2. Grievances
• A grievance is a formal dispute between an
employee & management on the conditions of
employment.
• Grievances are complaints that have been formally
registered in accordance with the grievance
procedure.
• A grievance is any dissatisfaction or feeling of
injustice in connection with one’s employment
situation that is brought to the attention of the
management. 2
3. Grievance must fall under the
following category:
• Amenities
• Compensation
• Conditions of work
• Continuity of service
• Disciplinary action
• Fines
• Leave
• Medical benefits
• Nature of job
• Payments
• Promotions
• Safety environment
• Super Annuation
• Supersession
• Transfers
• Victimisation
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4. W’s of Grievance Handling
• WHO is involved
• WHEN did it happen
• WHERE did it happen
• WHAT happened (EXACTLY)
• WHY is it grieve-able
• WHEN must the grievance be filed
• WHAT are the deadline dates
• WHAT must be done
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5. Guidance for writing Grievance
• The Situation
– Who, what, when & where
• The Contention
– Why is it grieve-able
• The Remedy
– What is needed to remedy the situation
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6. Grievance - Reasons
• Economic
– Wage fixation, wage computation, overtime, bonus
– Employees feel they are getting less than what they ought to get
• Working Environment
– Poor working conditions, defective equipment and machinery, tools,
materials.
• Supervision
– Disposition of the boss towards the employee perceived notions of favoritism,
nepotism, bias etc.
• Work Group
– Strained relations or incompatibility with peers. Feeling of neglect, obstruction
and victimization.
• Work Organization
– Rigid and unfair rules, too much less work responsibility, lack of recognition
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7. Grievance - Source
Managerial Conditions Working Conditions Personal Factors
Pay Scale or Wage
rates
Overtime
Benefits –
Promotions,
Incentives, Seniority
and Discharges.
Lack of role clarity
Autocratic Leadership
style of supervisors.
Lack regards for
collective agreement.
Unrealistic
Non availability of
proper tool, machines
and equipment for
doing the job.
Tight production
standards
Bad working conditions
Poor relationship with
the supervisor.
Negative approach to
discipline.
Narrow attitude
Over ambition
Egoistic Personality
Non- cooperative.
Personal Problems
outside factory
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8. Grievance - Effects
• Loss of interest in work
• Poor quality of production
• Low production
• Increase in wastage or costs
• Indiscipline
• Unrest
• Increase in accidents
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9. Grievance - Effects
• On Production
– Low quality of production, Low productivity, Increase
in wastage, Increase in cost of production.
• On Employees
– Increased absenteeism, Reduction in level of
commitment, Increase in accidents, Reduced level of
employee moral.
• On Managers
– Strained superior- subordinate relations, Need for
increased supervision/control and follow up, Increase
in unrest.
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10. Do’s
• Identify the relief the union is
seeking.
• Fully inform your own superior of
grievance matters.
• Hold discussions privately.
• Command the respect of the
union representatives.
• Examine the grievant’s personal
record.
• Treat the union representative as
your equal.
• Get the union to identify specific
contractual provisions allegedly
violated.
• Enforce the contractual time
limits.
Don’t’s
• Discuss the case with the union
steward alone; the grievant
should definitely be there.
• Make agreements with
individuals that are inconsistent
with the labour arrangements.
• Hold back the remedy if the
company is wrong.
• Admit the binding effect of a past
practice.
• Relinquish your authority to the
union.
• Apply the grievance remedy to an
improper grievance.
• Argue grievance issues off the
work premises.
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11. Benefits of Grievance Handling
• It encourages employees to raise concerns
without fear of reprisal.
• It provides a fair & speedy means of dealing of
grievances.
• It prevents minor disagreements developing
into more serious disputes.
• It saves employer’s time & money as solutions
are found for workplace problems.
• It helps build in organisational climate based
on openness and trust.
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13. Grievance Redressal Machinery
• A grievance procedure is a formal process which is
preliminary to an arbitration, which enables the parties
involved to attempt to resolve their differences in a
peaceful, orderly and expeditious manner,
• It enables the company and the trade union to investigate
and discuss the problem at issue without in any way
interrupting the peaceful and orderly conduct of business.
• When the grievance redressal machinery works effectively,
it satisfactorily resolves most of the disputes between
labour and management.
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14. 14
3 Step Procedure
1 Steward and Aggrieved employee Foreman
2 Shop Committee General Manager
3 Arbitration by an impartial 3rd
party
4 Step Procedure
1 Steward and Aggrieved employee Foreman
2 Shop Committee Personnel Manager
3 Local union officers President
4 Arbitration by an impartial 3rd
party
15. 15
5 Step Procedure
1 Steward or Aggrieved employee Foreman
2 Business Agent IR Officer
3 Company Grievance Committee Plant Manager
4 Regional rep of union Corporate Management
5 Arbitration by an impartial 3rd
party
17. Grievance Procedure Steps in
Unionised Organizations
In a unionized organisation, the operation of the grievance
may contain the following steps:
Step 1: The aggrieved employee verbally explains his
grievance to his immediate supervisor or in a conference or
a discussion specifically arranged
for the purpose. The employee seeks satisfaction from his
supervisor.
The grievance can be settled if the supervisor has been
properly trained for the purpose, and if he adheres strictly
to a basic problem-solving method.
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18. Step 2: The second step begins when the grievance is not
settled by the supervisor. In this case, it is sent to a higher
level manager with a note in which are mentioned the
time, place and nature of the action to which the employee
objects. The higher level manager goes into the grievance
and gives his decision on the matter.
Step 3: This means that the grievance is to be submitted to
the Grievance Committee since the decisions of the
supervisor and of the higher level manager have not solved
the problem. This committee, which is composed of some
fellow-employees, the shop steward or a
combination of union and management representatives,
considers the record and may suggest a possible solution.
It may call upon the grievant to accept the employer's
proposed settlement.
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19. Step 4: If the decision or suggestion of the
Grievance Committee is not accepted by the
grievant, he may approach the management
or the corporate executive.
Step 5: The final step is taken when the
grievance is referred to an arbitrator who is
acceptable to the employee as well as the
management.
They may agree beforehand that the arbitrator's
award will be final and binding on both the
parties.
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