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Article Title:
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (HRM) AND TRADE UNIONS' COMPATIBILITY: 'SOFT-HARD' MODEL DIGESTION FOR HUMAN CAPACITY BUILDING AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTIVITY AT WORKPLACE
by Moses M. M. Daemane

Abstract:
This paper aims at critically discussing the assumed incompatibility between human resources management (HRM) (managerialiasm) and (unionism) Trade Unions (TUs). It refutes such incompatibility and includes the role that TUs may play to compatibly coexist with HRM. The significance of this analysis highlights importance of the compatibility of HRM and TUs in promoting profitable industrial relations in productivity, protection and welfare of the employees, preservation of their jobs, as well as cultivating the most suitable positive work culture and work attitudes through utilizing compatibility and team work between HRM and TUs. Part of the problem statement is that these two are thought to be competing enemies in the workplace. HRM pushes for maximum productivity/hard and long working hours but at the lowest possible labour cost far below a living wage. Thus, HRM is regarded as a mode of 'slave driving' at workplace while TUs are there to struggle for unlimited increased leisure and benefits in a work place. Discussing the new role of TUs in HRM will do the refutation of this incompatibility and foster harmony and a 'win-win' situation, opposed to zero sum one. This will also include among others, things that TUs may change or do to coexist with HRM. The organization of the essay will therefore sequentially have definition of major concepts, that is HRM, its two models and TUs, concerns on HRM and TUs' compatibility, current responses of TUs to HRM, flaws in HRM implementation justifying co-existence with TUs, HRM impact on workers, TUs possibilities bringing compatibility with HRM, incompatibility refutation and lastly analytical conclusions.

Keywords: human resources management (HRM), trade unions (TUs), soft model of management and hard model of management

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