The Impact of Strike Action on Blackwing Aeronautics
A strike is an acceptable form of industrial action in Singapore if it complies with the various standards set forth by labour legislation, such as the Trade Unions Act and the Trade Disputes Act(Kheng, 2015). Employees at Blackwings Aeronautics may be required to comply with these for their strike to be recognised as valid.
- Employees of Gas, Water, Electricity, and Other Essential Services (without 14 days’ notice) are not authorised to participate in the strike outside of the Identified Essential Industries and Services (Criminal Law, Temporary Provisions Act). As a result, Blackwings employees should give two weeks’ notice(OECD 2022).
- Supported by a majority vote provides evidence via a secret ballot demonstrating that most members are confident in the strike’s cause. It’s also a good idea to have the record of the employees’ secret ballots ready.
- Submission of a Notice of Intention to Strike must be signed by seven workers (trade union members) and given to the employer and the NTUC Commissioner three days before the strike date, with 30-day validity. Members of the Blackwings employees’ Union should make this happen within the specified time frame.
- Increased Pressure on the Company: Due to a temporary halt in operations, the management of Blackwings Aeronautics will be under increased pressure. This will pressure Blackwings Aeronautics’ management to listen to the employees’ perspectives on the labour conflict.
- Enhanced Solidarity: Members of a trade or labour union would form stronger bonds due to their members’ involvement in the topic they are fighting for. This solidarity may also pressure Blackwings Aeronautics’ management to share their views on labour practices.
- Checks and Balances are implemented: As a lawful industrial action, this will make Blackwings Aeronautics management believe that they cannot simply execute an unfair labour practice. Otherwise, they’ll have to deal with the consequences of the employees’ strike.
- Risk of Riots: An employee strike could turn violent if Blackwings Aeronautics employees demonstrate great confidence in the interest and purpose they are seeking to advance, and uniformed officials use force to stop them. When disagreements and frustrations cannot be resolved, riots may occur.
- Negative Perception of Strike Participants: Blackwings Aeronautics may see strike participants negatively since they are engaged in a halt of critical work to the firm that pays their salary.
- Stoppage of Operations: When operations are paused, the consequences affect Blackwings not only Aeronautics but also other employees who did not participate because they have to work even if other people in operations are delaying their job, as well as customers and company partners because of stoppage of operations can result in minimal output to be sold or inputs to partner suppliers.
Strike action may not be the best option for Blackwing Aeronautics and its employees. Aside from the various implications of striking, such as the impact of halted operations, poor perception of strike participants, and the potential of riots and violence, the entire air transportation business may be impacted(Low, 2020). Due to a shortfall in Blackwing Aeronautics’ operations, this would result in a shortage of airline transportation services for the general population. Because Blackwing Aeronautics is classified as an essential services company under the Criminal Law’s Temporary Provisions Act, there will be a severe time limit for filing the notice of intent to strike before they can prove that their strike is legitimate and valid. Finally, because the area of interest falls under unfair labour practise, employee members of the trade union can present the evidence first, then consult for negotiation and bargaining through an agreement, so that management will listen to their request positively rather than giving a negative and conflicting perception on the part of management, who still has the discretion to approve or deny their request.
One of the most difficult aspects of working relationships is tripartism. After Blackwing Company Union told them that some of their employees would be laid off, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) reacted quickly at the national level. Blackwing’s retrenchment was halted when the Blackwing union intervened. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) also denounced Blackwing’s actions for failing to consult them and following the tripartite advice. Despite continuing negotiations, Blackwing Company failed to consult with the Blackwing Singapore Employees Union (BSEU) before retrenchment plans(Yosifov, 2019).
Another issue that the Blackwing Union had to deal with was expanding union representation. Their union membership appeared to be dwindling, maybe due to junior management staff joining their Union because the firm management did not acknowledge their bargaining strength. They have a well-educated workforce, allowing them to meet demand, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from their salary concerns, Blackwing requires solid employee relations so that both workers and management collaborate on training, productivity, and healthy workplace programmes(Kochan et al., 2019).
The Blackwing Company needs to plan for the ageing of its staff. This is accomplished through promoting lifelong learning and behaviours that are age-friendly. This could have been useful in the instance of Blackwing Company, which was having financial difficulties and was about to lay off many employees. If Blackwing had adopted workplace health programmes and work-life practises, their employees would have been better prepared mentally in an emergency(Poplawski-Ribeiro, 2020).
Blackwing is a more productive and competitive corporation; its employees make more money, making it difficult to keep them employed during the pandemic. The Blackwing Union’s leadership should have gone through training to cope with challenging IR circumstances like unjust retrenchment. This training would have also equipped them to foster positive labour-management interactions with Blackwing management(Müller Vandaele & Waddington, 2019).
Tripartism and Union Representation
The Ministry of Manpower could also help retrenched workers by implementing stress management courses, work skills training, and better job matching. Blackwing Union would assist low-wage workers through the National Trades Union Congress’s (NTUC) workplace, workforce bonus plan, and assistance programme. Blackwing could have improved worker quality and motivation with world-class HR procedures and staff development plans. Because the current system is incapable of cushioning downturns such as those seen during COVID-19, Blackwing requires a flexible wage system to avoid the issue of retrenchment(Yip et al., 2021).
A changing labour force, such as Blackwing’s educated female workforce and an ageing workforce, impacts its usual operations, such as its capacity to pay employees during a pandemic. Because of technology and virtual organisations, Blackwing is compelled to implement e-business and virtual offices, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Outsourcing enables businesses to hire outside service providers, focusing more on their core business(Jung et al., 2018). The knowledge-based economy may impact Blackwing since they need individuals with the proper skills and know-how to develop new goods to maintain a competitive edge. The Blackwing Company was accused of unfair retrenchment to reduce the number of employees due to high pay costs, which NTUC and BSEU both opposed.
The requirements that must be fulfilled before a strike
A strike is defined as an employee’s refusal to work due to a disagreement between the employer and the employee over employment terms or circumstances. Blackwing Company is an essential service and, therefore, its Union is required to give notice 14 days before they start their strike, must have delivered notice to company management, which must be signed by at least 7 Black Union representatives(Pringle & Meng, 2018).
Since the outcome is an adjudicated decision, proceeding to arbitration at the Industrial Court (IAC) is the best approach to address this union issue. This legal procedure is the most effective approach to resolve labour conflicts, such as those at the Blackwing firm(Wang, 2022). Employees at Blackwing had already expressed their problems to their Union at the corporate level, but since the matter had not been resolved, the Union might have sought conciliation from the Ministry of Manpower, but MOM intervention appears to have worked in this case.
To establish a wage system that is more agile and flexible. As a result, wages can buffer economic downturns and help save jobs. Like other aviation firms, Blackwing has been severely harmed financially due to the global COVID-19 pandemic’s restriction on foreign flights. The company had decided to retrench some of its employees as part of cost-cutting initiatives, which was not the greatest way to reduce pay costs(Husin, Kassim, & Rasli, 2021).
Disputes can be resolved by following the proper grievance procedures, whether as an individual employee, employer, or Union and employer(Lorayna & Caelian, 2020). While the company failed to follow the prescribed process and went ahead to retrench some specific individuals before the Union had agreed on the amount, Blackwing Union had negotiations with the company management but had not informed MOM or other platforms(Carnevale & Hatak, 2020).
Effective Workforce Management
Individually and cooperatively, unions play a significant influence. One of the ways to lessen the impact of retrenchment is to assist low-wage workers, who are frequently put in a difficult situation if they are laid off due to their low salaries. On the other hand, the Union can collaborate with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to create workfare initiatives (NWI) for low-wage employees. The Blackwing Union can also educate some members about the significance of enrolling in the Workfare Bonus Scheme (WBS) to prevent the effects of retrenchment if Blackwing had gone ahead with it. The Blackwing Union can also assist low-wage workers by campaigning for a company-sponsored job support programme(Callan et al., 2020).
The Union can get involved in initiatives such as assisting members who have been laid off. This is accomplished by collaborating with institutions or persons who can provide stress management training to those afflicted. Unions can also collaborate with the Ministry of Manpower to provide work skills training and improved job matching for their members and advocate for more frequent training(Yip et al., 2021).
Assisting those laid off owing to poor pay ensures that members remain financially, socially, and psychologically healthy. This, in turn, aids the Union’s goal of bettering the welfare of its members. Helping retrenched members by training and empowering them assures them to survive the impacts of retrenchment in life and move on. One of the Blackwing Union’s goals is to promote the welfare of its members. Another goal of the Blackwing union is to help its members cope with the effects of retrenchment.
It is a crucial method that aids in the resolution of conflicts in the workplace, either before or during the process, and fosters stability. In addition, proactive communication allows the employer to address the main cause of complaints rather than just the symptoms. This ensures that staff are more productive, resulting in more output and profitability. Management would have dug deeper into the situation and looked for another method to resolve the salary dispute(Reno 2016). Rather than treating financial instability as a symptom, Blackwing management would have addressed difficulties with the salary system, resulting in retrenchment.
Communication aids the management of businesses or organisations gather employee feedback on workplace concerns. This helps management better grasp what their employees are going through and what changes need to be made before things worsen. By safeguarding employee contributions, it aids in improving employee performance(Husin, Kassim, & Rasli, 2021).
In Blackwing, proper proactive communication would have allowed management to frequently be aware of employee opinions. This could have aided Blackwing in their discussions to resolve the conflict. Due to a lack of communication from Blacking’s human resources director, the disagreement spread to the media, the National Union, and the Ministry of Manpower. After deciding to halt the retrenchment process, Black Wing Company’s management neglected to own up to their mistake of engaging in unfair retrenchment procedures, which were visible.
Key message
From: Human Resource Executive
Due to lower consumer volume during the Covid-19 outbreak, we are experiencing financial instability as a firm.
Requirements for a Legal Strike at Blackwing Aeronautics
Desired outcome
As a firm, we want to maintain our position as a leader in the aviation industry, both locally and globally. We are also making sure that we are profitable amid the Covid-19 pandemic. During the epidemic, we are equally concerned about the safety of our employees.
Audiences
Our employee
Union Blackwing Singapore Employees Union (BSEU) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).
Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Message
We propose implementing cost-cutting measures as a corporation, such as temporary salary reductions and shorter workweeks, cancellation of merit increases, hiring freezes, and discretionary spending cuts. Before the company recovers from the economic shock, these measures will most likely be implemented for a shorter amount of time. I understand that it will impact our employees and management, but the organisation must be protected from shrinking.
Channels
All stakeholders should be aware that we will have face-to-face communication, meetings, fliers on notice boards, emails, our websites, and our social media platform.
Schedule
An emergency conference will be held at the end of June 2020 to explore these problems in-depth before implementation.
Key performance indicators
We anticipate greater client volumes by the end of 2020 due to government initiatives such as vaccines and the introduction of international flights.
Conclusion
Employee relations are currently being affected by several concerns and challenges in the aviation business. As the sector grows, new legislation develops that can have a favourable or detrimental impact on a company’s operations, depending on its awareness and capacity to execute them. Changes in the labour force, technology and virtual organisations, outsourcing, restructuring, mergers, and downsizing, are just a few of these concerns. Strengthening Tripartism, expanding the scope of union representation, meeting the higher expectations of a more educated workforce, preparing for an ageing workforce, increasing productivity, learning for lifelong employability, assisting retrenched and low-wage workers, and implementing world-class HR practices are just a few of the challenges. Blackwing Aeronautics Singapore (Blackwing) needed other mechanisms, such as a flexible salary system were needed by Blackwing Aeronautics Singapore (Blackwing), to boost worker competitiveness. Proactive employee communication is critical during company or organisation operations because it allows management to understand employee perspectives regularly, address the root cause of grievances rather than just the symptoms, and strengthen Tripartism at national and company levels. However, poor communication from Blackwing’s human resource director caused the disagreement to go outside the corporation, involving other parties such as the National Union and the Ministry of Manpower.
References
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Reno, K. M. (2015). Proactive Communication: An Investigation of Employee Reactions to Organizational Communication Problems.
Wang, Y. (2022). Labour Dispute Settlement. In Chinese Labour Law (pp. 195-216). Springer, Singapore.
Yip, W., Ge, L., Ho, A. H. Y., Heng, B. H., & Tan, W. S. (2021). Building community resilience beyond COVID-19: The Singapore way. The Lancet Regional Health–Western Pacific, 7.
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