Laws That Govern Industrial Relations in Kenya

LAWS THAT GOVERN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS IN KENYA

Introduction

According to Adrmstrong, (2006), Industrial relations can be regarded as a system or web of rules regulating employment and the ways in which people behave at work. The system theory of industrial relations as propounded by Dunlop (1958) states that the role of the system is to produce regulations and procedural rules that govern how much is distributed in the bargaining process and how the parties involved or ‘actors' in the industrial relations relate to one another.

While Graham & Bennett (1998), state that, Industrial relations may be regarded as all the rules, practices and conventions governing interactions between managements and their work forces, normally involving collective employee representation and bargaining, The rules of Industrial relations define procedures for settling wages and conditions of work, for resolving disputes and dealing with conflicts, and for implementing a wide range of grievance and disciplinary processes. Rules may be written or verbally agreed, internally formulated or externally imposed e.g. through government legislation.

Objectives of Industrial relation according to Saleemi (1997)

1. Safeguarding the interests of labour and management by securing the highest level of mutual understanding and goodwill among all those workers and sections in the industry which participate in the process of production

2. Avoiding the industrial conflicts or strife and developing harmonious relations, which are absolutely essential for improving productivity and industrial progress

3. Raising productivity to a higher level by reducing absenteeism and labour turnover

4. Establishing and nursing the growth of an industrial democracy based on labour partnership in the sharing of profits and of management decisions so that an individual can grow to his fullest potential and contribute to the industry as well as country

5. Eliminating the possible strikes, and...