Method Of Industrial Democracy In Britain
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Industrial democracy in Britain has always been through the process of collective bargaining. However, in the 1970s, the Trade Union Congress has followed the objective of giving workers’ representatives equal rights on the company boards of directors along with the representatives of the shareholders.
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Industrial democracy usually refers to the power to negotiate and deliberate that is given to workers or their representatives. Industrial democracy in Britain is not just confined to middle class idealists or shrewd managers. It encompasses trade union, Labor parliamentary leaders and labor intellectuals.
Advocates of industrial democracy in Britain point that the productivity and service delivery increases from a more fully engaged and happier workforce. Industrial democracy also results in a better communication in the workplace with improved and inclusive decision making process.
Industrial democracy has been strongly promoted by the Confederation of British Industry since 1979 and it gradually found its way into the public sector in the 1980se. The methods of industrial democracy in Britain are classified as follows:
- Direct one-way communication
- Direct two-way communication
Direct one-way communication give employees information of different issues affecting their organization and the employee’s interests in them. However, the management still controls the amount of information to be dispensed.
Direct two-way communication facilitates the flow of information from the employees to the management, and there is generally two way communication and it generates trust and openness so that genuine feedback is given. The major forms of direct two-way communication include staff attitude surveys, staff meetings, problem solving groups, quality circles, health and safety committees, staff appraisals and financial involvement.
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