Supply Chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Supply Chain management - Essay Example The company has since been operating as an automotive giant in the industry. On the other hand, General Motors continued expanding its business by acquiring other companies like Chevrolet and new companies, such as Lincoln Continental, Volkswagen, etc., began entering the market and thus began the competition between the automakers (Aherne, 2007). By this time, General Motors began introducing a variety of vehicles, giving it an edge over over Ford. The present automotive market is much more complex than it used to be a century back as the customers have become more educated, increasing the buyer power. The rivalry in the global automotive market is intense, the threat of substitution is high, there are many barriers faced by new companies trying to enter the market, and it’s mostly in favor of the buyers due to the available options, lower cost of switching brands, and the standardization of the commodity associated with the product (Bradley, et al., 2005). In order to get a competitive advantage in the industry, the companies have no choice but to bring down the manufacturing cost, especially since players from Asia have entered the global market (BERA, 2004). This is where the supply chain management comes in. Supply chain management is defined as â€Å"management of material and information flow in a supply chain to provide the highest degree of customer satisfaction at the lowest possible cost† (Business Dictionary, 2013). The companies in the automotive industry are much dependent on external suppliers for their materials before the vehicle can be assembled together (Helper, 1990). One supplier may be supplying to multiple companies at the same time and may have multiple suppliers themselves. It is estimated that that there are a minimum of six stages in the supply chain from supplying the raw material to assembling the final product (Olhager, 2002). It is thus crucial to ensure a smooth flow in the supply chain to ensure efficient manufactu ring. Some of the popular theories in the supply chain management include the following: Just in time (JIT) theory refers to the efforts and strategies applied by the management in order to increase revenue by reducing the cost of manufacturing within the company (Bongiorni, 2004). The theory suggests that improvement in the manufacturing process is continuous. By being in a continuous process of improvement, a company can increase its return on investment as the manufacturing process keeps getting more and more efficient (Alternburg, et al., 2003). The theory advocates that all unwanted inventory present in the company is a hidden cost and not an asset (Bongiorni, 2004). It is thus suggested that the company must get rid of the unwanted inventory and continuously improve its process of manufacturing by adopting methods that require lesser amount of inventory (Slack, et al., 2012). Material Requirement Planning (MRP) is another theory that can be applied to the supply chain and it i mplies that the best way to improve efficiency of the manufacturing process is through planning and control of the inventory system (Wuttipornpun & Yenradee, 2006). The theory focuses on the availability of the materials required to manufacture a product and the availability of the product to the customers. However, the materials and products must not be present in an excessive amount and must be controlled according to the demand. Finally, there must be a

Legal Rights of Students with Disabilities Essay - 1

Legal Rights of Students with Disabilities - Essay Example IDEA has widely been regarded as essential educational stitch that not only provides legal protections to the students with disabilities but also talks about the rights of their parents to seek education for their children across United States. From time to time, some amendments were also implemented to the act. At present, it works along with the No Child Left behind Act to assure that all the children in United States will get access to free appropriate education (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). Six Basic Components of Original IDEA 1975 The original IDEA comprised of six basic and key components that are essential to be understood for understanding the soul of the act. The first component of IDEA is free appropriate public education that assures that all the children with disabilities eligible for special education, will also be entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). This principle also clarify that regardless of the severity of disability all the children re quiring special education would be â€Å"identifies, located and evaluated† (IDEA, 1975). ... The third component of IDEA is individual education program (IEP) that works to assure the provision of appropriate and individualized services to the students with disabilities on the basis of the current evaluation information. The forth component is Least Restricted Environment where IDEA guarantees that the children with disabilities could be provided with free appropriate public education in least restricted environment and disabled children would be considered to be placed in the general education classrooms. The fifth component is parent and student participation in decision making. This principle is meant to reinforce the belief that disabled children could be provided with appropriate education more effectively if the parents actively participate in the process. The parents and the students are required to play active role in each and every step of education. The parents and students are invited to every IEP meeting to encourage their participation in the process. The sixth component of IDEA is procedure and safeguard that defends the rights of the students and their parents involved in the program. It clarifies that the parents have the right to view the records of their children and they could also seek independent opinion about their child. The student is also assured of his rights even if his parents or guardians are not known. Without the completion of the evaluation process, the schools are strictly prohibited to make any changes in the instructions and education program for the children at their own so that the students could stay in unchanged environment during the evaluation period. IDEA Reauthorizations IDEA has gone through phases of changes with the intention of

Introduction To Trade Union

Introduction To Trade Union According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) there are around 535,500 employees on the Mauritian labour market in the first quarter of 2012. These workers are the human resource of our country and they deserved to be treated as valuable asset. However, in our lucrative oriented era, where the pursuit of profit triumph over the human rights and freedom of these workers. Hundreds of workers have no say in their working conditions; many are helpless in front of the managerial level, others are intimidated, or dismissed when their basic objective is to prone the human rights of freedom of association, collective bargaining and industrial democracy. On this basis, it has been none a coincidence to perceive the rise of trade union movements and understood that these movements had been on a perpetual alert and are continually fighting for their members to make the human right prevail before profits. The history of Trade Unions is a history of struggles for greater social justice and against tyranny, both in societies and at the workplace. The need for Trade Union in our country begun with the Industrial Revolution, where the rise of factories and the deskilling of labour led to workers seeking security through collective bargaining agreements. Trade Unions in Mauritius operate within the framework of the Industrial Relation Act 1973 (IRA). Of course, these trade unions around the country have the same purpose and objectives which is the welfare of the workers. Haniff Peerun the president of MLC confederation told us that: Mauritius Labour Congress being a Confederation always sees to it that all labour laws are respected and that all workers rights are respected. On the same basis, Mr X leader of the National Trade Union Congress told us that; the role of his organisation is to help promote and protect the rights of workers in the country. Trade unions give employees a number of important privileges that they would not otherwise possess as individuals. This is the reason why trade unions need to safeguard that their determinations to defend their labours match the efforts of managers looking to destabilise the employees. In addition, psychological contract and employers- employees relationship is also taken into consideration, by helping in the flow of communication as well as renegotiation through collective bargaining. 1.2 Aims and objectives This investigation will focus on the role and responsibilities of Trade Union movements in our country and the extent to which they are efficient and effective in both the public and private sector. The four specific objectives of this study are: Evaluate the perception of usefulness of trade unions as well as its accessibility in private sector as well as public sector. Assessing the employees intention to rely on Trade Unions and measure the gauge of satisfaction in a Unions member perspective Investigate the methods used by the Trade Union movement to negotiate better working conditions, for negotiation, leadership and securing economic benefits. Finding out how the Trade Union deal with certain crisis that arises in the workplace and the concrete involvement of the Trade Unions for their members 1.3 Background of study Mauritian development promises to promote standards of living for its population by bringing about a greater productivity through the diffusion of technological innovation as well as updated methods in exploiting equipment and the human resources, superior specialization, enhanced access to credit and capital as well as cheaper goods and services. At the same time, policies, laws and acts were amended for the welfare of the citizen, for instance the Industrial Relation Act 1973 or employment rights act 2008. However with the sole vision of making the country a world- wise competitive one, little importance is given to the concrete implementation of those laws on a daily basis. On that basis, Trade Union movements were launched in Mauritius, so as to voice out the workers rights. The chief target of the project is to identify the effectiveness of the roles and responsibilities of trade unions in our Mauritian system. It briefly examines the evolution of these movements in the country, by going back on their very start. In addition, a highlight of the intervention of the Trade Unions in our various sectors and how their concrete actions contribute to their members. The document will also enlighten the functions and importance of trade union in the Mauritian context as well as providing reasons to enrol as a Trade Union member. Analyzing the different challenges face by the Trade Unions such as the recent PRB issue, Labour laws, decent work, living condition among others, in the point of view of the trade unions, federation and confederation.Comparing the old managerial style to the new one, the paper will also bring emphasis on why the popularity of Trade Union has diminished. An overview of the future role of trade union will be discussed in order to see if t hese movements will resist the major changes of globalization as well as financial crisis. As a group of students, we implemented a top-down, quantitative approach to our research, which allowed us to analyse the various roles of trade unions in Mauritius, as this was considered the most appropriate method for studying the topic; we evaluated the hierarchy of trade union; Confederation, federation and finally Trade Unions. We identified the Mauritius Labour Congress as the main Confederation, the National Trade Union Congress and the Mauritius trade Union labour as federation and various other trade unions which are affiliated to the federation. Adhering to the concept of interviews and surveys, our observations were pooled to provide a broader and more precise representation than that provided by a sole investigation technique. Chapter 2: Roles and Responsibilities of Trade Union 2.1 Definition of Trade Union Trade Union is defined in the Employment Relations Act 2008 as an association of persons, whether registered or not, having as one of its objects the regulation of employment relations between workers and employers The Trade Union or Labour Union movement is a continuous and voluntary association whose membership comprises of salary earners, employees and union leaders. Those members have bonded together motivated by a simple motto Unity makes strength. Workers will therefore utilise trade unions as their representative voice when dealing with employers or on the board of directions. Independently, the workers do not bear the power to defy the top management. Therefore they grouped and seek to institute their terms and conditions of employments. When they realised that negotiating as an individual, the manager would be more powerful, due to the fact that an individual would not matter as much a group in regard of running an organisation. According to Cunnison, Trade Union is a monopolistic combination of wage earners who stand to the employers in a relation of dependence for the sale of their labour and even for the production, and that the general purpose of the association in view of that dependence is to strengthen their power to bargain with the employers The main role of trade union is to ensure the welfare of its members such as safeguarding the interests of its members, protecting the reliability of its trade, achieving higher wages by securing economic benefits. It also optimises the working conditions at the workplace and guarantees a job security while protecting members against unfair dismissal at workplace. Through its leadership, trade union engages in collective bargaining, whereby labour contracts are negotiated with the employers. Also it acts as a recruiting manager, the Union leaders interfere with the recruitment and selection of the company, its intention is to maximise the number of employees an employer can hire. 2.2 Hierarchy of Trade Unions There is a hierarchy in Unions, we had identified; the confederation, the federations and the trade unions. Regarding the confederation, there are one main which is Mauritius Labour Congress and it is affiliated to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).In the category of federation there are; National Trade Union Confederation (NTUC) which is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Mauritius Trade Union Congress (MTUC). Finally, the trade unions which are affiliated to the NTUC; The Federation of Civil Service Unions, Federation of Progressive Unions, Federation des Travailleurs Unis, Confederation Mauriciennes des Travailleurs, General Workers Federation and Federation of Free Workers. Confederation: The Mauritius Labour Congress The MLC is the largest registered and recognized central organization of workers in the country. It was created in 1963 from a merger of the Mauritius Trade Union Congress and the Mauritius Confederation of Free Trade Unions. It represents over 45,000 members through its 56 affiliates, which directly and indirectly covers 125 individual trade unions. The MLC was the unique national confederation affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) representing workers from practically all sectors such as Sugar Industry, Civil/Public Service, Para-statal Bodies, Aviation, Docks, Banking, Insurance, Tea, Transport, Hotel and Tourism, EPZ, Local Authorities and the private sector. We had an interview with Mr Haniff Peerun, the president of the confederation who told us that the vision of the organisation was to defend the rights of workers on the labour market. According to him, the aim and objectives of his trade union were: Adequate salary compensation to be paid to workers Make proposal to the government on budget To train the trade union members and affiliates To raise their voice whenever the rights of workers and consumers are at stake. Federation: The National Trade Union Confederation The National Trade Unions Confederation (NTUC) is a national trade union center in Mauritius and is affiliated with the Confederation. Which have two primary affiliates in the name of Federation of Civil Service Unions, and the Organization of Artisans Unity. It is composed of 20 members who represent all categories of workers within the public sector and its members are organised in branches, each branches having an executive committee, consisting of a president, secretary and a treasurer. The Vision of the confederation which has been identified after an interview with the leader of the organisation came out to be: To be a respected partner and a reference in trade unionism To be at the forefront of change, leadership and sound industrial relations. Moreover, according to him the aim and objectives of the Union are: Our main objective is to maintain mobilisation of our members and also organise those whom we represent. We also aim to help to make the public service more responsive to the needs of the people : Mauritius Trade Union Congress (MTUC) The Mauritius Trade Union Congress (MTUC) is a national trade union center in Mauritius affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation. It was founded by Emmanuel Anquetil in 1946. It comprises of 29,000 members and is have Mr Dewan Quedou as president. 2.3 Structure of Trade Union The trade unions structure is divided into several parts, namely: The Annual Delegates Congress It is the authority which governs the federation. The Executive Council It comprises of one representative of each affiliates which is usually the secretary or the president and the Bureau members and two observers per affiliates. Once every two months they conduct meeting regarding applications for affiliates from trade unions and affiliation of the Federation to any local, regional or international organisation promoting the interest of the workers and to discuss disagreements between different affiliates. Meeting can be scheduled on the demand of the President or the Bureau or of the members of the Executive Council too. The Bureau It comprises of the President, the General Secretary and the eight elected members. Among them, one is the 1st Vice president and another is the 2nd vice president, a 3rd as Assistant Treasurer and a fourth one who is the organising secretary. President He represents the Federation and he is the spokesman of the federation. General secretary The General Secretary arranges meetings and draw up the minutes of the meeting. Along with the General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary and the Assistant General make up the Secretariat of Federation. Treasurer He is in charge of the accounts of the federation. Organising Secretary He is in charge of organising events like training sessions, seminars, workshop among others. Public Relation Officer He deals with the media for conferences, coverage, reports and other information that will be published by the media. 2.4 Nature and Scope of Trade Union The existence of an influential and recognised trade union is a pre-requisite to the industrial development pace of the country. With modernization in different sectors and the formation of new one such as the technological one as well as the tourism sector, human resources were required. However, mistreatment of the Mauritian labour force appears. This is where the trade union emerged; they ensured that the human rights of their members are respect as per the laws and the constitution. Trade Unions are currently considered as a sub-system which attends a precise sub-groups interest. When defending a particular sector they consider themselves as an integral part of the organisation in respect to the feasibility, growth and development of the community of which they formed part of. The influence of Trade Unions is of key importance for their members in the following ways: First, they are more effective and efficient when the need of negotiation is required between employers and employees by attempting to create a win-win situation. They facilitate the flow of communication between workers and the management, by providing the guidance and support to both of them. The Union leaders will seek a health and safety in the working environment. In addition, they also act as an educational institution; they provide different types of courses to their members. They also accelerate the pace of economic development for instance; they act as a recruiting and selecting agent for the unemployed workers, managing conflicts in the organisation, inculcating corporate social responsibilities to the members among others. 2.5 Objectives of trade unions. The main body of a trade union usually consists of individual workers, sometimes professionals and past workers. Their primary aim is to ensure that the employment conditions of employees are respected and that fair working conditions are offered. However, trade unions also engage in issues like: Negotiation One of the main targets of trade unions is to negotiate with employers about the matters affecting their members and other employees at work. If a union is formally recognised by an employer, it can negotiate with the employer over terms and conditions. These negotiations are commonly known as collective bargaining. Any trade union works to protect and advance the interests of its members. One of the ways it achieves this is by collectively bargaining with employers about the pay and conditions under which its members work. The negotiation process normally deals with matters such as working rules and regulations, complaint procedures, hiring principle, dismissing or promoting employees, workplace safety and policies etc. Some trade unions even have the power to negotiate rates of pay, bonuses for target achievement, employment conditions and job descriptions on behalf of the employees. For collective bargaining to be effective, unions and employers need to agree on how the arrangement is to operate. The objective of that collective bargaining or negotiation process is to settle with a mutual agreement also known as collective agreement between the management and the trade union. Representing Body Employees and other workers have the right to be accompanied at a disciplinary or grievance hearing. They can either choose a co-worker or a union representative. Often, the union representative, will be a workplace representative who is also a co-worker and will support the employee on the board meeting. Information and Advice If someone forms part of a union he/she can also ask them for advice. Unions are experts at solving problems at work. Trade unions provide staff with information, advice and guidance about any work related problems. Member Service Trade unions provide its members with a variety of services such as training, insurance, financial assistance and legal advices, sickness benefits, education facilities in some cases, guarantee of satisfactory work conditions in areas such as health and safety as well as equal opportunities. Voice in decision affecting Workers Trade unions act as a spokesperson for the staff. When matters concerning an individual employee or a group of workers arise, the trade unions job is to voice out the problem in order to negotiate for a solution. In case no agreement is settled or respected, the trade union members may enforce strikes or resistance to lockouts. They can also intervene in order to resist schemes of the management which reduce employment, e.g. restructuring and automation 2.6 Types of Trade Union Craft or Occupation Union. This type of union was the earliest type developed, it comprised of employees of a particular craft or skill regardless of place of work. The advantage of craft unionism is the sense of solidarity, as there is a feeling of common interest between the members. In addition, as this union bears skilled workers, they have a good economic position for collective bargaining. On the other side, more and more new mechanical devices were being developed, the need for large numbers of skilled workers decreased. One- Shop Union or House Union The one-shop union organizes all workers in the same establishment or factory. This type of union has the advantage of being relatively easy to organize because all workers share a common goal in securing a good collective agreement for their particular factory. However, as it is small, it has little bargaining power and it is easily dominated by management. Common Employer Union. The common employer union is basically the same except that it organizes across establishments owned by the same employer. It suffers from basically the same disadvantages as a one-shop union. 2.7 Characteristic of Trade Union Trade unions have shown remarkable progress since their inception in Mauritius and as the union is an essential and dynamic aspect of the society it bears special characteristics such as: Trade Union come together for common goals and interest The members have some materials of collective interest such as improving working conditions, better wages, benefits, job security among others. The trade unions have the right to contest a managerial decision, if they considered that their members are at risk with the outcome. Trade Union is an association of workers and salary earners: Unions are essentially a cooperative labour marketing association whose aim is to safeguard human rights on one or more labour market. In addition, they also bear a hand in the progress of the society, cultural interest and political views of its members. Trade unions have been implemented so as each sector of the working class bear a specific union. Mauritius therefore bears different Union association such as: Agricultural Research Extension Unit (AREU) Mauritius Labour Congress (MLC) Mauritius Trade Union Congress (MTUC) National Trade Union Confederation (NTUC) Trade Unions are basically voluntary organizations: Members of any trade union are voluntary in nature. They are completely free to become a member of a Trade Union or not; none is constrained to subscribe to a Trade Union. If any individual is forced to join a Union, the very essence of trade of trade unionism is defeated. Unions are egalitarian bodies: The Unions are self-governed; this is the reason why they can effectively act in our society. The union leaders are voted by the members and perform as per the Trade Union Act. The Trade Union is a continuous association Union is not a daily affair. In order to work effectively for their adherents they ask a long term membership Constant evolution in the characteristic of Trade Union With this dynamic era, the union continually update their techniques and amend their work. With new complications in the workplace, the unions need to find infinite approaches so as to serve the union members. Rapport with the Management: The unions have the responsibility to improve the employers and employees relationship. They go through the process of negotiation and collective bargaining with the direction of the members organisation concerning their problems. In so doing, the employer and employee relationship is enriched and enhance the quality and welfare of the employees. 2.8 Functions of Trade Unions Broadly speaking, trade unions perform two types of functions: Militant Function Amongst the various activities performed by trade unions is the betterment of the position of their members in relation to their employment. The aim of such activities is to ensure that all the clauses of the hiring and psychological contract are respected. When the union fails to accomplish these aims through collective bargaining and negotiation, in extreme conditions they adopt drastic measures in the form of go-slow, strike, boycott, work sabotage etc. to make the management react and reconsider their requests. Hence, these functions of the trade unions are known as militant or fighting functions. Fraternal Function Another actions performed by trade unions are to provide help to its members in needy times, and improving their efficiency. Trade unions try to nurture a spirit of cooperation, mutual aid and promote friendly relationships and sharing of knowledge and culture among their colleagues. In some cases, they also arrange for legal assistance. Besides, these, they undertake many welfare measures for their members, e.g., school for the education of children, library, reading-rooms, in-door and out-door games, and other recreational facilities. These activities, which may be called fraternal functions, obviously depend on the availability of funds, which the unions raise by subscription from members and donations from outsiders, and also on their competent and enlightened leadership. Another broad classification of the functions of unions may be as follows: Intra-mural activities: These deals with whatever happens on the site of work and has direct impact on employees e.g. wages, strikesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Extra-mural activities: These activities help the employees to maintain and improve their efficiency or productivity e.g., methods intended to foster a spirit of cooperation, promote friendly relationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Political activities: Modern trade unions also take up political activities to achieve their objectives. Such activities may be related to the formation of a political party or those reflecting an attempt to seek influence on public policy relating to matters connected with the interests of working class Other Functions Trade unions have a number of functions, one more important than the other depending on the situations; however the five main general principles developed have been: The service function The representative function The regulatory function The government function The public administration function The service function This involves the delivery of services and assistance to the union members. The representative function This implies that the trade union will act like a delegate for the members at the workplace. The regulatory function This enables trade unions to actively participate in rule-making over the workplace. This can be done either: directly multi-employer collective bargaining e.g. through the Joint Industrial Council Or indirectly through regulatory legislation The government and public administration function Trade unions engage with the government to assure that they can accomplish their respective function within the law. Trade unions also play an important role in: improving bottom-up communication in order to increase commitment of employees in meeting the organizations objectives negotiating improvements to pay and working conditions to retain the people encouraging companies to invest in training and development for better performance and personal as well as professional development of employees acting as a positive change agent thus gaining employees support for the smooth running of the organization Protecting the interests of employees by taking active participation in the management. safeguarding organizational stability, growth, and leadership Chapter 3: Trade Union at Work 3.1 Need for trade Union Trade Unions contribute much in the industrial peace; they are required for different purpose such as effective communication between employees and employers as they are the mediator between them. They also make sure that the divergence of opinions is taken into consideration and of course do not turn out into conflicts. They also bear a great responsibility in safeguarding the interests of their members. They are the protector, the counseling, the mediator, coach, and keep an eye on the environment in which their members evolves every day seeking a healthy and safe working place. Reasons why Trade Union is useful at work: Trade unions aid to enhance the pace of economic growth in many ways; through the recruitment and selection of workers instructing discipline among the workforce Trying to inculcate the organisation culture of the organisation to the new employee settling industrial clashes in a rational manner helping in social adjustments: new working conditions, abiding to new rules and policies Trade unions are a portion of society and are concern with the national integration: Encouraging and preserving national integration through the minimization of industrial conflicts. Incorporating a sense of corporate social responsibility in workers Attaining industrial peace To ensure job security and right pay for the members: One of the main reasons why the employee decides to join a union is principally for security, especially in the private sector where people are unsure of their job position. Employees desire to get paid according to their qualifications and skills. To express the complaints of employees to the managerial level: Though some employees do have grievance again the employers, they do not convey their thoughts as they fear of getting dismissed Employees do not like to be subjected to arbitrary and capricious actions by management. When difficult situation happens, employees may notice that they have little or no influence in job-related matters, thus becoming prime targets for unionization Facilitate the flow of communication between employers and employees Enhance the employer and employee relations Facilitate decisions making through the process of collective bargaining and negotiations 3.2 Reason for joining a Trade Union Individuals in various sectors of Mauritius choose to join a union in order to protect by the laws and regulations which abide the union. They might have different reasons joining and these reasons will tend to change over time. At the start of ones career, the main reason is for job security and working conditions, and when having experience it is for a better salary or benefits. Remember that independently, the workers do not bear the power to defy the top management. Therefore they grouped in order to make Unity stand still in front of managers. Other reasons can involve dissatisfaction with management, need for a social outlet, opportunity for leadership, forced unionization and peer pressure. Other important reasons for joining trade union: Greater Bargaining Power: As said before, when trying to bargain alone, the employee will not make the difference but if the whole organisation voices out it will me more tangible; a Strike by a union is a powerful tool that often causes the employer to accept the demands of the workers for better conditions of employment. Minimize Discrimination in decisions concerning wages, working conditions, promotion among others. There might be favouritisms if the manager appreciates more one employee than another. Discrimination can arise in term of racism, culture, religion, gender, origins and names. Sense of Security: employees join unions so as to have adequate security in term of accidents, injury, illness, unemployment, but also obtaining; retirement benefits and compelling the management to invest in welfare services for the benefit of the workers. Sense of Participation: so as to be involved in the decision- making of the organisation and influence the results through collective bargaining. Sense of Belongingness: some join because their co-mates are members others under group pressure. This may be an aspect of respect for those who are not members. Platform for self-expression: the workers want to be taken into consideration by the managerial level. Thus Trade unions provide such a forum to convey feelings, ideas, complaints and opinions. Betterment of relationships; workers believe that unions can satisfy the main need for suitable equipment for proper maintenance of employer-employee relations. Unions help in betterment of industrial relations among management and workers by solving the problems peacefully. 3.3 Pros and Cons of Trade Union Advantages of Trade Union Trade Union can increase the salary of its members as well as benefit through negotiation. Represent the workers in front of the employers and society Protect against exploitation Uphold health and safety legislation Trades unions can give representation to workers facing legal action. Can voice out for better working conditions Ask for training, learning and development of knowledge, skills and abilities Build the employee and employer

Native American Schooling Essay -- essays research papers

Native Schooling For many years Native American people have been discriminated against in the United States as well as in the Public School system. Beginning with the common-school movement of the 1830s and 1840s, which attempted to stop the flow toward a more diverse society, the school systems have continued to be geared exclusively toward WASPS (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants). Native Americans have been forced to abandon their culture and conform to our â€Å"American† ways (Rothenberg, 1998, pp. 258-259.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thomas L. McKenney focused on deculturalizing the children through public schooling (Spring, 1997, p. 16). McKenney served as superintendent of Indian trade for fourteen years. After that office was abolished in 1823, he was appointed as the first head of the Office of Indian affairs. His idea was that a person could â€Å"civilize† the Native American children in schools when they were away from their parents. He tried to force assimilation on these Native American children. He wanted them to convert to Christianity, and adopt the WASP’s beliefs and morals. In 1827 McKenney wrote to the Secretary of War, James Barbour stating that, â€Å"children, who only needed to be protected from evil . . . and under the conditions of isolation and education Indians could be civilized in one generation (Spring, 1997, p.18).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Missionaries were sent to the tribes to spread the word of Christianity under the Civilization Act. Today the act of sending in missionaries would be viewed as a violation of the First Amendment. The amendment states that there shall be no governmental support of any religion. In that time though they were still beginning their school day with a reading from the Protestant Bible (Spring, 1997, p. 18). The Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches brought into existence the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) in 1810. Their mission was worldwide and they sent missionaries abroad as well as the Native American tribes. According to Spring, the missionaries viewed the Native Americans as foreign â€Å"heathen.† A powerful example of the path to deculturalization was Reverend James Ramsey’s visit to a Choctaw school in 1846. As quoted in the Spring text, Ramsey stated, â€Å"`I showed them [on a map] that the people who speak t he English language, and who occupied so small a part of ... ... p. 103), which encouraged Indian involvement in the school systems. This required a separate local committee to represent the population if the majority of the school board was not Native American. This committee was given control over all Native American education programs affiliated with the United States Government. The ideals of this act were expanded upon in 1988 with the Tribally Controlled Schools Act. This act provided for grants to be given directly to tribes to fund the operation of their schools. With these positive modifications equality is in the possible, but distant future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Native Americans have been oppressed for hundreds of years since the their land was taken from them. The United States Government simply expects the Native American’s to assimilate to our society. Their culture and tribal ways have been stolen without a second thought. The government should provide some sort of retribution for these people. Perhaps Native American culture should be taught in our schools as well as American culture. Hopefully, someday everything will be equal in the world as well as in the public school system no matter what the person’s heritage.

Filipino Mode of Thinking Essay

We, Filipinos, are considered hospitable and merry. It has been an attitude the majority enriches or embraces. For instance, looking into our hospitality, when a guest is present in our home, a treatment of respect and comfort will be provided for the person as if the guest is a member of the family. Whereas for being merry, when a problem emerges, a joke or two about the problem will be the response to make the atmosphere be calmer. All these qualities root from are â€Å"communal relationships†. Again we are known from these qualities. All of which are embedded in our culture that originated since pre-colonial times that we still carry today. A lot of things can still be considered to show our identity and uniqueness. It could either be present only in some areas or in the general public but all of these points to our Filipino mode of thinking. Our Filipino mode of thinking is considered as â€Å"oriental, non-dualistic, holistic and has unity between the subject and the object†. It is true on so many ways. Just observing the way our people act and build their houses are fitting cases. A Filipino identity is present even if one goes abroad; a habit that every Filipino will carry whenever he goes – the Filipino mode of thinking. A mode of thinking is a desirable element to have a rich culture and country; every country might as well have it but differs in their own notions or form. It may not apply to everyone due to the globalization, but a hint or two would still pass if there are people with that mode of thinking around that person. To give out examples of this Filipino mode of thinking, a lot can be stated. Two eminent cases are the tattooing art in the country and our â€Å"kamay-kamayan† eating or the buddlefeast. PhilippineTattoo Philippine tattooing has been an art since pre-colonial times which spreads to the three main islands of the country. The word â€Å"Pintados† (Painted Ones) was even dubbed for the Bisayans by the Spaniards. Tattooing is a phenomenon in the whole world nowadays that evolves since the early times. The so-called Pintados of the island of Visayas, Manobo of Mindanao and Kalinga of Luzon are the front runners of tattoo tradition and culture in the country. However, this tradition and art in the country has been partially diminishing in some of the tribes or areas. The few organizations and institutions are at times the only hope in trying to save this continuing crisis. PHILTAG, Mark of Four Waves Tribe and many others are the organizations that are reviving the tribal designs of our traditional tattooing tribes. These people advocate the start of a new revolution in Philippine Tattooing. It has been doing greatly for the past few years. At present, a lot of Filipinos here and abroad, and even those who are not Filipino, are having our tribal designs tattooed on them. Diversities and similarities are present for each country in terms of tattooing but it could still be identified through the processes or the designs themselves. Designs that depicts animals and nature which is one with the people that shows our mode of thinking is non-dualistic. Kamay-kamayan Filipinos are really fond in eating; it is seen in our fiestas, birthdays, wedding or just any party on that matter. These practices can also be the way one could show it hospitality and cheerfulness; for there are times when hosts give out carry-outs or take-outs for the guests or cases when even people the host does not know are invited or welcome. Eating has been essential to show one that he/she is high cultured using proper etiquette like the use of table knives, spoons and forks in different manners or activities. However, some Filipinos don’t practice such customs from time to time for they use their own hands to eat. It may look unhygienic or improper to others but it has been a practice that has been ongoing since before in our history; â€Å"Kamay-kamayan† or â€Å"kamayan† as they called it. I myself tried such a practice and discovered it is quite gratifying; and fitting for eating certain foods. It might as well be our bond to our ancestors which did not have those spoons and forks. It is still abundant in the country even in the urban areas. There are even restaurants that suggest people to eat with their bare hands. Also, â€Å"buddle feasts† are being a trend nowadays. It’s all about eating together, with a small or big number of people, having all the food on a same long tables sharing all these to everyone; another special thing about it is eating with your hands as well. This just shows that we live as a community and shows unity like that of the buddle feasts happening in the Philippine Military Academy and the annual event in Taguig that promotes unity and bonding. The sakop mentality and holistic concept also comes into play in this kind of practices. Eating with your hands may have its pros and cons but a culture correctly done will always be right and rich. Conclusion The Filipino mode of thinking is â€Å"oriental, non-dualistic, holistic and has unity between the subject and the object† as stated in first paragraph. The examples given show all these qualities. The Filipinos should also preserve and enrich these practices for the sake of the country’s culture. The country since before the coming of the Spaniards has a culture to be proud of. It is unique and shows the Filipino in its own way for â€Å"without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future. †

Discuss ‘sensibility’ in the poetry of Felicia Hemans: The Grave of a Poetess

In this essay I will define the meaning of ‘sensibility' in the poetry that I have encountered in this course. Then, I will discuss the gender writing, women's poetry and whether ‘sensibility' is a characteristic of women's poetry alone. In poetry, sensibility could be defined as a mental responsiveness and awareness, which refine sensitivity to pleasurable or painful impressions. It also, considered as a cult of feeling, which arose in the eighteenth century in response to philosophical theories. Those theories investigate the power of feeling to communicate directly between people. In the eighteenth century, sensibility celebrated the man feeling, presented with the feelings of sympathy and pity in response to the suffering of others. Sensibility takes us into an internal world of psychology. Curran argues that the link is a crucial one to understanding Romanticism when he writes that the ‘poetry of sensibility is at base a literature of psychological exploration, and it is the foundation on which Romanticism was reread' (Romantic Writing, p. 113). The images of woman on the eighteenth century, was one source of the figure of the domestic woman. Within the culture of the Romantic period, the main role for woman was taking care of children, house and husband. Literature in that era, was influenced by sensibility, and seems to celebrate feeling and femininity. Although sensibility appears among males' poems, most of them refuse sensibility and consider it as a type of feminine. Many of Wordsworth's poems return to the literature of sensibility, such as the distress suffered by a young woman and meeting an old man on the roadside. Wordsworth accepted sensibility as a male sensibility, but Blake refuse completely the sensibility, which represented in his perspective woman femininity. Sensibility meaning was different in the point of view of some women writers. Some of them take their literary identity from it, such as Williams. Whereas, others consider it as an aspect of femininity at best, and at worst, as a means to celebrate all that is most false and decadent in the contemporary emergence of male romantic poetry. No one can deny that romanticism periods' writers, such as Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Byron and Shelley, had borrowed significantly from female authors and feminine types of literature. Hence, we have to admit that there is a shared culture between men and women throughout the period of romanticism. Wollstonecraft argues that to deny women the opportunities of education and an active role in society is to transform them into domestic slaves. What connects women and slaves, for Wollstonecraft, is that they are both seen and treated as commodities. The revolutionary period gave fresh movement to debate and concern about femininity and women's role in society. James Fordyce's Sermons to Young Women (1765) was One of the most frequently republished volumes. In that volume, writer expresses strong views on the dangers to women of too much novel reading. According to Fordyce, female intellect is limited, whereas, most of life activities which need human intelligence such as ‘war, commerce, politics, exercises of strength and dexterity, abstract philosophy, and all the abstruser sciences, are more properly the province of men. In thinking about the relation between gender and writing in the romantic period, we should note the Polwhele claims an inherited masculine perspective, locating his contemporary readers in the context of their fathers' experience. According to Polwhele, women's writing is an affront to God-given, ‘natural' gender roles. In this masculine way of seeing, women are objects of the male gaze, they are defined by their appearance and behaviour. It follows that if women engage in certain types of writing, this will involve the loss of the ‘softer charms' that are bound up with these ideals of femininity. (Romantic Writing, p. 180). Nevertheless There were influential poets in the beginning of the nineteenth century, such as Anna Barbauld, Anna Seward, Charlotte Smith and Mary Robinson. The work of those women writers were going through many editions, but they have subsequently been erased from literary history or pushed to its margins. Women writers were very popular, and women readers gained a new economic visibility through the rise of fashionable magazine.. the beginning of women entrance to literary marketplace was in significant numbers during the 18th and 19th centuries, but in the historical context in which they wrote, they could not easily claim to speak with authority. To write as a woman was to be transgressive: entering the literary marketplace and competing with male authors for readership challenged conventional gender boundaries. As a result, many women authors adopted authorial personae that fit, rather than challenged, conventional gender definitions. Since women were generally understood to be emotional rather than rational, women authors often wrote about feelings, emotions, and, especially, love. They often adopted styles that fit their subject matter: to seem more feminine, they employed highly emotional language. By so doing, they could find an audience yet not risk being perceived as excessively ambitious. But this created a double-bind: to speak as a woman was to play the part of an emotionally sensitive and irrational human being. And whereas male authors could cite an infinite number of literary ancestors to establish their authority, female authors had just a handful of literary antecedents. Male poets were increasingly forced to respond to women writers such as Joanna Baillie, a Scottish poet and successful dramatist, who published a 72 page polemic arguing for naturalness in poetic language two years before Wordsworth wrote his ‘Preface† to the second edition of Lyrical Ballads, in which he makes the same plea. Women Poets such as Baillie and other preceded Wordsworth and brought the vigour of common life and language to their writings. Many of the most popular poets, such as Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L.E.L), published their poems in annuals and ornamental giftbooks, which were directed towards a largely female readership. L.E.L. edited and wrote most of Health's Book of Beauty, and contributed to countless other. They promoted, particularly through their illustrations, an ideology of feminine beauty, providing models for women to emulate and confirming that the ideal woman was the object, not the subject, of the gaze. In this sense, we will represent Felicia Hemans: â€Å"The Grave of a Poetess†. Sensibility is appear obviously in this poem which succeed in transferring the human suffer among its verses. In such a poem which written by woman, the death seems strangely bound up with expression, and it show how might this bundling affect the poem's agenda. In the final stanza of The Grave of a Poetess, Felicia Hemans completes the turn of her poem from one of melancholy lament at the passing of fellow poet Mary Tighe to one instead celebrating the apparent freedom of expression that follows a poet's earthly death. In closing, Hemans writes to Tighe, â€Å"Where couldst thou fix on mortal ground / Thy tender thoughts and high? / Now peace the woman's heart hath found, / And joy the poet's eye†. The Grave of a Poetess, ends up carrying a fair amount of dramatic potency, as it both points to repression of the female voice, and implies the loss this creates for all of humanity. An effective tension is thus lent to Hemans poem through the direct and indirect of injection of her frustrated Romantic yearnings for the attainment of full expression for her and her fellow poetesses, the denial of which leads her to resort to the Christian-like notion of a vindicating afterlife seen in this poem. Charlotte Smith was born in London. Her mother Anne died when she was only three, and at the age of six Charlotte was sent by her Aunt to a school in Chichester and later a school in Kingston. At the age of sixteen she was the subject of an arranged marriage to Benjamin Smith, with whom she was to have twelve children. There life together was far from straightforward, and the couple had many financial difficulties which led to her husband being imprisoned in debtors prison for seven months. Despite all her problems she was however a talented translator, and prolific writer of prose, plays and poetry. Including the Elegaic Sonnets in 1784 of which the Glow Worm was sonnet 58. She died in 1806 and is buried in Stoke. In Charlotte Smith's sonnet, she showed a high power of sensibility and she used a power of nature to represent her feeling among the sonnet. â€Å"I love to listen to the hollow sighs/ Through the half-leafless wood that breathes the gale;/ for at such hours the shadowy phantom pale†: in these lines she express her sadness and feelings through the use of nature elements. She used the expression â€Å"half-leafless† to show that the leaves had fallen down. Also she use the expression â€Å"shadowy phantom† to show that it is as a shadow, and this expression is a kind of mystery. Dorothy Wordsworth: â€Å"Floating Island† is another example of woman poetry, which represent sensibility among her writing. Dorothy start her poem with a force of nature: â€Å"Harmonious Powers with Nature work/ on sky, earth, river, lake, and sea:/ Sunshine and storm, whirlwind and breeze/ All in one duteous task agree†. In this poem the poet employed the nature to express the feeling of security in the preface of the poem. Although common poets refused to accept feminine sensibility, their work was influenced by sensibility in getting to the mind of human feeling and describing suffering and emotion. Wordsworth show sensibility in his famous poems, such as â€Å"Lucy†. In that poem, Wordsworth describe a story of a woman and express her beauty and shy. Then he ended his poem by telling his audience that Lucy had dead and no one know where she had lived: â€Å"She lived unknown, and few could know/ But she is in her grave, and oh†. All these emotions considered as a type of sensibility. In contrasting with William Blake: â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†, we find that the poet interest in showing a political and social suffering among his poem. In this poem the Blake is suggesting that it is a state of affairs which cannot be changed, and all we could do would be to accept our earthly fate and expect our reward in the afterlife: â€Å"And so Tome awoke, and we rose in the dark,/ So if all do their duty they need not fear harm†. Although men such as Wordsworth, Blake, Keats and Shelley refused to admit that they use sensibility in their poems, no one can deny that there is a considerable amount of shared culture between men and women throughout the period of romanticism. In comparing with women sensibility, Wordsworth, Blake, Keats and Shelley express their sensibility among their poems in their poetry, and mainly they concern in human existence and the political situation. Sensibility was appeared more in Blake poems, as he was more sensitive and involved in human and political suffering and he was considered as a radical member during the revolution. On the other hand women sensibility interest in domestic matters and social and family sadness and women suffering. Further more they interest in the story of love and families and they use gothic elements in their poetry. In conclusion, we defined sensibility as a matter of sensitivity and expression of emotions which arose in eighteenth century poetry. Both of men and women used sensibility in their poetry, but each of them employ it in a different way. The work of Wordsworth and Coleridge, Keats Byron and Shelley borrows significantly from female authors and ‘feminine' types of literature, such as sensibility, even though it seeks to mark its own works as masculine and to sever the association with female writers and readers. Sensibility arose in men's poetry as a matter of expressing the refusal to the political situation and the social suffering. Whereas, it arose in women sensibility among their awareness of domestic needs and women suffering. In men's perspective the woman is a poem not a poet, and that was what we notice in Wordsworth poem â€Å"Lucy† as he used Lucy as a passive character, he interest in describing her beauty, but there were no considered to her intelligence.