Background to the Research
- There have been dramatic
changes in the world of work since the 1970s.
- Then, for example, collective
institutions run by trade unions and employers and supported by government
were dominant. Legislation in employment relations was still underdeveloped.
Since then, however, collectivism has been in governmentally-approved
retreat and legal developments have increased the number of statutory
rights in employment available to individuals.There is also greater
concern with the link between human resource management and business
performance.
- This chapter examines these
changes and the impact they have had on the world of work in NI. It
examines the structure of employment and skills; trade union density;
attitudes to jobs and working time; working conditions and work motivation;
employment management; industrial disputes; earnings, and employment
legislation.
Research
Approach
- The data used by the author come mainly
from the 2000 NILT survey although results are also presented from
other surveys and from previous NILT surveys.
- The NILT survey began in 1998 and is carried
out annually. Interviews are conducted with a random selection of
adults (aged 18 years and over) who live in private households in
NI.
- The sample size for the 2000 NILT survey
was 1,800 respondents although some modules were asked of only half
the sample.
- The sample size for the work orientations
module was 900.
Main
Findings
- The working-age employment rate in summer
2001 was 68.5% in NI, which is lower than the UK average of 74.6%.
- In NI, 35% of employees were in Public
Administration, Education and Health in 2000, compared with the UK
average of 25%; only 10% of employees in NI were in Banking,
Finance and Insurance compared 18% in the UK.
- Part-time employment in NI, which makes
up 21% of the total, is less prevalent than in the UK as a whole,
where 25% of employees are part time.
- 25% of those in employment in NI have a
degree or some form of higher-educational qualification while 29% have no qualifications at all.
- Trade union membership in NI has shown
a small increase from 1996 to 2000, up from 235,000 in 1996 to 244,000
in December 2000.
- 63% of NILT respondents disagree with the
statement that 'there is no need for strong trade unions to protect
employee's working conditions and wages'.
- 43% of respondents agree that 'a job is
just a way of earning money - no more' with more males (49%) than
females (38%) agreeing.
- 16% of respondents say they would like
to spend more time in a paid job and there is no gender diference.
- The ability to decide their times or days
of work (flexitime) is important to 49% of respondents with only 14%
considering it to be unimportant.
- 31% of the workforce report that they
find work stressful always or often while 37% always or often arrive
home from work exhausted.
- Despite this, 83% of respondents in employment
are satisfied in their job.
- Just over one third (36%) of those in employment
say they make a point of doing the best work they can, even if it
sometimes does interfere with the rest of their lives while 13% say they only work as hard as they have to.
- Relations in the workplace between management
and employees are fairly satisfactory, with 70% of employees saying
relations are good while 85% describe relations between workmates
and colleagues as good, and only 2% say they are quite bad.
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