SU 6

• Workplace democracy


  Systems that give worker's representatives power and allow workers to manage themselves using various institutional solutions
• Worker's participation


  The involvement of employees in decision-making processes within the work place allowing them to contribute to discussions regarding issues that affect their work and interests
• Principles of workers participationThe involvement of the employee

  • The organisation & planning of the work process
  • The establishment of procedures and future processes
  • Decision-making in various management and policy-making bodies of the organisation
• Trade unions


  Focus on the employer-employee relationship, based on bargaining
• Worker participation


  Promotes co-operation, based on consensus and social economic partnership
• Dimensions of worker participation

  • Degree of control employees enjoy over a particular decision
  • Issues over which workers exercise control
  • Organisational level at which workers exercise control
  • Form of worker participation
• Forms of participation


  • Direct participation
  • Indirect participation
• Direct participation


  Employees are included in the activity or process, individual participation is possible through job enrichment, job expansion, or employment rotation
• Indirect participation


  Collective participation through employee representation, e.g. plant-level committees, joint decision making, financial schemes, supervisory boards, profit-sharing, employee share ownership, co-operative enterprises
• Benefits of worker participation

  • Financial benefits (economic benefits)
  • Contribution to society
• Disadvantages of worker participation

  • Employers worry employees may not share the same goals
  • Employers may be at a disadvantage in the long-term
  • Lack of control from a managerial perspective
  • Time consuming
  • Employees have different views
  • Dilutes unions' role as challenger of traditional managerial decisions
• Implementing a participatory scheme

  1. Consultation with employees and trade unions before

  2. Employers should commit themselves to consultation

  3. Participation should be from bottom upwards and top downwards

  4. Those in managerial positions should be actively involved in the scheme