Since the sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Equal Pay Act 1970 came into force employers have been forced to pay attention to the differentials that often exist in workplaces between the jobs men and women perform and the pay they receive. The application of the detailed requirements of the Equal Pay Act in workplaces has raised a number of difficult problems. Very often there are differences of interpretation and the lack of explicit job definitions, for an example in the form of job descriptions, makes the situation even more difficult.Sometimes job titles are different but the jobs are, except for minor details, the same and any pay differentials are discriminatory. In other instances, men and women are ostensibly performing the same job, with the same title,but men receive a higher rate of pay because they perform some tasks that the women do not. This case illustrates a problem of this kind where there is equality but not entirely!

The Waterhead Mouldings Company was established in a small rural location 22 years ago. It has a workforce of 150, many of whom live locally. This has led to a stable workforce with exception of the younger women who tend to leave school and work for the firm for a few years until they marry and have a family. Even then they often return after a period of time and the firm considers applications from ex-employees favourable. The firm does not pay highly but for the area gives average pay and alternative employment is difficult to find. The firm is rather paternalistic but the atmosphere within it is very friendly, with many people knowing each other or being related. The firm makes moulds and moulding machinery for the plastics and rubber moulding industry. There is a manufacturing department,which employs skilled tool makers. Supporting this is a stores area which houses allthe raw materials including the steel, fasteners, fabrications, seals and so on. The stores personnel,of whom there are ten,are unskilled. They act as the goods inwards department, the stores personnel performing most of the jobs as and when required and this suits everyone.However, as is the case in other parts of the firm, job have evolved piecemeal to suit the circumstances of the time rather than according to any plan.

The firm is unionized with the toolmakers in a craft union and the rest of the firm, including the stores area, in a general union. There have been few disagreements which have upset the settled atmosphere at Waterhead Moulding and the union officials have rarely had much to do. Usually any matters arising are dealt with in an unofficial and friendly way. This is true for the stores area as well.One of the stores personnel is the shop steward but the job is something of a sinecure. Where changes are made the manager informs the steward.There are also annual pay negotiations to deal with.Apart from this there is little call on the steward to do very much.

Very recentlythe union's regionaloffice sent out someliteratureontheworkings oftheSexDiscriminationAct andEqual PayAct and saidtheywereinstigating a drive toenforcethe letterand theintentofthe law.Waterhead Mouldings wastargeted by the unionas one place wherethere might besome workto be done to bring the firm's practices into line. The unofficialsenior steward wenttoseeJimBolton,the PersonnelOfficertoraisethe issueof equality. After somediscussion thetwo agreedthata small committee should be setup to investigate this areaofthe firm'soperations. Bothagreed that neither knew much about thesubject orhowwellthe firmwasimplementing the law. Theyalsoagreed that the committeewouldhave to includesome women. Subsequentlythecommittee wasformallyconstituted.It included thePersonnel Officer, asthechair, afemale representative from theoffice (albeitnotaunionofficial, astheofficeunion representativewas currently aman),afemale representative from the production department (again not theofficialunion representative) and theofficemanager. Itwasagreed that in theevent of atie thecommittee would votefora changeinfavour offemale membersof staff.

Thecommitteemet quite frequently initially, then lessoften astheyseemedto lose momentum. They foundanumberofinstancesofdiscrimination in the firmand alsoitwasnoted that thesenior positionsin the firmwere all occupiedby men. For the latter itwasdecided to positivelyassist womenin the junior positions to take trainingcourses andfor them to begiventheopportunityto perform jobs thatwould enhancetheir potential for promotion. In the manufacturing department thissolution couldnotworkas all theoperatives weremen. The firmsaidtheywould consider employing womeninsuchpositions but there had never beenanyapplications fromwomenforsuchjobs. Ironically itwasthe unionswho wereheld to blame for the male dominationofthetoolmaking tradewiththeir recruitment policies for apprenticeships.

Itwasin thestoresthat therewerefound to beconsiderableproblems.Therewerethreegrades of store person (exceptthatallthe documentation referredtothemas storemen). Thecommittee was concernedthat thisareain particular needed to be investigated thoroughly as therewere anumberofdiscriminatorysituations. Afurthercomplicationthatcameto light,after enquiriesinto pay rates,wasthat the malestoremenhada slightlyhigher rateofpay than thewomen.This hadarisenhistoricallyasthe resultof a claimthat men had to doallthe liftingworkedand had to climb upsteepladdersonto amezzanine floor that thewomen wouldnotgoup to. The differentialamountedto2.2pper hour.

Question 1

Evaluate why trade unions are using equity in pay as the basis of negotiations whilst management or employers are using productivity as the basis? (3 marks)

Question 2

Critically analyse the case study and discuss the situations where the trade union and the employer are in healthy competition? (3 marks)

Question 3

Critically evaluate the case study and discuss the situations where the trade union and the employer have unhealthy conflict? (3 marks)

Question 4

Critically discuss the organization politics or power competition between the trade unions and management of Water Moulding Company from the case study? (3 marks)

Question 5

Critically discuss the managerial dilemma in the form of dilemma of cultures that existed in Water Mould Company as depicted in the case study? (3 marks)