular basis and be as relevant, local and timely as possible. Empathy is required by management in the sense of appreciating the concerns of employees and what they want and need to hear. Describe Team briefing as a communication method in employee relations                   AP,8 Marks

TOTAL:20Marks

END OF QUESTIONS