Employee relations refer to the formal and informal relationships between managers and employees. They include contractual obligations, communication, joint decision-making, problem-solving, collective bargaining, grievance policies, employee development and welfare. Unions often play an important role in these areas. Grievances are a common method used by workers and unions to resolve workplace problems. There are two types of grievances - individual grievances involving single employees, and collective grievances involving groups of workers. Grievance handling procedures typically involve multiple stages of escalation within the organization and may ultimately be referred to government bodies if unresolved.

1. Employee Relations
Employee relations refer to the interrelationships, both formal and informal, bet
ween managers and whom they manage. Such relations embrace:
- The contractual obligations between employers and the employed
- Communication policy and practice
- Joint decision making
- Joint problem solving
- Collective bargaining
- Individual grievance and disciplinary policy and practice
- Social responsibility
- Employee development
- Employee welfare
In most of the situations noted above, the trade union plays an important
role. However, it is not a prerequisite since employee relations can be carried ou
t in a non-unionized organization as in a unionized organization.
The major parties to employee relations are primarily individual employe
es and their managers. Other parties may include the ‘employers’ association re
presentatives, trade union representatives, and other third parties such as the gov
ernment and government bodies; courts and tribunals.
Managers tend to see employee relations in terms of activities bordering on: cre
ating and maintaining employee motivation, obtaining commitment from the wo
rk force, establishing mutually beneficial channels of communication throughou
t the organization, achieving high levels of efficiency, negotiating terms and con
ditions of employment with employee representatives, and engaging in power tu
ssle with trade unions. Employers’ association representatives would tend to sha
re this view.
Trade Unionists see employee relations as: collective bargaining about terms an
d conditions of employment, representing individuals and groups of individuals
in conflict with their management, improving the ability of employees to influen
ce events in the workplace, and regulating relations with other trade unions.

2. Individual employee does see employee relations in the light of opportunity to i
mprove their conditions of employment, voice any grievance, exchange views a
nd ideas with management, as well as share in decision making.
Third parties, such as government, ministers, arbitrators, judges and civil servan
ts may see employee relations in terms of maintaining a harmonious relation at
work, creating a framework of rules of fair conduct in employer employee relati
ons, representing the communities in dealing with the consequences of internal
conflicts or decisions made within individual organizations, establishing machin
ery for peaceful settlement of disputes in the advent of a breakdown of employe
e employer relations, achieving a prosperous society with justice.
Given the above differing perspective it is not surprising to see some degree of
conflict existing in such a relation. To maintain industrial harmony, there is a ne
ed to put in place effective tool and procedure for grievance handling.
Grievance Handling
The word grievance is usually defined as the violation of one or more provision
s of the collective agreement. Grievances can also be filed when laws have been
violated or when long time practices have been changed. Grievances are the mo
st common method used by stewards/workers at the workplace to resolve proble
ms when all informal methods fail.
Types of Grievance in the Workplace
There are two types of grievance:
Individual Grievance
Any problem between an employee and his/her employer is an individual grieva
nce, for example, problems between an employee and his supervisor or head of
department. Most often these are cases of injustice, unfair treatment, alleged vio
lation of company rules etc.
Collective Grievance
This involves a group of workers and employer at the work place. For example,
the implementation of minimum wage or a collective agreement.
Grievance Handling Procedure

3. This is a problem solving system. It usually has a number of distinct stages whic
h depends on it being either an individual or collective grievance. In the case of
an individual grievance, the grievance is usually processed through several stag
es as outlined in the collective agreement between the two parties. Collective gri
evance is often resolved through the union management meeting.
Stage I
Grievance definition: It is expected that the union representative (shop steward)
should examine the complaint to establish whether it is a grievance or not. The f
ollowing can be checked
- Is it a violation of the law?
- Is it a violation of an agreement?
- Is it a violation of company rule?
- Is it a violation in the area of management responsibility?
Stage II
It is expected that union representative after ascertaining that the complaint is a
grievance takes up the matter with a sectional head. If the grievance cannot be s
ettled at this level, it shall be raised with the head of department by the branch a
nd local secretary.
Stage III
If the department head and the union secretary fail to find a solution, the matter
is then referred to the union’s organizing and or industrial relations secretary ov
erseeing the zone.
Stage IV
At this stage the organizing secretary takes the matter up with the personnel ma
nager. If the matter remains unsolved then the organizing secretary with the bra
nch executive refers the matter to the national secretariat for action.
Stage V

4. The national secretariat takes up the matter with the managing director or whate
ver name the head of the organization is called.
Stage VI
If the case is not settled between the national secretary and the head of the organ
ization, it is referred to the joint negotiating council.
Stage VII
In the event of the issue not being solved, it may be referred by either party to th
e federal ministry of labour and productivity in line with the provision of legisla
tions on trade dispute.