Introduction

Employment relation is the interaction between any of the actors. Employment relation is
comprised of three major actors, employees/unions, management/employers and the state. They
all have different roles to affect in the employment relations. This essay attempts to examine that
the role of all actors and it focuses on the state as the most significant than the role of other
actors due to the sate has more power than other actors in employment relations. The essay
focuses on definition of all actors and explanation in role of them in employment relation. Also
this paper will evaluate that why the state is most significant than other actors.
Employment relation
The employment relations belong to three sets of actors. The three sets of actors in industrial
relations are employees and their union, employers and management and the state. They work
together with set of rules to develop their better relationship and to share understanding
between actors (Deery & Plowman 1991:5).
Management/employer
The obligation of the management/employer is to hire workers, decide their task and pay for the
task perform by them (Gardner & Palmer 1997:3). They take extreme measures to ensure a
beneficial alliance with particular emphasis placed upon effective communication. Australia
exists a number of employer associations. The management role is to inform any change to their
members in industrial relations, offer advices and train on industrial issues (Alexender & Lewer
1998:95). Such as Chamber of Commerce acts properly to support and promote for their
members prosper and succeed through a productive working partnership with all levels of
government and other organizations.
Employees/union
Many workers do not receive their proper payment or working conditions. Union is an
organization of workers that seeks to improve social being of its members through its action.
Union can get a better deal with employer than each employ...
Actors in the IR system: Three main parties are directly involved in industrial relations:
Employers: Employers possess certain rights vis--vis labors. They have the right to hire and
fire them. Management can also affect workers interests by exercising their right to relocate,
close or merge the factory or to introduce technological changes.
Employees: Workers seek to improve the terms and conditions of their employment. They
exchange views with management and voice their grievances. They also want to share decision
making powers of management. Workers generally unite to form unions against the management
and get support from these unions.
Government: The central and state government influences and regulates industrial relations
through laws, rules, agreements, awards of court ad the like. It also includes third parties and
labor and tribunal courts.
SCOPE: The concept of industrial relations has a very wide meaning and connotation. In the
narrow sense, it means that the employer, employee relationship confines itself to the

relationship that emerges out of the day to day association of the management and the labor. In
its wider sense, industrial relations include the relationship between an employee and an
employer in the course of the running of an industry and may project it to spheres, which may
transgress to the areas of quality control, marketing, price fixation and disposition of profits
among others.
The scope or industrial relations is quite vast. The main issues involved here include the
following:
1. Collective bargaining
2. Machinery for settlement of industrial disputes
3. Standing orders

1. Workers participation in management

2. Unfair labor practices