Employee workplace representation: an analysis of selected determinants
Date
2010-05-21T07:28:37Z
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Abstract
Vaatamata asjaolule, et ametiühingute liikmelisus on maailmas viimasel ajal pidevalt vähenenud, on töötajate esindamist ning sotsiaaldialoogi Euroopa Liidus järjest enam tähtsustatud. Töötajate esindatus töökohas on aluseks töötajate esindusorganisatsioonide kujunemisele. Üleminekuperioodi algusest on peamise töötajate esindusorganisatsiooni, ametiühingute, liikmelisus endistes Balti riikides pidevalt ning väga kiirelt vähenenud.
Uuring on nelja Balti riikides töötajate esindust käsitleva artikli kogumik. Käesoleva töö ülesandeks on analüüsida, miks töötajad soovivad olla esindatud ettevõtte tasandil ning millised töötajate suhtumised ning esinduse struktuurid selgitavad esindatuse taset Balti riikides.
Töötajate otsus ametiühinguga liituda sõltub sellest, mida oodatakse, et ametiühing on võimeline saavutama ja ametiühingu võime midagi saavutada sõltub sellest, kui paljud inimesed osalevad. Indiviidi tasandi andmete põhjal analüüsitakse töötajate hinnanguid esindamisele ja ametiühingutele Balti riikides. Töö tulemusena leitakse, et Balti riikides on töötajate soov olla ametiühingu kaudu esindatud madal. Madal on nii ametiühingu liikmelisus kui ka nende töötajate osatähtsus, kes ei ole esindatud ametiühingute poolt, aga sooviksid olla. Samas leiti uuringus, et Balti riikides on üks teoreetilises kirjanduses varem käsitlemata oluline ja suur grupp töötajaid, kes ei oska otsustada, kas nad soovivad ametiühingu esindust ning neid iseloomustab ka see, et nad ei tea, kuidas ametiühingud funktsioneerivad ning millist kasu sellest võiks saada. Samas näitab ametiühingute üldine maine ning üldisem ootus nende vajalikkusele seda, et ametiühinguid tervikuna ei peeta ebaoluliseks. Samuti ei leitud, et ametiühinguvälised töötajate esindajad oluliselt asendaksid ametiühinguid.
Even if there is the political will to maintain the role of social partners in designing and implementing labour market policy, social dialogue can take place only if representative social partners exist. Against the background of declining trade union membership and very low membership levels in the Baltic countries, the question can be raised of the appropriateness of these policies. The thesis is a collection of four original publications. The thesis focuses on the question of why employees decide to be represented, specifically by joining or creating trade unions or establishing non-union representation in the workplace, and how employee attitudes might be formed in a way that explains the low level of representation in the Baltic countries. The decision to join a trade union is a simultaneous decision with the outcome is achieved by unions. In the thesis, individual attitudes about representation and trade unions are analysed in Baltic countries. The share of employees who want to be represented by trade unions, is found to be low. There is low both union membership and the share of those who are not represented but who express the desire to be represented. However, there is a third separate group who is not analysed in the theoretical literature, the ‘undecided’, who have difficulties in forming an opinion as to whether they want union re¬pre¬sentation or not. Those who are undecided have the hardest time in deciding whether unions bring benefits to their members and how trade unions function. However, the overall image of trade unions and general expectations about the need for trade unions in the contemporary labour market show that trade unions are not regarded as unnecessary institutions. Also, it was not found that alternative representation mechanisms substitute trade unions.
Even if there is the political will to maintain the role of social partners in designing and implementing labour market policy, social dialogue can take place only if representative social partners exist. Against the background of declining trade union membership and very low membership levels in the Baltic countries, the question can be raised of the appropriateness of these policies. The thesis is a collection of four original publications. The thesis focuses on the question of why employees decide to be represented, specifically by joining or creating trade unions or establishing non-union representation in the workplace, and how employee attitudes might be formed in a way that explains the low level of representation in the Baltic countries. The decision to join a trade union is a simultaneous decision with the outcome is achieved by unions. In the thesis, individual attitudes about representation and trade unions are analysed in Baltic countries. The share of employees who want to be represented by trade unions, is found to be low. There is low both union membership and the share of those who are not represented but who express the desire to be represented. However, there is a third separate group who is not analysed in the theoretical literature, the ‘undecided’, who have difficulties in forming an opinion as to whether they want union re¬pre¬sentation or not. Those who are undecided have the hardest time in deciding whether unions bring benefits to their members and how trade unions function. However, the overall image of trade unions and general expectations about the need for trade unions in the contemporary labour market show that trade unions are not regarded as unnecessary institutions. Also, it was not found that alternative representation mechanisms substitute trade unions.
Description
Väitekirja elektroonilisest versioonist puuduvad publikatsioonid.
Keywords
ametiühingud