IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/tkp/ijsrsy/v3y2014i1p27-43.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Employment and Remuneration Trends in Polish Hard Coal Mines in the Context of the Relations Between Boards and Trade Unions

Author

Listed:
  • Izabela Jonek-Kowalska

    (Silesian University of Technology, Poland)

Abstract

Purpose – The main purpose of the article is to identify the economic and financial consequences of a lack of cooperation between trade unions and the board in the Polish hard coal mining industry. Design/methodology/approach – The data from 24 hard coal mines were used in research to determine the level of remuneration and total productivity as well as connections between their values in the examined mining enterprises in the years 2005–2012. The Author formulated three research questions: (Q1) Is the increase in employee remuneration in the examined mining enterprises justified by the increase in workforce productivity? (Q2) Does the decrease in employment and excavation in the examined mining enterprises result in remuneration and total cost reduction? (Q3) What is the role of trade unions in determining efficiency in the examined enterprises? Findings – In the examined mining enterprises, trade unions mainly satisfy pay demands of employees as well as members of the board of trade unions in complete isolation from the current market situation and financial results of the examined enterprises. Research limitations/implication – Research results concern not only state-owned Polish mining enterprises but may also provide valuable information about the consequences of excessive privileges of trade unions for other industries. Practical implications – The results should help the union representatives to understand the role of economic priorities in surviving the mining industry in Poland. Research results and conclusions may be used in negotiations with trade unions and in shaping relations between trade unions and the board. Social implications – Research results should also be helpful in understanding the economic consequences of pay demands and absolute protection of workplaces by social stakeholders of mining enterprises. They could help in shaping attitudes of trade unionists in the process of restructuring negotiations. Originality/value – Originality of the research undertaken is connected with a microeconomic view of the examined mining enterprises and treating them as groups of 24 hard coal mines. An important aspect of the considerations conducted is also to present the role of trade unions in shaping remuneration and financial results of the examined mining enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Izabela Jonek-Kowalska, 2014. "Employment and Remuneration Trends in Polish Hard Coal Mines in the Context of the Relations Between Boards and Trade Unions," International Journal of Synergy and Research, ToKnowPress, vol. 3(1), pages 27-43.
    • Handle: RePEc:tkp:ijsrsy:v:3:y:2014:i:1:p:27-43
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.toknowpress.net/ISSN/2083-0025/315-538-1-SM.pdf
    File Function: full text in English
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alejandro Donado & Klaus Wa¨lde, 2012. "How trade unions increase welfare," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 122(563), pages 990-1009, September.
    2. Anna Rakowska & Marzena Cichorzewska, 2012. "Instances of Corporate Social Responsibility in CoalMining: An Exampleof Chosen PolishMines," Knowledge and Learning: Global Empowerment; Proceedings of the Management, Knowledge and Learning International Conference 2012,, International School for Social and Business Studies, Celje, Slovenia.
    3. Goerke, Laszlo & Hillesheim, Inga, 2013. "Relative consumption, working time, and trade unions," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 170-179.
    4. Paul Fenn & Simon Ashby, 2004. "Workplace Risk, Establishment Size and Union Density," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 42(3), pages 461-480, September.
    5. Smith, Shirley M. & Shepherd, Derek D. & Dorward, Peter T., 2012. "Perspectives on community representation within the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative: Experiences from south-east Madagascar," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 241-250.
    6. Smith, Shirley M. & Dorward, Peter T., 2014. "Nationalised large-scale mining, trade unions and community representation: Perspectives from Northern Madagascar," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 31-41.
    7. Chaojie LIU, 2011. "Failures of enterprise-level unionization in China: Implications for coalmine safety and beyond," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 150(1-2), pages 163-175, June.
    8. Goerke, Laszlo & Pannenberg, Markus, 2011. "Trade union membership and dismissals," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 810-821.
    9. Michael D. Bordo & Claudia Goldin & Eugene N. White, 1998. "The Defining Moment: The Great Depression and the American Economy in the Twentieth Century," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number bord98-1, June.
    10. Jan Czarzasty & Katarzyna Gajewska & Adam Mrozowicki, 2014. "Institutions and Strategies: Trends and Obstacles to Recruiting Workers into Trade Unions in Poland," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 52(1), pages 112-135, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Molinder, Jakob & Karlsson, Tobias & Enflo, Kerstin, 2022. "Social democracy and the decline of strikes," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    2. Alejandro Donado, 2015. "Why Do Unionized Workers Have More Nonfatal Occupational Injuries?," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 68(1), pages 153-183, January.
    3. Lujala, Päivi, 2018. "An analysis of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative implementation process," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 358-381.
    4. Enflo, Kerstin & Molinder, Jakob & Karlsson, Tobias, 2018. "The Power Resource Theory Revisited: What Explains the Decline in Industrial Conflicts in Sweden?," CEPR Discussion Papers 13130, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Dike, Onyemaechi, 2019. "Informal employment and work health risks: Evidence from Cambodia," MPRA Paper 92943, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 24 Mar 2019.
    6. Uwe Jirjahn, 2013. "Der Beitrag der Arbeitsmarktökonomik zur Erforschung von Gewerkschaften und Tarifvertragsbeziehungen in Deutschland," Research Papers in Economics 2013-03, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    7. Chiaki Moriguchi, 2005. "Did American Welfare Capitalists Breach Their Implicit Contracts during the Great Depression? Preliminary Findings from Company-Level Data," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 59(1), pages 51-81, October.
    8. Calomiris, Charles W. & Mason, Joseph R. & Wheelock, David C., 2011. "Did Doubling Reserve Requirements Cause the Recession of 1937-1938? A Microeconomic Approach," Working Papers 11-03, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Weiss Center.
    9. Alex Bryson, 2016. "Health and safety risks in Britain's workplaces: where are they and who controls them?," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5-6), pages 547-566, November.
    10. Melanie K. Jones & Paul L. Latreille & Peter J. Sloane, 2016. "Job Anxiety, Work-Related Psychological Illness and Workplace Performance," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(4), pages 742-767, December.
    11. Juan Carlos Cuestas & Karsten Staehr, 2014. "The great (De)leveraging in the GIIPS countries. Domestic credit and net foreign liabilities 1998–2013," Bank of Estonia Working Papers wp2014-4, Bank of Estonia, revised 10 Oct 2014.
    12. Charles Godfred Ackah & Asaah S. Mohammed, 2018. "Local content law and practice: The case of the oil and gas industry in Ghana," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-152, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. Uwe Jirjahn, 2021. "Foreign ownership and intra-firm union density in Germany," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 42(4), pages 1052-1079, November.
    14. Fenet Jima Bedaso & Uwe Jirjahn, 2024. "Immigrants and trade union membership: Does integration into society and workplace play a moderating role?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 62(2), pages 262-292, June.
    15. Maurice Obstfeld, 2020. "Globalization Cycles," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 6(1), pages 1-12, March.
    16. Adrian Chadi & Laszlo Goerke, 2023. "Seeking shelter in times of crisis? unemployment, perceived job insecurity and trade union membership," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 90(359), pages 1041-1088, July.
    17. Rustad, Siri Aas & Le Billon, Philippe & Lujala, Päivi, 2017. "Has the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative been a success? Identifying and evaluating EITI goals," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 151-162.
    18. Jonathan D. Rose, 2023. "Old-Fashioned Deposit Runs," Quarterly Journal of Finance (QJF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 13(03), pages 1-31, September.
    19. Michael D. Bordo & David C. Wheelock, 2006. "When do stock market booms occur? the macroeconomic and policy environments of 20th century booms," Working Papers 2006-051, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    20. Winkler, Adalbert, 2013. "Der lender of last resort vor Gericht," Frankfurt School - Working Paper Series 206, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:tkp:ijsrsy:v:3:y:2014:i:1:p:27-43. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Maks Jezovnik (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.toknowpress.net/journals .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.